Tuesday, February 9, 2010

  Most swords swallowed simultaneously - Chayne Hultgren sets world record

 SYDNEY, Australia -- Chayne Hultgren , 31, nicknamed the Space Cowboy for his talents, beat his own 2008 record by swallowing 18 swords at the same time, each 72cm (28.35in) long - setting the new world record for the Most swords swallowed simultaneously .

 ( enlarge photo )

   The 31-year-old Australian downed the 28in swords in front of Sydney Opera House.

   After setting the new world record, he said: "Wow, I did it, it feels good, thank you very much, it feels really good actually."

    'It’s amazing - I’m really happy. It’s definitely one of my greatest achievements so far,' he commented after setting the record.

    Hultgren calls the feat "an educated risk" that he is able to do by using hoses to stretch his throat.

Chayne Hultgren is the only person in the world to swallow more than 13 blades simultaneously. The sword-eater said he started his dangerous hobby when he was 16 and had used different techniques to prepare his body, including stretching his throat with hoses.

    "I don't just straight away grab 18 blades and shove them down my throat," he says. "You've got to practice a lot and build up to it."
    'I waited a few years until I'd got it perfect and then I moved on to using stainless steel blades,' he explained. 'It's not dangerous when you know how to do it, but it's not something that's recommended by my doctor.

Chayne Hultgren had previously held the Guinness World Record for the Most swords swallowed simultaneously by swallowing 17 swords in 2008.

    So what is the secret?
    Constant training with the device that he started out with - a garden hose. And, of course, learning not to gag.
   'I stretch my throat with hoses and use a few different techniques to basically enable me to do what, until now, has been impossible. 'For this feat today I've been training a lot, doing a lot of meditation. I've learned how to control my muscles and my internal organs.'

   He said: “I’ve been preparing for this since I was 16.”

   But he had a few words of warning for wannabe sword swallowers: “Kids – don’t try this at home.”