Eight weird travel-related records, from biggest giant prawn to tallest human tower

The Corinthian spirit, once commonplace in attempts to break world records (the fastest 100 metres in high heels; pulling a double-decker bus using only one’s teeth) has, on occasion, been hijacked by publicity-seeking tourist boards, chambers of commerce and companies aiming to drum up business. Sometimes, when it comes to attracting visitors, only a giant fruit or a colossal stainless steel horse will do. Perhaps it won’t be long before attempts to beat that stiletto sprint record are sponsored by Jimmy Choo.

1 Giant roadside attractions

Built in 1964, the Big Banana was designed to encourage passing traffic to stop at an underperforming New South Wales fruit stall. Today there are dozens of Big Things beside Australia’s roads, from the Big Beer Can (in Cobar, NSW) to the Giant Ram (Wagin, Western Australia) and, despite unsuccessful efforts to demolish it, the Big Prawn (Ballina, NSW).

It was in the United States, however, that novelty roadside architecture first appeared. In 1881, James V. Lafferty built Lucy the Elephant and placed her on a plot of undeveloped New Jersey land, hoping to attract buyers and raise his property values. Then, in the 1920s, with the growth of interstate highways, including iconic Route 66, towns began looking for ways to persuade motorists to break their journey. Mimetic architecture (structures in the shape of the product being sold) such as giant coffee pots, hot dogs and doughnuts started to appear, often claiming to be the world’s largest. Many were.

2 Simultaneous foot massage