Alberton resident sets dangerous Guinness World record
Andre de Kock, resident in Alberton, and Enrico Schoeman attempt to set up new world record.
ALBERTON resident André de Kock played a part in the setting of an extremely dangerous Guinness World Record over the weekend of September 5 and 6.
The distance record, for riding a motorcycle through a fire tunnel, was set in the Free State town of Parys, as part of the 2014 Rhino Motorcycle Rally.
De Kock and his friend Enrico Schoeman set the record at 120,4 metres, riding an Australian motorcycle and sidecar racing outfit.
The pairing also held the previous Guinness World Record at 103 metres.
“The invitation to attempt a new record at the Rhino Rally site came from Bike SA Editor and rally organiser Simon Fourie late last year,” De Kock said recently.
“We could not forego performing in front of such a large audience, and went into planning mode from the beginning of 2014.”
Tackling the record took an enormous amount of work, with considerable costs.
The stunt required huge amounts of steel and cardboard, diesel, petrol, wire mesh and protective clothing for the two riders, not to mention registration fees with Guinness, plus television footage rights.
With everything in place, the 120 metre tunnel was doused in 360 litres of diesel, plus 200 litres of petrol last Friday evening (September 5) and set alight by a pyrotechnician.
Once fully on fire, the tunnel furnace was broached by De Kock and Schoeman with the sidecar. They emerged 11 seconds later, with the new Guinness record seemingly in place.
“This record is probably the most dangerous one still administered by Guinness, and we were extremely happy to emerge from the tunnel unharmed,” said De Kock.
The details of the attempt will be sent to Guinness in London for official ratification.
