South Dakota’s Bizarre Guinness World Records You Didn’t Know

The Guinness Book of World Records was probably the most important book to me when I was 10. I mean, they are WORLD RECORDS! That means something...I thought. I got a copy from a book fair in elementary school and read it until it fell apart.

I remember the twins on the motorcycles, the dude with a mouth full of cigarettes, and the lady with the long, twisty fingernails. Plus all the biggest, smallest, tallest, and shortest records. Proof that some guy ate more hot dogs than seems safe.

Nowadays, the Guinness Book of World Records is less about weirdos and more about weird activities. You can get a world record for just about anything. Most times you got off I-229 at the wrong exit, the most people to jump in the Big Sioux at once, or the largest collection of Gigglebees memorabilia are all records I just made up, but could be real if someone wanted to put in the effort.

South Dakota can claim some of these crazy records. Tounges, cookies, and Swamp Thing all play a role in South Dakota's Guinness World Records.

Longest hair on a living teenager (male)

In 2024, Reuben Looks Twice Jr. from Rapid City got the world record for the longest hair on a living teenager with hair that was 5 ft 3.3 inches at the time.

The Largest steam-powered tractor in operation

In 2018, Anderson Industries (USA), in Webster, South Dakota, was awarded the record for the largest steam-powered tractor in operation. They took 16 months to recreate a '150 HP Case' tractor. The Tracot weighs 75,000 lb, is 25 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 14 feet high.

Most people opening fortune cookies simultaneously

On August 15, 2019, the Sioux Falls Young Professionals Network organized 339 people to break the world record for the most people opening fortune cookies simultaneously.

Largest collection of Swamp Thing memorabilia

In 2015, John E Boylan of Sioux Falls was awarded the record for the largest collection of Swamp Thing memorabilia. Over five years of collecting have gotten him 501 comic books, ads, movie posters, figurines, clothing, and more.

Longest tongue on a dog (current)

In 2016, Mochi “Mo” Rickert, a female St Bernard from South Dakota, got the record for longest tongue on a dog (current) in 2016. The pup's tongue officially measured 7.3 inches long.

Most spray tans in one hour

In 2016, Stacey Burkhart from Sioux Falls wanted to promote spray-tans as a safe alternative to sunbathing by getting the world record for most spray tans in one hour. At Sun Tan City in Sioux Falls, she got 92 women to get bronzed in 60 minutes.

The Guinness World Records folks have been cataloging world records since 1955. As of 2025, they have over 53,000 records in their database.

The whole thing got started because of an argument about what was the fastest game bird. Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, thought that having a reference book of world records would be a handy thing to have.

Another Guinness employee recommended a pair of twins in London to actually make the book happen. In 1954, they compiled a version of the book that was given to pubs in the UK for free as a promotional item to promote the beer. The next year, they made a version to sell, and by Christmas 1955, it was a best seller.

If you want to try to break a record, just apply via the Guinness World Records website (guinnessworldrecords.com/records/apply-to-set-or-break-a-record).