Tube-ocalypse now: Photos & video from the zombie tube world record attempt

Photo by Derek Turno

Hundreds of humans and zombies alike joined together on the French Broad River Sept. 20 to try to break the world record for most linked tubers on the water. Afterwards, crowds gathered at the new Salvage Station venue along the river to enjoy music from bands such as The Krektones and Lyric. The event aimed to  raise awareness of the river as a growing recreation hub as well as money for the WNC Alliance, a local environmental nonprofit.

Slide show photos by Cindy Kunst

The day after the event, organizer Ben Wiggins said the official final count of participants on the river was 548. That was 87 short of what was needed to break the Guinness world record for linked tubers. The record is currently held by the Harley Owners Group Taiwan Chapter, which brought together 634 people in June in that country’s Sun Moon Lake. That broke the Guinness record for “Most People in a Floating Line” held by the Human Access Project, a Portland environmental nonprofit that had strung together 620 floaters on the Willamette River in 2013.

Wiggins said organizers are already planning another try for next year. He thanked everyone who participated in the inaugural event and vowed that next year they are “going to crush the record.”

Drone video of the zombie float via the Hummingbird Aerial Imaging YouTube page

Timelapse video of the zombie float via the the Vimeo page

Meanwhile, participants and observers took to social media Sept. 20 to post photos and dispatches from the event. Here’s a sample via Storify:

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About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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2 thoughts on “Tube-ocalypse now: Photos & video from the zombie tube world record attempt

  1. Gail burchett

    Love the pics. I wonder if I can get a copy of #24 on the slide presentation? It was such a fun day looking forward to next year. Thanks

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