German record hunter pops 60 balloons with a plunger
Andre Ortolf claimed a Guinness World Records title by bursting 60 balloons with a plunger in 30 seconds, beating a 2025 mark of 23.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
A German Guinness World Records regular has turned a bathroom tool into a record-breaking weapon, using a plunger to burst 60 balloons in a 30-second attempt.
Andre Ortolf, 32, claimed the title for most balloons popped with a plunger in 30 seconds, according to Guinness World Records and UPI. The record had previously belonged to American Kevin Daane, who set a mark of 23 balloons in 2025.
Ortolf, described by UPI as a serial Guinness World Record breaker, did not need the full half-minute to finish his run. He told Guinness World Records that he completed the attempt in 24 seconds.
The setup was wonderfully low-tech: balloons, a plunger and enough speed to turn a strange party trick into an official record category. Guinness World Records said the German challenger more than surpassed the earlier benchmark.
Ortolf told Guinness World Records the attempt was enjoyable because of its oddball nature. He said he likes taking on unusual and entertaining records, and called this one the kind of challenge that is fun both to try and to watch.
He also told Guinness he has long liked balloon-based records because they are playful and crowd-friendly. When he found the plunger-popping category, he said the idea struck him as ridiculous and amusing enough that he wanted to try it.
There may be more popping to come
Ortolf does not see 60 as the ceiling. He told Guinness World Records he thinks he could raise the total with more practice, pointing to the unused seconds left in his attempt.
His technique was not just frantic plunging. Ortolf said he paid attention to how the balloons were prepared, inflating each one as much as possible so the rubber was under greater tension and easier to burst with the plunger.
Guinness World Records lists the category as the most balloons popped with a plunger in 30 seconds. With Ortolf’s 60-balloon result, Daane’s 2025 total of 23 now stands as the former mark.
UPI reported the record on July 17, placing the feat in its Odd News coverage. Guinness World Records also published details of the attempt, including Ortolf’s comments on why the strange challenge appealed to him.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.