Records are made to be broken, something that’s not lost on Grantsville’s Daniel Adams.
Adams unofficially broke the Guinness World Record for the longest tandem ATV side wheelie on Monday, a record he had previously held. The attempt still needs to be verified before it can be the new official benchmark.
In July 2013, Adams broke the tandem side wheelie record, besting the previous standard set by X Games’ legend Travis Pastrana. That year on the salt playa near Stansbury Island, Adams and his nephew, Jaxon Luttrell, rode an ATV balanced on one set of tires for 7.66 miles, more than doubling Pastrana’s 2008 record of 3.29 miles.
While checking in on his record this year, however, Adams realized that his mark was surpassed by French stuntman Yannick Dupont and passenger Dalila Ouadah in April 2014. The new record was 26.07 km, or 16.2 miles, again more than double the previous record.
“I wanted to be in the record book,” Adams said. “I did it and I wanted to stay there.”
Breaking a record that can be verified by Guinness is no straightforward task. Attempts have to be videotaped, pictures need to be taken and there must be at least two witness who can sign to verify the performance.
A surveyor is also required to attend the attempt and follow the ATV tracks with a GPS unit to accurately measure the distance traveled. Adams said the GPS device had some technical difficulties after about 17 miles, but he completed more than 18 miles on two side wheels with his passenger, Alexa Roskam, on the back.
Now that the attempt has been recorded and all of the documentation and proof has been gathered, Adams will have to wait for word from Guinness officials. When he initially broke the record, it took four to five months for his attempt to be made official, he said.
A record can be verified immediately if a Guinness World Record official is on-site, but the cost can be steep. Adams said it’s $7,000, plus travel, lodging and other costs to get an official on site during a record attempt.
While he wasn’t able to attempt it Monday, Adams said he hopes to take a shot at getting his longest individual side wheelie record back before the end of the year — if the weather holds. Dupont also broke that record in April 2015, completing 21.3 miles compared to Adams’ previous attempt of 16.88 miles.