Worldwide Waffles: A World Record Recap

Last Friday, I did what I do every summer here in Portland: hang out with hundreds of people from around the world to set some sort of crazy world record as the opening to the World Domination Summit, an event I help organize.

This year, after wearing ourselves out the previous years, we asked ourselves, “What’s the laziest record we could set?” It took some hard thought, but we landed on, “biggest breakfast in bed party.” What could be lazier than that?

As expected, it turned out to be a lot more work than we originally planned, but the results were worth it. We broke the record (currently held in China) with 600 people in Pioneer Courthouse Square all eating breakfast together.

These kinds of events are better explained with pictures and videos than words, so check out the recap video.

Each year, the WDS community comes together to embody the tenets of community, adventure, and service by breaking a fun world record like this. We started two years ago with a record on the Willamette River and followed up last year with an enormous yoga record.

The local NBC affiliate, KGW, also came out to cover the event and created this exposé:

Every record is fun and special, but this one holds some extra significance because so many great people came together to make it a meaningful service project. We partnered with PDX Restore and Community Warehouse to donate all the beds to benefit families in need in Portland, and incredible vendors like Elephant’s Deli, KIND Snacks, Steve Smith Tea, and others donated their time and materials to create the breakfast we all enjoyed.

Not everyone who reads Riskology is a part of the WDS community, but there are a few important lessons I feel like I re-learn every year organizing these world records that apply no matter who or where you are.

Big projects are more fun and meaningful when a whole community is involved.
You shouldn’t take yourself too seriously.
Hard work feels good. Especially when it helps someone else.

Here are some more of my favorite shots from Worldwide Waffles, care of the incredibly talented Armosa Studios. You can see all 350 photos from the event over here.