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Having a world record for something that requires so much skill and determination that it takes decades to beat it quite the achievement. Impressive by any meas

Having a world record for something that requires so much skill and determination that it takes decades to beat it quite the achievement. Impressive by any measure. Congratulations to her! > Moments later, Holbrook yelled out into the open air of the Salt Flats, "Beat that, Fred!" Fred I assume is 72 year old Fred Rompelberg, who set the previous record 23 years ago. This challenge might be more appropriate 23 years from now :). Makes me think of the contrast with Felix Baumgartner who in his 2012 historic jump intentionally missed the free fall time record by a few seconds to not take every single record away from the previous holder, Joseph Kittinger, who held them for 52 years.

saiya-jin 8y ago
> Makes me think of the contrast with Felix Baumgartner who in his 2012 historic jump intentionally missed the free fall time record by a few seconds to not take every single record away from the previous holder, Joseph Kittinger, who held them for 52 years. That's what I call having a class and deserving my respect. Yelling some stuff about beating 23 year old record, well, has not. Materials improved tremendously, and out understanding of achieving high speeds too. It's like topping some old Everest record speed ascent when materials got much lighter, critical gear more reliable etc. And then yelling at Messner to beat it. Not cool at all...
- fileeditview 8y ago
  Generally I would agree with you but maybe they just know Fred in person and maybe he appreciates the joke?! Maybe they were just loaded with adrenaline and couldn't help themselves. However most probably they value the person holding the previous record and you just understood it in a too personal way. What I want to say is we shouldn't be too fast with judgements (in this case and in general).
- tom_ 8y ago
  Did you really just spend 1 minute of your life writing that.
ubermonkey 8y ago
ISTR, reading other coverage, that Rompelberg was at Bonneville for this attempt, and that he and Holbrook are friendly. I suspect we're losing something here, and that the comment is more goodnatured than taunting.
- jmulho 8y ago
  I am not even going to google what ISTR means. I'm just not. It is something so useless that it doesn't need to be said at all and can be ignored.
  - ubermonkey 8y ago
    You seem fun.
restalis 8y ago
"Felix Baumgartner intentionally missed the free fall time record by a few seconds to not take every single record away from the previous holder, Joseph Kittinger, who held them for 52 years." Although this shows respect and admiration for Felix Baumgartner on one hand, overall it lowers the value of the game and of the players. The contests' value relies in its genuineness and it catches a cheap feel when some strong contender does not run in it wholeheartedly. Joseph Kittinger holding a world record for 52 years is a spectacular feat that won't loose any value if it was indeed unrivaled by contenders despite their best efforts all those years. That title won't, however, hold the same value from 52nd year further, knowing it lasts just because Felix Baumgartner decided to let it. Winning prizes are not charity.
- joncrane 8y ago
  Reminds me of when Brett Favre went down easy on a sack to give someone the sack record. (Reggie White?)
  - arcamax 8y ago
    Michael Strahan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C2W62HNNsc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C2W62HNNsc
- close04 8y ago
  This is not what I'm suggesting. Winning is not charity but you may feel you have reached your goal with the records you already won. Winning is also not about "winning everything". For example a football (soccer) match where you stop scoring after you have a reasonable goal lead is perfectly expected under "fair play". Nobody will consider it charity. I just contrasted the behavior of one world record holder who sacrificed part of his performance out of respect for the previous holder as opposed to the world record holder who screams "beat that" at the 72 year old previous holder just moments after beating him. I find the second type of behavior distinctly more belittling for both. Especially when the other guy was 5 years older and using far less advanced technology, and also some very impressive lifetime achievements.
  - 8y ago

saiya-jin 8y ago

> Makes me think of the contrast with Felix Baumgartner who in his 2012 historic jump intentionally missed the free fall time record by a few seconds to not take every single record away from the previous holder, Joseph Kittinger, who held them for 52 years. That's what I call having a class and deserving my respect. Yelling some stuff about beating 23 year old record, well, has not. Materials improved tremendously, and out understanding of achieving high speeds too. It's like topping some old Everest record speed ascent when materials got much lighter, critical gear more reliable etc. And then yelling at Messner to beat it. Not cool at all...

fileeditview 8y ago
Generally I would agree with you but maybe they just know Fred in person and maybe he appreciates the joke?! Maybe they were just loaded with adrenaline and couldn't help themselves. However most probably they value the person holding the previous record and you just understood it in a too personal way. What I want to say is we shouldn't be too fast with judgements (in this case and in general).
tom_ 8y ago
Did you really just spend 1 minute of your life writing that.

ubermonkey 8y ago

ISTR, reading other coverage, that Rompelberg was at Bonneville for this attempt, and that he and Holbrook are friendly. I suspect we're losing something here, and that the comment is more goodnatured than taunting.

jmulho 8y ago
I am not even going to google what ISTR means. I'm just not. It is something so useless that it doesn't need to be said at all and can be ignored.
- ubermonkey 8y ago
  You seem fun.

restalis 8y ago

"Felix Baumgartner intentionally missed the free fall time record by a few seconds to not take every single record away from the previous holder, Joseph Kittinger, who held them for 52 years." Although this shows respect and admiration for Felix Baumgartner on one hand, overall it lowers the value of the game and of the players. The contests' value relies in its genuineness and it catches a cheap feel when some strong contender does not run in it wholeheartedly. Joseph Kittinger holding a world record for 52 years is a spectacular feat that won't loose any value if it was indeed unrivaled by contenders despite their best efforts all those years. That title won't, however, hold the same value from 52nd year further, knowing it lasts just because Felix Baumgartner decided to let it. Winning prizes are not charity.

joncrane 8y ago
Reminds me of when Brett Favre went down easy on a sack to give someone the sack record. (Reggie White?)
- arcamax 8y ago
  Michael Strahan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C2W62HNNsc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C2W62HNNsc
close04 8y ago
This is not what I'm suggesting. Winning is not charity but you may feel you have reached your goal with the records you already won. Winning is also not about "winning everything". For example a football (soccer) match where you stop scoring after you have a reasonable goal lead is perfectly expected under "fair play". Nobody will consider it charity. I just contrasted the behavior of one world record holder who sacrificed part of his performance out of respect for the previous holder as opposed to the world record holder who screams "beat that" at the 72 year old previous holder just moments after beating him. I find the second type of behavior distinctly more belittling for both. Especially when the other guy was 5 years older and using far less advanced technology, and also some very impressive lifetime achievements.
- 8y ago