FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Las Vegas, July 30, 2004 --During last week’s session of Magic Summer School at the McBride Magic Center, Jeff McBride set new world records in not just one, but three categories.  McBride, most recently featured in the “World’s Greatest Magic Show” at the Sahara & Greek Isles casinos, set Guinness World Records for: 

 

Most coin rolls in a minute – 31 using a single silver dollar.  (record is based on the most in a minute, but the coin is not allowed to drop or miss a finger during the set time)

 

Most consecutive multi-coin rolls – Jeff simultaneously rolled eight silver dollars (four per hand), each completing 18 consecutive coin rolls in a time of 5 min 43 sec.  (record is based on the most complete cycles before dropping – one coin in each hand was marked by a pen so that we could count the cycles)

 

Greatest one handed card scale in a minute – a total of 106 cards cleared a set distance of 12 ft within 60 seconds.

 

“I’ve been fortunate to receive many awards over my career,” said McBride. “But to become a an official Guinness World Record holder is something really special.  My thanks to all of my friends who pushed me to do this!”  McBride is a three-time award winner at the International Grand Prix of Magic in Monaco, a former Magic Castle “Magician of the Year,” and was name by the Las Vegas Review Journal as best magician by the annual “Best of Las Vegas” critics poll, and has been seen as a regular performer and headliner on the Strip since 1985 when he first opened for Diana Ross at Caeasars Palace.

 

The history of the Guinness World Records is a fascinating one, according to current Keeper of the Records, Stewart Newport:

In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party and became involved in an argument. Which was the fastest game bird in Europe – the golden plover or the grouse? He realized then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove popular. He was right! Sir Hugh’s idea became reality when Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London, were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of Records. The first edition was bound on August 27, 1955, and went to the top of the British bestseller lists by Christmas that year.

Since then, Guinness World Records has become a household name and the global leader in world records. No other enterprise collects, confirms, accredits and presents world record data with the same investment in comprehensiveness and authenticity.

Guinness World Records celebrates its 50^th Anniversary with the commemorative 2005 edition available on August 23^rd, 2004. In addition, the book has gone on to become a record breaker in its own right.  With sales of more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries and 20 languages, Guinness World Records is the world’s best ever selling copyright book!