MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina had the first European settlement, the first public library and the first public museum in the nation.
From hot peppers to iced tea, to golf carts, South Carolinians like to be trailblazers in the useful — and the bizarre.
While the state’s more recent “firsts” aren’t quite as groundbreaking, they’ve still ended up in the literal record books.
Here are 10 world records that have been broken in South Carolina, according to Guinness World Records:
Most expensive crab cake
Set by: Lazarius Leysath Walker
Where: Columbia
When: June 13, 2019
Walker ate the $310 “platinum crab cake” at The Twist in Columbia. What can you get for that? The cake is made up of black truffles, platinum leaves, platinum dust, king crab meat, lump crab meat, butter and herbs.
Fastest golf cart (prototype)
Set by: Robby Steen
Where: Hartsville
When: Oct. 31, 2014
Vroom vroom! The world record was stolen by “Bandit,” a vehicle made by Plum Quick Motors. The golf cart reached 118.76 mph when it was driven at the Darlington Dragway, crushing a previous record that was also set by Plum Quick Motors.
Largest iced tea
Set by: Town of Summerville
Where: Summerville
When: June 10, 2016
Prepare yourself — if you want to break this record, you’re going to need more than 210 lbs of loose leaf tea and more than 1,700 lbs of sugar. The tea was a total of 2,524 gallons, and required several hundred pounds of ice in order to get it to the required 45 degrees needed to claim the record.
Hottest chili pepper
Set by: PuckerButt Pepper Company, Ed Currie
Where: Fort Mill
When: Aug. 11, 2017
You better like it hot, because the PuckerButt Pepper Company has brought the heat. The Smokin Ed’s “Carolina Reaper” was grown by Ed Currie and rates at 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units.
Largest towel sculpture
Set by: Daz Pepper
Where: Hilton Head Island
When: Jan. 22, 2020
And you thought the elephant towel animal on your cruise was impressive. Pepper, who is the director of a housekeeping department, worked with his coworkers to find a new way to fold towels, which led to the creation of a massive turtle. The fabric reptile measured at 1.533 meters by 4.033 meters by 3.658 meters.
Longest line of garden flamingos
Set by: Fripp Island Resort, Pledge the Pink
Where: St. Helena
When: Oct. 12, 2019
Birds of a feather break world records together. The resort hosts Pledge the Pink, a three-day, three-island, 30-mile walk every year as a way to raise awareness about breast cancer. In 2019, the event included gathering 3,753 garden flamingos.
Largest collection of toasters
Set by: Kenneth Huggins
Where: Columbia
When: July 31, 2012
Huggins stores his collection of 1,284 toasters in a specially built outhouse. He’s been collecting since 1995, and is a part of the Toaster Collectors Association, which hosts its convention every year at his home. Huggins also collects phonographs, radios and cars.
First white ligers
Set by: Odin, Sampson, Yeti and Apollo
Where: Myrtle Beach
When: December 2013
Saraswati, a white Bengal tiger at Myrtle Beach Safari Park, gave birth to Odin, Sampson, Yeti and Apollo, the world’s first confirmed white ligers — a hybrid of a lion and a tiger. Both Saraswati and the cubs’ father, a white African lion named Ivory, carry a recessive mutant gene called leucism, which gives the felines their snowy look.
Largest Carolina shag dance
Set by: Society of Stranders, Association of Carolina Shag Clubs
Where: North Myrtle Beach
When: Sept. 24, 2011
The world record was broken by 744 dancers during an event at the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic and Fitness Center. The group danced to “Something Smooth,” by Rick Strickland, making it into the record books in Carolina style.
Most bow ties tied simultaneously
Set by: University of South Carolina Dance Marathon
Where: Columbia
When: Feb. 9, 2014
Lucky Levinson, who co-owns Brittons of Columbia, led 823 people to simultaneously tie bow ties.
