Behind the unprecedented Guinness World Record show in Cat Ba

'This is a completely new record in the Guinness system, so all criteria were built and checked at the most detailed level,' Ms. Sonia Ushirogochi - senior referee of Guinness World Records (GWR), revealed after the appraisal session.

Two Guinness World Records have just been set in Cat Ba, during the Symphony of the Green Island show, including “Largest Jetski formation launching fireworks” and “Most backflips on a flyboard in one minute” by athlete Tomasz Kubik.

Behind this impressive achievement are months of preparation, practice and a rigorous judging process according to global standards - something that has never happened before with any show in Vietnam.

Image of jetski team shooting fireworks to set world record

A bold idea and months of preparation

In early 2025, the proposal to set a Guinness record was sent from the organizer of the show “Symphony of the Green Island” to the GWR. What made this process take so long was not the administrative procedures, but the “unprecedented” nature of the show itself.

“This is the first time Guinness has established its own set of criteria for an offshore performance ,” confirmed Sonia Ushirogochi, a senior judge at Guinness World Records. She said that each category of the program, from the synchronized jetski formation, the cannon activation mechanism, to the flyboard speed and rotation sensors, must have an objective verification mechanism, sufficient to independently evaluate the final result.

All the details of the record were exchanged continuously for months.

Since then, a series of technical exchanges have taken place between the production unit and Guinness representatives.

A record is not an award, but a certificate given based on accuracy and reliability. The show in Cat Ba did just that.

Ms. Sonia Ushirogochi - senior referee of Guinness World Records

Unprecedented rigorous assessment

Once the criteria were approved, the on-site verification process began. Ms. Sonia personally went to Cat Ba Central Bay on May 21 to coordinate with the technical team to inspect all the components involved in setting the record.

Weight at GWR inspection in Cat Ba

For the synchronized jetski formation record, each jet ski must be piloted by a real person, maintain a stable formation for at least 20 seconds, and fire the fireworks while moving. Standing still or firing the fireworks slowly is not allowed.

“We counted each jet ski to see if it was operating, if it was firing the fireworks at the right time and if it was in the right position. All of this was recorded with multiple camera angles, combined with a team of independent witnesses,” she said.

As for the flyboard record, the rules require athletes to perform complete 360-degree flips - meaning the start and end points coincide, within 60 seconds.

Tomasz successfully performed 43 complete backflips

“We have to make sure that all the data is cross-checked with multiple sources – multi-angle video , independent witness teams and technical equipment,” she said. “Even in individual events, like the flyboard record, Tomasz’s 44 somersaults were not counted because they were done half a second after the stop signal. We only recorded 43 complete somersaults in the time allowed.”

Every action is recorded by a multi-angle camera system, compared with the formation map, the execution time and the sensors mounted on the device. This data is sent to an independent witness team and a Guinness representative for post-production verification. “We don’t just observe with the naked eye. We compare every detail with pre-agreed technical data,” said Ms. Sonia.

When all efforts are "responded" by the world

For Tomasz Kubik, a flyboarder and member of Team H2O, being recognized by Guinness is more than just a personal honor. “I’ve set world records before, but this time it felt different. Everything had to be precise down to the second. When I completed the last flip, I knew I had done something very special,” he said.

According to Tomasz Kubik, during practice, he achieved 46 consecutive spins - which opened up the possibility of breaking the record during the show season that lasts until early September in Cat Ba.

Audiences are likely to witness Tomasz's next record-breaking performance.

For jetskiers, the challenge comes not only from the technical difficulty but also from the weather and the pressure of operating in sync. “We hardly sleep the night before the assessment,” says Jordan Marie Marples, H2O Jetskier. “Every jetski has to move in the right direction, fire the fireworks at the right time, and coordinate like a military formation. There is no room for error.”

“We had to practice for hours at sea, coordinating with sound and light signals in complex real-life conditions. Not every show requires such precision. I have performed in Dubai, China, but I have never seen a stage at sea with such beautiful nature and organized to such high standards as here. The athletes had many special experiences," he shared.

The show has attracted visitors since its rehearsals.

The two Guinness records set in Cat Ba are the result of applying international standard organization and inspection processes, carefully prepared from technical, personnel to actual operation - with precision controlled to every second, every movement.

The 50,000m² performance space on the sea, the unprecedented fireworks system in Vietnam, international standard sound and light equipment, and the coordination of hundreds of personnel from many countries - all made a miracle.

“We don’t just see records,” Sonia said. “We see precision, effort and the spirit of daring to reach the unprecedented.”

The show with two Guinness records carries the value of global standards.

For Cat Ba, it is not just a show, but the first time Vietnam has been recognized by the world with a stage located in the middle of the ocean - where every spin, every curve and every streak of light carries the value of standards.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phia-sau-show-dien-dat-ky-luc-chua-tung-co-cua-guinness-the-gioi-tai-cat-ba-185250526153542467.htm