Guinness World Records, which has long been renowned for recognising remarkable achievements and celebrating human accomplishments, once comprised a record for the longest kiss – a category that celebrated the endurance and passion of couples around the world. The longest kiss ever lasted 58 hours 35 minutes, achieved by Thai couple Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat, at an event organised by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Pattaya, Thailand. It began on 12 February 2013 and ended two days later, on Valentine’s Day.
Ekkachai and Laksana won the annual contest, defeating eight couples, to scoop the grand prize of 100,000 Thai Baht and two diamond rings worth 100,000 Baht. The record was earlier held by two Thai men who kissed for straight 50 hours and 25 minutes.
However, soon after the 2013 event, Guinness World Records deactivated the record category. “We did this because the competition had become too dangerous, and some of the rules conflicted with our current, updated policies,” it revealed recently.
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Here were the rules of the record, which all challengers were required to follow:
*The kiss must be continuous and the lips must be touching at all times. If the lips part, the couple are immediately disqualified.
*Contestants may consume liquids via a straw during the attempt, but again, the lips must not part.
*The couple must be awake at all times.
*The contestants must stand during the attempt and cannot be propped together by any aids.
*No rest breaks are allowed.
*Adult nappies/diapers or incontinence pads are not allowed to be worn.
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While the couples were allowed to use the toilet, they were required to remain kissing while doing so. “They were kept under the watchful eye of an accompanying referee to ensure there was no cheating,” the official website said.
Guinness World Records noted that as the record to beat became longer and longer, and because rest breaks were not permitted, participants were prone to succumbing to the dangers associated with sleep deprivation, such as psychosis. “There had already been several instances of kissing-contest competitors suffering ill effects during previous record attempts.”
For example, the record holders in 1999, Karmit Tzubera and Dror Orpaz (Israel) were barely conscious after kissing for 30 hours and 45 minutes. “They almost fainted after winning the contest and were promptly rushed to the hospital, where they were treated for fatigue. Their prize for winning was a trip around the world and $2,500 (£1,525) in cash,” the records website stated.
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In another instance, 37-year-old Andrea Sarti (Italy) had to be resuscitated with oxygen after kissing his girlfriend, Anna Chen (Thailand), for 31 hours 18 minutes in 2004. One woman, participating in a contest in 2011, passed out after just 30 minutes.
While the Guinness World Records no longer monitor the longest kiss record, it has replaced the same with the longest kiss marathon. The latter permits five minutes of rest after every continuous hour of kissing, which can be accumulated if not used.
In this break, participants were allowed to sleep, eat, and separate their lips during these rest breaks, reducing the risk of passing out, suffering psychosis, or requiring resuscitation. It noted that there is no current holder for the longest kissing marathon.
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