The World's Largest Rubber Band Ball is HOW BIG?

What weighs as much as two white rhinos, took four years to make, and is named Megaton?

Answer: The world’s largest rubber band ball!!

Joel Waul of Lauderhill, Florida started creating his rubber band ball in April of 2004, and when it got too big, he had to move it out to his driveway and keep it under a tarp. On November 13, 2008 it was formally declared the world’s largest rubber band ball by Guinness World Records.

Megaton is more than 2.01 m (m 6 ft 7 in) tall, about 6.30 m (20.68 feet) circumference. It weighs 4,097 kg (9,032 pounds), as much as an Asian Elephant! The ball contains more than 700,000 rubber bands, and If those rubber bands average one foot in length and were put end to end, they would make a line over 133 miles long! Megatonis now owned by Ripley’s Believe it or Not!

  Joel Waul and Megaton, his monster rubber band creation

Steve Milton of Eugene, Oregon is pictured here with his family next to the 2,088.14 kilogram (4,603.6 lb) rubber band ball he created with the help of his 6-year-old son, Bryce. He held the record for the biggest rubber band ball as of November 21, 2006, until Megatron took the title. He began building the ball in November 2005, and as it grew to its final size, 5.479 feet (1.670 m) tall (circumference: 18.996 feet (5.790 m)), he had to store the ball in their garage. During the construction of his rubber band ball, he was sponsored by OfficeMax who sent him rubber bands for his project. His ball contained approximately 175,000 rubber bands! 

I wouldn't want to get into a rubber band fight with either of those guys, would you?

Sources:

"Largest Rubber Band Ball," Guinness World Records, accessed November 13, 2019, https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-rubber-band-ball

WESH 2 News, “World's Largest Rubber Band Ball Moves To Orlando,” YouTube, October 30, 2009, accessed November 13, 2019,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhLFMiZV7U4&feature=youtu.be

Mark Frauenfelder, “Rubber band ball maker turns pro -- gets a sponsor,” November 16, 2006, accessed November 13, 2019,  https://boingboing.net/2006/11/16/rubber-band-ball-mak.html

“Rubber Band Ball Sets Record at 4,594 pounds,” Weird News on NBCNews.com, updated November 22, 2006, archived December 1, 2017 on WaybackMachine, accessed November 13, 2019,  http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15853460/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/rubber-band-ball-sets-record-pounds/