Joeri could have switched off his deep-fat fryer after ‘only’ 127 hours and 45 minutes of non-stop frying and could already have gone to bed with a new world record in his pocket, but the chip-fryer from Merelbeke-Melle was so motivated and on a roll that he continued working on autopilot until he had clocked up 150 hours precisely.
As countless FOB articles have already pointed out, French fries and all things related are embedded in the average Belgian's genes. It therefore stands to reason that there is a world championship for producing French fries and that the Belgian participants do exceptionally well, just like the previous record holder from Rijkevorsel.
Working continuously from Tuesday morning to Sunday evening, with barely a 10-minute break every hour. Few will seek to emulate him. Knowledge, skill and experience are not enough to successfully complete such a tour de force. You also need to be able to rely on a multitude of onlookers to enthusiastically cheer you on to the record. Fortunately, they had shown up en masse and they certainly made themselves heard! Over time, you no longer notice who is in front of you, so obsessed are you with your work. Did you think Joeri from De Zoutkorrel was worn out after 150 hours of toil? "Not at all," he said. He could actually have continued working for another five days.
Part of the proceeds from Joerie's successful record attempt will go to MS Liga and the other part to the non-profit Children's Cancer Fund, both of which are charities.
