About the Universal Record Database

 
Let's see what humans can do.
What world record are you capable of setting? We believe every person on earth has potential to be the world's best 'something'. URDB's mission is to become the database where all such achievements will live.
What record categories are acceptable?

The general guidelines are simple: every record in the database must be a) quantifiable, b) breakable and c) legal. If you want to set a record for, say, "Fastest Time Eating a Banana While Standing On The Great Wall of China and Wearing A Purple T-Shirt", go for it. Creativity is highly encouraged.

While not mandatory, achievements that positively impact mankind are encouraged. For example, think "Most Soda Cans Recycled in 24 Hours" instead of "Most Oil Spilled Into a Lake". Let's build a site we'll all feel good about.

Who judges the submissions?
Ultimately, you will. This means witnessing/documenting your friends' records, contributing to the wiki-based URDB Rulebook and Glossary, voting on unverified records and possibly becoming a Senior Judge in your specialized area of expertise. If you'd like to get involved, please contact us.

Executive Committee
(So who's behind this thing?)

 
Dan Rollman, Founder and President

Dan created URDB based on his desire to see a book of records with a more inclusive, accesible structure and philosophy. He takes tremendous joy from challenging people to push their limits, and would love nothing more than to see everyone on earth own a URDB record.

Dan's previous career was in advertising, where he worked as a copywriter for agencies including Fallon McElligott, BBDO and Goodby, Silverstein and Partners. See his portfolio here.

In his spare time, Dan makes t-shirts and beatboxes. He hopes no one will ever touch his record for "Most Times Whistling 'Happy Birthday' In One Minute".

Corey Henderson, Founder and Head of Technology

Corey shares Dan's passion for world records. He has an obsession with statistics and betterment, evident in his continual desire to improve his marathon times.

Hailing from a family of entreprenuers, Corey has been at the edge of web development since 1997. He was one of the first technologists at Boston-based ZEFER, leading implementations for The Children's Place, Gillette, Mobshop and others. He then spent time leading technical architecture for enterprise systems at Ann Taylor before diving back in to the world of startups. Corey's previous startup, Notches, powers the ratings on URDB.

Corey proudly owns the universal record for "Most 'Fiery Crashes' in One Game of Pole Position" and dares you to try and beat it.

Marc , Partner

Marc is a recent graduate of NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

He's worked in the technology industry for over ten years, with a background that includes operations, finance and management. Marc has also consulted for a broad range of companies ranging from startups to non-profits.

Though he's yet to set his own universal record, he's pretty sure it will somehow involve a long-distance road trip on his motorcycle.

 

History

 
How did this site come to life?

URDB is an evolution of a Burning Man theme camp created in the summer of 2004. A group of friends, including URDB co-founder Dan Rollman, sat down in San Francisco to brainstorm theme ideas for their camp. Eager for a concept that allowed community participation, Dan suggested a Burning Man Book of Records, in large part due to his lifelong Guinness Book obsession.

They called themselves the Playa Book of Records (PBR), an homage to the book they’d been inspired by. They bought yellow suit jackets as a nod to Wide World of Sports, drew up documentation forms, made hand-painted signs and took off for the desert, unsure of what was to come.

After just a few days documenting records, they sensed they were onto something. Camp visitors were dreaming up and setting unique, creative and spectacular records. They were taking great pride in their feats. Competition was fierce, with record setters returning daily to make sure their achievements hadn’t been topped.

The Playa Book of Records has returned to Burning Man every year since, growing larger and more established each time. They’ve evolved from wristwatches to stopwatches, single witnesses to multiple, and photo documentation to video. The PBR database now holds over 250 unique records, most of which are included on this site.

In 2006 Rollman met Corey Henderson through his then girlfriend (now wife) Emily Wilson. Over beers during a Ratatat concert in San Francisco, Rollman pitched PBR to Henderson and explained his dream of evolving it online. Henderson saw the vision, and the two spent the night brainstorming on how to make it happen.

Fast forward to 2008. Rollman and Henderson, both now living in New York City, have spent many months and countless hours figuring out this site and bringing it to life. They’ve turned to friends and family countless times for invaluable assistance, and are excited to finally see this site live.

Dan at Burning Man

Corey at Limerock