Germiston-based special effects creator Gerhard van der Heever will soon be involved in a Guinness World Record attempt, at the Rhino Motorcycle Rally, in Parys.
The attempt will be to beat the existing world record distance of riding a motorcycle through a fire tunnel.
The current record of 103m is held by South Africans Enrico Schoeman and André de Kock, with an Australian sidecar.
Using the same sidecar, they will attempt a record distance of 120m, on September 5.
The fire tunnel used consists of a steel frame, wrapped in thick cardboard, soaked in diesel and petrol and then set alight.
That is where Gerhard will come in.
“The entire tunnel needs to catch fire at the same time, which is a difficult task with 240m of soaked cardboard facing one,” he said.
He will use a multitude of tiny explosive charges, linked with electrical cord, to start the fire.
“The Guinness World Record rules state that the entire tunnel needs to be on fire when the motorcycle goes through it, and I decided on the strung-out electrical charges method to accomplish this,” Gerhard explained.
The SFX by Gerhard van der Heever Company, in Sunnyridge, is an all-media special effects concern with licensed pyrotechnicians.
They can create illusions featuring wind, fire, water, smoke, snow and explosions.
Gerhard was involved with the previous successful fire tunnel record attempt.
“Usually I create illusions, but this record attempt is very real and hellishly dangerous,” he said.
“Mistakes can simply not be made, and it is a very exciting experience.”
