Keen on inheriting a 37-year-old elastic ball?
FAIRLAND – It was started by local resident Wayne Canning, who instead of throwing it away wants to see someone make it even bigger!
What was once a marble and is now a ball that weighs 6.2kg?
Well, that would be an elastic ball Wayne Canning started to construct when he was about nine years old.
It was 20 years ago that he stopped wrapping elastic bands around it and a few days ago, while clearing out his garage, he found it tucked away in all its withered glory.
Instead of hastily throwing it away he shared a post on his local Facebook group asking if anyone might like to inherit the ball and tend to it.
Do you think you have what it takes to inherit this ball and make it even bigger? Wayne thinks you’d have to be into mechanics, have a deep curiosity of things and probably not spend all day staring at your phone.
His post on social media amassed great appeal within the community. With many commenting on how great it was he wanted to hand it over to someone and few requesting it be given to them so their child could take it to great heights.
When he was boy Wayne found great enjoyment in the construction of this ball as he found it quite entertaining.
All through primary school and high school he would regularly add elastics to the ball. These rubber bands were sourced from friends who worked with newspapers as they would always have an abundance of them.
As the years went on his intrigue was propelled by thoughts of ‘Let’s see how big I can actually get it’. When it was at its smallest he could wrap a single band about four times and as it got much bigger he struggled getting one around the ball which meant he would have to get larger bands.
So far he has found it quite hard to choose from those who have stepped forward asking for it, “Hopefully that lucky person who will get the ball will carry on this tradition,” said Wayne
“While I was a kid I considered the thought of maybe I would make it into the Guinness Book of Records but I had no idea what the biggest ball in the world is and I don’t think this one is anywhere near it.”
Since it has been 20 years since he put new elastic bands on it, the outer layer of bands have since become frayed but, what it might lack in beauty, it makes up in through its whimsical history.
Details: Email Wayne Canning at wayneswideworld@gmail.com
