Belgian fan loses longest attraction ride record to Russian challenger
Sam Clauw lost his record after a Russian challenger spent 52 hours and 30 minutes in a Ferris wheel. His fifty hours on Bellewaerde's swinging ship remained remarkable, but no longer stood as the longest attraction ride ever.
More context
In July 2015, the Piratenboot record story gained a sequel. In May 2014, Sam Clauw had spent fifty hours on Bellewaerde's swinging ship, setting what was described as the longest ride in an attraction ever. Just over a year later, he lost that title to Russian challenger Eugeniy Zakharov. Zakharov stayed in a Ferris wheel for 52 hours and 30 minutes and completed 470 rotations. According to Looopings, he was allowed to step out for five minutes every hour, but used that option only seven times. Sleeping was not permitted; guests and a laptop helped keep him awake. For the Piratenboot, the news did not make Clauw's achievement any less striking. If anything, the comparison highlighted how demanding his attempt had been, because he did it not in the steadier movement of a Ferris wheel but aboard a swinging ship. The article gives Bellewaerde's ride a small, colorful place in theme park record history.