Sculptor sets record by tying balloons
By TONY ROBERTS
Special to the Mercury

Most people have a hobby they do for fun. John Cassidy of Mont Clare made his, balloon sculpting, a living.

On Friday night at Gators Restaurant in Wayne, he proved that he is the master of that hobby. John broke his own world record, as well as an unofficial mark by a balloon sculptor in Germany, to become the Guinness World Record holder in balloon sculpting. John made 468 shapes in one hour.

A crowded house looked on as John sculpted the first balloon at 6:35 p.m. When going for a record, a challenger must abide by a rigid standard of rules set by Guiness. John could not pick the shapes he made, but repeatedly had to make 30 shapes. Normally, John forms elaborate sculptures, but not for the record.

"It's all about speed," he said. "The shapes are a lot more simple."

John originally established a Guinness Record of 367 balloons in May 1999. Last year, a sculptor in Germany claimed to best that mark with 436 sculptures, but Guinness showed no record of the accomplishment. Rather than wait for his competitor to apply to Guinness, John took the initiative to set a new mark.

By the time he finished his herculean feat, he had gained the support of a large happy hour crowd that consisted of people of all ages, including Timothy McMullen, 10, of Havertown. He sat among trash bags full of balloons that he and his brother were about to take home.

"This is great," he said. "I've never seen a world record broken before."

John's supporters did not consist of only a younger crowd. Tom Metz of Havertown was at Gators to celebrate a co-worker's last day on the job. Before long, he was captivated by John's attempt at the record.
"It was fun. It was like the presidential election when it came down to the very end. At first we thought it was silly, but none of us left, and we all started cheering," he said.

John was tired, but proud of his accomplishment.

"I'm excited," he said. "But I was scared still at the beginning. I had no idea where I was during the hour. They were just shouting out which shape to make."

John does magic as well as balloon sculpting. He said that he gets practice everyday by putting on shows and making balloons for children