World's Longest High Five - URDB Feat of the Week

topic:
Videos

Welcome to 'Feat of the Week,' in which our pals over at the Universal Record Database (where everyone can set a world record) hand-select one awesome world record to highlight.

Don't panic, but two nations of the former British Empire are currently at war. Granted, it is a small-scale war, and it's taking place via videos and suspiciously civil comments being posted on the internet, but not since the 2010 Commonwealth Games have relations between Australia and Canada been so tense.

The unlikely source of the conflict is the celebratory gesture known as the high five. It all began on February 26, when Brisbane pair Dave Thompson and Matt Kelly broke the URDB world record for Longest High Five. ("Longest" referring to the distance each person runs toward one another before the climactic hand slap takes place.)

Fifteen months earlier, Toronto duo Sam Stilson and Craig Morrison set the mark at 3.3 kilometers -- feel the power of the metric system, America -- by jogging from opposite ends of the city, dressed as cowboys, with their right hands raised the whole time:

The record lay unchallenged until the Australians donned sparkly spandex pants (Dave) and short-shorts (Matt), rustled up a support crew with oh-so-Oz names like "Tubby" and "Piggy" and ran for 11 minutes and 40 seconds to clinch victory.

It's gold for Australia and a case of redface for the Canadians. At least, for now.

Think you can do better? Get high fiving and submit the video evidence to URDB.org.