Guinness World Records have been travelling around Europe filming some of the continent's most astonishing record holders

Freising, Germany, was next on our video team's list.

There they met up with Benedikt Mordstein, a professional breakdancer who is a prolific record holder. 

At just 24 years old, Benedikt has already broken seven Guinness World Records titles:

  • Most consecutive elbow hops (breakdance),
  • Most consecutive elbow spins - breakdance,
  • The most jackhammer hops (breakdancing) in one minute,
  • The fastest 20m performing breakdance flairs,
  • The fastest time to type a text message (SMS) on a mobile phone while performing head spins (breakdance),
  • Most one hand jumps/hops with a clap in one minute,
  • Most backflips in one minute (team).

He currently holds five of these records. 

Benedikt knew from an early age that he wanted to be a professional breakdancer, but never thought he would be a record-breaking one. 

"I saw someone break-dancing at an event, and I was like, wow, that's so crazy! He's standing upside down, spinning on one hand... I said 'this is what I want to do' and then I started to train."

Benedikt broke his first record, Most consecutive elbow hops (breakdance), in 2011 when he was just 17. 

Though this record was later broken in 2015 by Takahiro Igarashi in Japan, Benedikt reflected on what his first Guinness World Records title meant to him with our video team. 

"I always got a Guinness World Records book for Christmas from my parents. I always thought it was crazy what the people were doing, how long they had to train. And then, at the age of 17, I broke my first record - it was just unbelievable to me."

The idea for the record attempt Fastest time to type a text message (SMS) on a mobile phone while performing head spins (breakdance), was born from Benedikt and his friends training to perfect the head spin move. 

"I started training really early to head spin, and then we were having fun in training, taking pictures of ourselves and calling each other while we were doing it, just having fun. And then I thought, yeah, let's do it as a record!"

While the video team were with him, he took the opportunity to attempt to break two records. Firstly, he wanted to beat his previous time for Fastest time to type a text message (SMS) on a mobile phone while performing head spins (breakdance)

Benedikt Mordstein 2

For this record, a mobile phone with a push button key pad must be used. The text cannot contain any spelling errors or typos. Unfortunately, after three attempts, Benedikt was unable to top his own time of 56.65 seconds. He also wanted to try and break a new record, Most kip-ups in one minute (breakdance).

"Because the head spin one was already mine, I was a little bit more chilled because I couldn't lose it. I just wanted to do that little bit better. The kip-up one wasn't mine, so I was nervous. It was also the first time I had attempted this record."

On his third attempt, Benedikt managed 37 kip-ups, tying with the then current record holder, Prabhakar Reddy P of India.

Benedikt Mordstein

However, since filming, the record was broken again by Farhan Ayub of Pakistan, with 39 kip-ups. However, Benedikt is determined to retain the title, and after breaking the record said:

"If someone breaks my record, I will definitely train as hard as possible to bring it back to me."

Benedikt shared with our video team how his family's support for his unorthodox career choice, despite early reservations, shaped his success. 

"My family always supported me and made so much possible for me... still now they accept that this is my job. At the beginning they did ask 'don't you want to do something normal, something regular?' and I was like 'no, I want to do this!'. I'm not getting rich from it, but I'm happy. It's perfect."