On December 24, a teenager from Illinois achieved a Guinness World Record by creating a massive replica of the Eiffel Tower that measures 17.32 feet in height, built entirely from around 20,000 toothpicks.
Inspiration from Engineering
Eric Klabel, a resident of Naperville, revealed that his father's profession as a civil engineer sparked his early fascination with construction projects. "When I was younger, I just got really, really interested in building things out of popsicle sticks," Klabel told WGN-TV.
Previous Record and New Challenge
In 2021, at the age of 12, Klabel constructed a 20.2-foot tower from popsicle sticks, earning his first Guinness World Record. Although that record has since been surpassed, he secured his second Guinness World Record in October by undertaking a project with a different material: toothpicks. "The annoying thing about toothpicks-- compared to popsicle sticks, they're just so incredibly tiny," Klabel said.
Using only toothpicks and glue, he successfully built the model, which now holds the record for the world's tallest toothpick sculpture.
