Five-year-old Axel Luchsinger had an ordinary day at school until an announcement declared him a world-record holder. Excitement filled the air as he was embraced by everyone. Surprisingly, the beloved childhood toy, the slinky, broke a record by descending 53 stairs, as reported by Guinness World Records. Axel, along with his parents Joe and Christelle Luchsinger, from Connecticut, achieved this feat.
Axel, with a keen interest in remarkable achievements, found the previous slinky record of 30 stairs set in 2014 to be within reach. The family experimented with seven slinkies of various types and selected a plastic multicolored one as the winner. Their journey to break the record led them to a large dam in Ohio, but they had to pivot to Otterbein University due to stair size constraints.
During the attempt, Christelle launched the slinky, Axel counted the stairs, and Joe retrieved it after each run. Despite initial challenges and an approaching storm, they persevered until Christelle managed longer runs. They narrowly beat the rain and captured the successful descent on video in May 2025. Verification of the record came via email ten months later in March of the following year.
The Luchsinger family’s achievement holds sentimental value for them. Looking ahead, Axel playfully suggested aiming for 150 stairs. Their next goal involves attempting the highest launch from a Galilean cannon. Joe emphasized the importance of making time for playful activities, highlighting the joy and significance of their record-breaking endeavor.