A student spent years creating the highest hat in the world.

Photo Credit ( Freepik )

After years of unsuccessful attempts, which started when Penn State University closed its campus in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joshua Kiser was able to break the record in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania.

“In search of some motivation, I was perusing the records on the GWR website. “After a while, I came across a photograph of the eccentric man posing with the tallest hat in the world—a huge top hat,” Kiser told Guinness World Records.

The record was set in 2018 by the “eccentric man,” Odilon Ozare, who wore a 15-foot, 9-inch hat.

“The idea of an absurdly tall hat resonated with me for no apparent reason. I closed my laptop and left to find supplies for a tall hat. I had no doubt that I would be able to break the record and quickly become famous,” Kiser remarked.

Using cardboard blocks and Velcro, his initial attempt fell short of five feet in height.

“The Velcro couldn’t hold the blocks together tight enough and I had no way to keep it on my head,” stated the man.

“I had intended to join the dowels together by fastening nuts and bolts to their tips. He claimed that it was not nearly strong enough to point more than fifteen feet straight up into the sky. “I needed something solid. I considered using metal rods or rebar, but I knew they would be too heavy. This concept failed. Even if it did, I would still be unable to fasten it to my skull.

Kiser tried using chicken wire as well, but ultimately gave up.

He was inspired to create his final design by a Philadelphia Eagles garbage can that “looked about the circumference of my noggin” and some lightweight gutters he saw at Home Depot.

To make it look like a hat, expanding foam was used for reinforcement, and red fabric in the Santa style was used for the cover.

Wearing the 26.4-pound hat, he was able to walk the necessary 32.8-foot distance and win the title.