Big rocker is certified as world record

The gigantic rocking chair at the Fanning Outpost General Store in the Route 66 hamlet of Fanning, Mo., was certified as an official Guinness World Record as the largest such piece of furniture, according to a news release Wednesday.

The chair was custom-built for store owner Dan Sanazaro last April. Officially, the chair measures 42 feet, 1 inch tall and 20 feet, 3 inches wide. It weighs about 27,500 pounds. The chair is so large, it was built in pieces off-site, then assembled at the store’s property.

The Guinness folks requested one other thing to ensure the chair’s insertion into the record books:

One more detail that Guinness requested was that the chair actually had to rock while it was videotaped. Joe Medwick cut the welds so that Sanazaro and some of his workers could push the chair to rock it. Medwick then re-welded the chair in place.

Here’s the video of the chair rocking:

Sanazaro said the chair is usually welded down for safety reasons.

And, as planned, the big rocker has helped the store attract a lot of visitors:

The World’s Largest Rocker has taken its place not only in the photo albums of both American and world travelers who have journeyed to the Sanazaros’ businesses next to the rocker.

“Have you seen our guest book?” asks Carolyn Sanazaro. Signatures from Norway, Japan, Germany, and Italy are interspersed with those from Boston, New York, California, and other points.

“One thing that surprised me this year, is the travelers from all over the world that travel Route 66,” states Dan Sanazaro. “It’s amazing.”

The store is hosting a four-mile “Run to the Rocker” Fun Run on April 4 and a “Picture on the Rocker” Day on Aug. 1.

(Photo courtesy of Jane Reed)

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