Richard Plaud, a Frenchman with a towering ambition, spent eight painstaking years crafting a colossal matchstick model of the Eiffel Tower, standing at an impressive 23.6 feet. Using a staggering 706,900 matchsticks and over 50 pounds of glue, Plaud poured his heart and soul into the project, aiming to clinch the Guinness World Record for the tallest matchstick sculpture.
However, Plaud's dreams were dashed when Guinness officials disqualified his attempt, citing the use of non-commercially available matchsticks. Despite his meticulous efforts, Guinness deemed the matchsticks ineligible, stating they could not be cut, disassembled, or distorted beyond recognition.
Expressing his disappointment on Facebook, Plaud lamented the verdict, questioning the validity of the decision. Nevertheless, his matchstick masterpiece stands as a testament to his unwavering determination.
The current record holder, Toufic Daher from Lebanon, crafted a matchstick Eiffel Tower reaching 21.4 feet in 2009, using a staggering 6 million matches. Plaud's replica surpasses this height by approximately two feet.
However, Guinness has agreed to review Plaud's tower, acknowledging that they may have been overly stringent in their evaluation process. Mark McKinley, director of Guinness' central records services, admitted that they might have been too hasty in dismissing Plaud's structure and vowed to reassess the situation.
For Plaud, the journey to construct the matchstick marvel began in December 2015, fueled by a childhood dream of achieving a world record. Each matchstick meticulously placed was a step closer to realizing his ambition, despite facing numerous challenges along the way.
Initially purchasing matches from supermarkets and painstakingly removing the sulfur heads, Plaud eventually struck a deal with a manufacturer to obtain headless matches in bulk. However, this convenience came with a setback, as the matches were not commercially available, sparking the dispute with Guinness.
Undeterred by setbacks, Plaud completed his magnum opus on December 27, 2023, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel's death, paying homage to the iconic Parisian landmark that inspired his creation.
