UPDATE: Heavy rainfall shuts down IPM Thursday afternoon
Hopes for a new apple-bobbing world record at the International Plowing Match in Pain Court are floating in limbo for now.
The Guinness World Records adjudicator who was on site overseeing the attempt Thursday morning, Mike Marcotte, said he will be contacting officials in New York to confirm a final decision.
Marcotte counted 577 people taking part, which is just shy of the current record for "most people apple bobbing simultaneously" at 597 -- that was set in Jackson, Ohio on September 21, 2011.
And we're off. The world record has officially begun for most people bobbing for apples. It could be broken here at the #IPM2018. there was a worry there wouldn't be enough ppl, but things look good. @BlackburnCK pic.twitter.com/WebkTUCUAI
— Greg Higgins (@realgreghiggins) September 20, 2018
Organizers attempted to break the apple-bobbing record in the morning before shifting their efforts to sugar cubes for the afternoon.
According to the Guinness World Records website, the tallest sugar cube tower measured 2.08 metres (6 feet 10 inches) and was built by Camille Courgeon in Blanquefort, France, on July 1, 2013.
The completed tower used 2,669 individual cubes and was completed in two hours 59 minutes.
The attempt to break that record is taking place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the World Records Tent at the IPM site on Pain Court Line.
On Wednesday, IPM organizers set a new record for the world’s largest Caesar cocktail (or Bloody Mary cocktail).