Michigan teens set TV watching record

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Helped by occasional shots of pancake syrup to stay awake, two Michigan teenagers watched TV for 52 consecutive hours -- a world record.

Chris Dean, 16, and Mike Dudek, 17, both of Grand Rapids, spent more than two days parked in front of a TV set at an International House of Pancakes, the Grand Rapids Press reported. They reached their goal, surpassing the Guiness World Record of 50 hours, seven minutes, Wednesday night.

The teens said they chose the I-Hop because Guiness requires the stunt be performed in public. In addition to bountiful snacks and plentiful syrup, the teens took five-minute breaks every hour, with 15-minute bathroom breaks every eight hours.

Dean's parents helped document the event and told the Press they were proud of their son.

"He has to be good at something. This is just as well," his dad said.

Confirmation of the record from Guinness could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.