Five-year-old Axel Luchsinger had a typical day at school until an announcement revealed he had broken a world record. “Everyone was hugging me,” he shared with CBC News. The beloved childhood toy, the Slinky, set a new record for descending the most stairs, surpassing the previous mark by 23 steps, according to Guinness World Records.
Axel, along with his parents Joe and Christelle Luchsinger from Connecticut, achieved this feat. Joe mentioned that Axel is fascinated by the biggest and strongest things. Their interest in Slinky toys led them to attempt breaking the record, which they believed was achievable after seeing the previous record of 30 stairs set in 2014.
To prepare for the attempt, they acquired seven different Slinkys to find the most suitable one, settling on a plastic multicolored version. During a trip to Ohio in May 2025, they selected a venue with a large set of stairs for the record-breaking run. However, they had to switch locations due to the stairs being too large for the Slinky to descend. They eventually found a suitable spot at Otterbein University in Westerville.
The team, consisting of the family of three, each had their role in the attempt. Christelle launched the Slinky, Axel counted the stairs, and Joe retrieved the toy after each run. Despite initial challenges and an impending storm, they persisted until they achieved a successful run just before the rain arrived. The family captured the moment on video in May 2025, and they received certification for the record in March of the following year.
Christelle expressed her excitement about the achievement, while Axel playfully suggested aiming for 150 stairs next. Looking ahead, their next goal is to attempt the highest launch from a Galilean cannon. This experience served as a reminder for Joe about the importance of finding time for play as an adult and cherishing memorable moments shared with loved ones.