Loyal siblings go for the record

By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – Siblings Ashley McCauley and Jordan Wolf are reaching new limits as they make a run for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Siblings Ashley McCauley and Jordan Wolf are reaching new limits as they make a run for the Guinness Book of World Records. Peggy Sue Behselich photo

The children of Eddie “Steady Eddie” Wolf, the pair walked into the stilt profession at a young age and it has become a family practice.

“This past summer, we really got into stilt walking again with our kids, and they have really enjoyed it,” Ashley explained.

“About five years ago, I tried to apply to beat the Guinness Book of World Records for the tallest stilts and it was being disputed; because, after our brother broke it in 1998, there were a few different people who were trying to break the record. There was a guy in Canada, a guy from Japan. It was being disputed because one was inside, one was outside; one took more steps than the other one. So, they just kind of took it out of the book all together, and you could not apply to get into Guinness for the record,” McCauley told Hub City Times.

“So, I tried to apply for a new record to be the first female, and they denied it. So, I kind of forgot about it and went on. We were taking care of our kids and stuff. Then, Jordan went this last summer and applied because it was available again.

“So, we decided that we would try to break it together.

“The current record that is in the book is 53 foot, 10 inches from a guy in China, So, we are going to go 54 feet.”

“The stilts are 54 feet tall, and we will have to take 10 unsupported steps,” Wolf said.

The siblings said that a location for the attempt has not yet been arranged, but that it would need to be outdoors and would occur in June.

“It’s not a small feat to set up all of the equipment that we need to do this, so it’s not like we can just throw it up anywhere and go for a run. There is a lot of planning,” Wolf added.

Eddie “Steady Eddie” Wolf trains with assistance from a crane and scaffolding in the 1980s. Submitted image

“When our dad broke (the record) the first one was in Loyal, and then he broke it in Japan, and then Hollywood, California, and then he came back and broke it again in Loyal for his last time,” McCauley explained.

“And our oldest brother (Travis) did it down in Universal Studios in Florida,” Wolf added.

While Ashley and Jordan are still considering venues for the event, they would entertain a more iconic venue, such as Universal, as well.

“It would be cool to do it local, but then again, if we had an opportunity to (in a larger venue.) My dad said something about doing it at Miller Park (American Family Field) because it can be enclosed; somebody said Lambeau Field would be really cool.”

Their stilts are currently being produced and will then be delivered by semi to a silo, where a crane will place the stilts in the window of the silo.

“That’s where we will practice all winter,” Ashley explained.

“That’s where Dad practiced; that’s where Travis practiced when he practiced for the record in 1998.”

“It’s a good element to use where you cannot tip over. You can only fall so far,” Jordan said.

Their dad, Steady Eddie broke the record in 1980 at 30 feet, beating out the previous record of 24.

“By a guy from the Baraboo circus, I believe,” Ashley said.

Steady Eddie is listed in the 1980 and the 1983 Guinness Book as the world’s tallest stilt walker. In 1986, he returned from Yolokama, Japan, with a 40 feet, 6 inch record.
He began on one-foot stilts at the age of 12 making stilts out of slab wood.

“Growing up, we didn’t realize what kind of local celebrity he created – the Steady Eddie name – everybody knew it,” Ashley said.

“He ended up at 40 foot, 9.5 inches in 1988,” Jordan said.

Their brother Travis then broke the stilt-walking record in 1998 at 40 feet, 10.25 inches.

The final record from Guinness has been in place since 2006 at 53 feet, 10 inches.

While Jordan has received approval from Guinness, Ashley will be participating as Wolf’s support system and as the first female to make the attempt.

“We are just doing it for ourselves. We don’t care about being in the book. We want to make Dad proud. We want our kids to see it, and we want our kids to live what we lived,” Wolf explained.