Two Guinness World Records were recently set in Cat Ba, during the Symphony of the Green Island show, including “Largest Jetskis formation launching firework” and “Most backflips on a flyboard in one minute” by athlete Tomasz Kubik. Behind this impressive achievement are months of preparation, practice, and a rigorous assessment process according to global standards – something unprecedented for any show in Vietnam before.
Image of the record-breaking jetski firework formation
A bold idea and months of preparation
At the beginning of 2025, a proposal to set a Guinness World Record was submitted by the organizers of the show “Symphony of the Green Island” to the GWR organization. What made this process lengthy was not the administrative procedures, but the "unprecedented" nature of the show.
“This is the first time Guinness has developed a separate set of criteria for an offshore sports and arts performance,” confirmed Sonia Ushirogochi, a senior judge of Guinness World Records. She said that each item of the program, from the synchronized jetski formation, the firework activation mechanism, to the sensors measuring the speed and rotation direction of the flyboard, must have an objective verification mechanism, sufficient to independently assess the final result.
All record details were exchanged continuously for many months
From that point on, numerous rounds of technical exchanges took place between the production unit and Guinness representatives.
Unprecedented rigorous assessment
Once the criteria were approved, the on-site assessment process began. Ms. Sonia went to Cat Ba Central Bay on May 21 to coordinate with the technical team to check all components involved in establishing the record.
GWR verification in Cat Ba
For the record of the synchronized fireworks jetski formation, each jet ski had to be controlled by a real person, maintaining a stable formation for at least 20 seconds, while simultaneously firing fireworks while moving. Standing still or firing fireworks slowly was not acceptable.
“We counted each jetski that operated, fired fireworks at the right time and maintained the correct position. Everything was recorded from multiple camera angles, combined with an independent witness team,” she said.
As for the flyboard record, the regulation requires the athlete to perform complete 360-degree flips – meaning the starting and ending points are the same, performed within 60 seconds.
Tomasz successfully performed 43 complete backflips
“We had to ensure that all data was cross-referenced from multiple sources – multi-angle video, an independent witness team, and technical equipment,” she said. “Even with the individual part, like the flyboard record, Tomasz’s 44th flip was not counted because it was performed half a second late after the stop command. We only recorded 43 complete flips within the allowed time.”
All actions were recorded using a multi-angle camera system, cross-referenced with the formation map, execution time, and sensors attached to the equipment. This data was sent to the independent witness team and Guinness representatives for post-verification. “We don’t just observe with the naked eye. We cross-check every detail with the technical data agreed upon beforehand,” said Ms. Sonia.
When all efforts are answered by the world
For Tomasz Kubik – a flyboard athlete, a member of the H2O team – being recognized by Guinness is not only a personal honor. “I’ve set world records before, but this time the feeling is very different. Everything had to be precise to the second. When I completed the final flip, I knew I had done something very special.”
Audiences are likely to witness Tomasz’s next record-breaking feat
He shared that during training, he achieved 46 consecutive spins – opening up the possibility of breaking the record again throughout the show season, which lasts until early September in Cat Ba.
For the jetski athletes, the challenge comes not only from the difficulty of the techniques but also from weather conditions and the pressure of synchronized operation. Jordan Marie Marples, a H2O Jetski athlete, shared: “We almost didn’t sleep the night before the assessment. Each jetski had to move according to the diagram, fire fireworks at the right time, and coordinate like a military formation. There’s no room for error.”
Another athlete shared: “We have to practice for hours at sea, coordinating with sound and light signals in complex real-world conditions. Not every show requires such precision.”
Another female athlete from the team said: “I’ve performed in Dubai and China, but I’ve never seen a stage on the sea that is both so beautiful and organized to such a high standard as here.”
The show has attracted tourists since the rehearsals began
Two Guinness World Records were set in Cat Ba as a result of applying an internationally standardized organization and verification process, meticulously prepared from technical aspects, personnel to actual operation – with accuracy controlled down to every second, every movement.
The performance space on the sea surface is 50,000m², a fireworks system never before seen in Vietnam, international standard sound and lighting equipment, and the cooperation of hundreds of personnel from many countries – all have created a miracle.
Ms. Sonia affirmed. “We don't just see the record. We see the precision, effort and spirit of daring to reach the unprecedented.”
The show with 2 Guinness World Records carries the value of global standards
With Cat Ba, it's not just a show, but the first time Vietnam has been recognized by the world with a stage in the middle of the ocean – where every turn, every curve and every streak of light carries the value of standards.
“Records are not awards, but a certification given based on accuracy and reliability,” Ms. Sonia affirmed. “And the show in Cat Ba has done that.”
