‘Wheelie King’ Hopes Ride Is One for the Book

Even before the age of 10, Kurt Osburn realized there was one thing he could do better than anyone in his Fullerton neighborhood: a wheelie.

And on Thursday, his 29th birthday, Osburn set out to prove he can do it better than anyone in the world.

Osburn rode on the back wheel of his bicycle--without stopping--for more than 11 hours, a feat he hopes will land him in the Guinness Book of Records.

He began at 9 a.m. and finished at 8 p.m., eclipsing the 10 hours, 40 minutes and 8 seconds set in Brazil in 1990, according to the book of records

“I’ve always been infatuated with the Guinness book, and always said that someday I’ll do something to get my name in there,” Osburn said before his ride. “This is going to be that day.”

With his hair dyed a bright red, white and blue, Osburn pedaled his silver BMX cautiously, at about 2 mph, in sweeping, 900-foot circles through a cavernous exhibit hall of the Anaheim Convention Center.

This time, he had witnesses--one with a video camera and another with a notebook--to avoid a repeat of a 1993 ride. Osburn says he broke the record then but was rejected by Guinness officials, who said he did not have proper documentation.

His wheelie accomplishments, he says, include two five-hour rides, a trek from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada, Mexico, and riding the Los Angeles Marathon course. He also rode for 11 continuous hours last week in a Cal State Fullerton parking structure to train for Thursday’s event.

Osburn, who goes by the moniker “the Wheelie King,” trained for 15 to 20 hours a week to ensure he was in top condition for the record attempt, taking time off from his computer repair business.

“The toughest part is mental,” he said. “The seven- and eight-hour mark is when I start feeling the pain, and then I really have to concentrate on maintaining balance.”

His only fuel was water and tubes of a cake frosting-like energy substance called “Goo.” He used a catheter to avoid bathroom breaks.

“He has an amazing ability to get into a focused mental zone,” said Barry Jaynes, a friend. “He makes it look easy. There’s a crucial balance point that has to be maintained.”

Osburn’s mother, Linda, said her son has always been extremely athletic, but draws his resolve from two sources: his brother, Dan, and his idol, daredevil Evel Knievel.

“His older brother was injured in an accident and lost both legs,” Linda Osburn said. “He’s had to show a lot of determination in life, and I think Kurt learned a lot from him.”

And it was Knievel who inspired Osburn to pursue his dream of setting a Guinness record. Osburn dedicated his ride Thursday to his boyhood hero, whom he met at a Las Vegas convention in 1993.

Osburn has an even more ambitious ride planned for March: a “Wheelie Across America.” That event, Osburn said, will raise money for the American Liver Foundation in honor of the 59-year-old Knievel, who is awaiting a transplant.

Osburn plans to ride on one tire from Orange County, California, to Orange County, Florida, in 50-mile increments over three months.

“This is just the beginning,” Jaynes said of his friend’s accomplishment Thursday. “He’s poised to become the premier wheelie artist in the world.”