Dunking your doughnut into coffee is an everyday, run-of-the-mill occurrence. But when you coordinate a simultaneous dunk with hundreds of strangers atop “America’s Mountain,” that’s what legends are made of—or at least world records.
Guinness World Records was on hand at Pikes Peak on Aug. 1 when 285 people rang in Colorado’s 150th anniversary by setting a confirmed world record for “the most people simultaneously dunking doughnuts into coffee,” as reported by FOX21.
For the uninitiated, this may seem like an odd record to chase, but visitors to Pikes Peak’s Summit Visitor Center know that delicious doughnuts await anyone who makes it to the summit at 14,115 feet above sea level.
In fact, staff on the mountain insist these doughnuts, which date back to 1916, are not only world famous but the only ones in North America made above 14,000 feet. For that reason, staff recommend skipping the to-go box. The doughnuts lose their fluffiness once they leave the mountain.
These are made to be enjoyed at the altitude at which they were made.
When the new visitor center opened in 2021, regulars worried that the doughnut fryer, crafted to operate in extremely low air pressure, might not make the move to the new building. Fortunately, it survives to this day.
According to the staff, the 1,500-pound machine had to be wheeled in before the doors were placed in their frame.
Video from the official Pikes Peak Facebook page shows the mountain’s official mascot, Donut Ranger, in attendance to cheer on participants on Aug. 1 while the official Guinness World Records judge looked on to ensure everything was on the up and up—way up at 14,115.
