You know I am a Universal Record Holder, right?
W
ell, I am also a Universal Records Blogger.
I aim to set the record for "Most Interviews With People Who Set More Challenging Records Than I."
First up, Alon Mass. He's a young medical student who can play the holy living hell out of Labyrnith.
Let's get the ball rolling...
RECORD SETTER INTERVIEW: Alon Mass
by Patrick Sauer on 2/9/2010
Ever since he was a young boy, Alon Mass, 24, has played the silver ball. No, not the upright pinball version, that’s for the deaf, dumb and blind kids. Mass plays Labyrinth, and his mesmerizing videos have quickly become house favorites at the Universal Record Database.How do you think he does it? We didn’t know, so Patrick Sauer talked to the Labyrinth wizard about what makes him so good.
URDB: Before we get into Labyrinth, tell us a little about yourself…
Mass: I grew up in Suffern, NY and I’m currently in medical school at NYU. I am going into surgery, training starts in June.
URDB: When did you start playing Labyrinth?
Mass: I started when I was ten. My Dad introduced me to the game. He’s always been a Labyrinth enthusiast. He claims Paul Simon brought the game on a late night talk show in the 1970s and that Simon was pretty good.* Dad has a wooden board from the 1960s, it’s the same one in the videos. The vintage boards are a lot better than the new plastic ones. We competed all the time; I didn’t overtake my Dad until I was 12.
URDB: So you’ve been a Labyrinth addict your whole life?
Mass: I play in spurts. A few years ago, I saw a video on You Tube and the poster said the Guinness record was 26.3 seconds, which I knew I could beat. I made the one-ball video while at Cornell, but it wasn’t accepted by Guinness. I don’t actually think it’s an official record. I hadn’t been playing as much, so I was thrilled to find the Universal Record website and get back into it.
URDB: How many attempts were made to set the record?
Mass: I spent plenty of hours practicing, and it took about 20 trials before I got the time of 21.69 seconds on video. That’s not my even personal best. My unofficial record is 19.72.
URDB: What’s the key to success in Labyrinth?
Mass: You need to be gentle with the movements. It’s not exactly patience, but having an awareness of the ball’s momentum rolling towards a hole.
URDB: Your two-ball Labyrinth record is even more amazing. Is there a difference in approach?
Mass: If it’s a single ball, I wipe all the dust off the board for speed. But with two balls, you want a little bit of dust, so that one ball will stick if you need to shake it a bit to get the other ball moving.
URDB: So it’s like the ice in a hockey game? Smoother at the beginning of a period after a Zamboni run and stickier at the end?
Mass: Exactly. It’s important to use the board to your advantage. In a two-ball game, you need to use the wooden walls to keep one ball stable while the other ball has momentum.
URDB: Do you find Labyrinth soothing? It seems like it would be endlessly frustrating.
Mass: When I’m playing for the hell of it, Labyrinth is quite relaxing. It’s a stress reliever. It’s the opposite when I’m shooting a video. Right now, I’m working on a three-ball record. I got about three-quarters of the way through the game and a ball fell in a hole. I wanted to throw the board across the room.
URDB: Wait! Three balls? That sounds impossible.
Mass: I’m also practicing a one-ball run with my feet.
URDB: Are other students at med school following your Labyrinth lead?
Mass: (Laughs) Most of my friends try it, get through a little chunk, become discouraged and quit. Most of them are neurotic; they give up claiming they have to go study.
URDB: Any other non-Labyrinth records you’re considering?
Mass: I’d like to do something with Tetris, but I don’t know how good I am because there are so many different platforms. I’m also into photography and I live in Midtown Manhattan. I may try and set the record for “Most Pictures of the Empire State Building From The Same Vantage Point.”
URDB: Lastly, what does your Dad think of your stature as a Labyrinth wizard?
Mass: He’s really proud. It’s his board and he got me into it. Maybe we’ll set a Father/Son tandem record.
*(Ed Note: We couldn’t find the Paul Simon video. If anyone out there can send me the clip at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , I'd be much obliged.)
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