Whipster

December 8, 2008 8:47 PM

Guiness World Record holder Adam Winrich demonstrates all the basic bullwhip-cracking techniques. He also teaches you how to perform each of them in detail, and how to open a can of root beer.
posted by hermitosis (32 comments total)

Finally...
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 8:55 PM on December 8, 2008

This guy is like the mutant offspring of Indiana Jones and Harry Anderson.
posted by rokusan at 8:57 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I thought he was going to somehow flick open the can of root beer, just like we do with our fingers.

Disappointment.
posted by Corduroy at 8:59 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

These really need some Devo playing in the background.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 9:02 PM on December 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

It's less impressive to TEAR A CAN IN HALF than it is to open it daintily?

*gives up*
posted by hermitosis at 9:02 PM on December 8, 2008 [3 favorites]

But I really love all the noises in the first video. Thanks for posting.
posted by Corduroy at 9:03 PM on December 8, 2008

Excellent find, hermitosis! (Here's the Devo video, too.) I had no idea whip-cracking technique was so interesting.
posted by not_on_display at 9:04 PM on December 8, 2008

He's obviously one of the coolest dudes on the planet, but I think he gets docked a few cool points for using a nylon whip instead of a leather one.
posted by bardic at 9:07 PM on December 8, 2008

Meh. I was expecting more finesse.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 9:13 PM on December 8, 2008

As someone who spent lots of unsupervised time as a child teaching himself how to do things like throw knives: I have GOT to learn the Tasmanian Cutback crack.

Thanks for the post.
posted by Amanojaku at 9:14 PM on December 8, 2008

I see it now. "Whipcracker" the series. He goes around solving crimes and never uses a gun, only a whip. The last shot of every episode is either a kid scurrying to saftey down a well placed whip used for escape, or the bad guy getting a gun knocked out of his hand by a . . . whip. He'll have a black guy in a cowboy hat for a sidekick.
posted by Ironmouth at 9:17 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

THAT IS SO AWESOME I NEED A WHIP RIGHT NOW
posted by middleclasstool at 9:29 PM on December 8, 2008

I wonder if I can safely crack a whip while riding a bicycle? My biggest worry would be getting the end of the whip caught in my spokes.
posted by Severian at 9:39 PM on December 8, 2008

Anyone remember that Whipmaster skit on SNL? It was the early 90's and Bill Murray was hosting? The Whipmaster was an old west dude that could do anything with a whip? And Bill Murray's character was a stand-in for the regular Whipmaster, who was on strike? But, like, he sucked? So instead of being able to do tricks like fetch whiskey bottles at the end of the bar or knock cigars out of people's mouths, he just maimed people?

That was awesome. Also, the total opposite of this guy, who is also awesome.
posted by piratebowling at 9:50 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is like that Simpsons episode with the yo-yos, only with whips.

Oh, man, imagine if he had a yo-yo at the end of that whip!
posted by dirigibleman at 10:25 PM on December 8, 2008

The Whip Master!
posted by NickO at 11:07 PM on December 8, 2008 [3 favorites]

I kind of expected him to be dressed in one of those 'Australian Duster' coats (remember J.Peterman catalogues?), goatee and a thin, long pony-tail. Holding himself aloof, as he is, after all, the Whip-Master!

Seems like a totally chill guy. Somehow he pulls off wearing that hat, too, which I find almost as impressive as the whip business.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:35 AM on December 9, 2008

Probably everyone knows this, but just in case someone is unaware as to what causes the 'crack'. The crack is caused by a sonic boom, as the end of the whip goes faster than the speed of sound!
posted by dollyknot at 3:17 AM on December 9, 2008

Somehow he pulls off wearing that hat, too, which I find almost as impressive as the whip business.

From one of his videos:

And I did start whip-cracking due to Indiana Jones, that's right. I saw Indiana Jones and I wanted to whip! However, a lot of women see Indiana Jones and they want Harrison Ford. And I've been working at Renaissance fairs lately, and it seems that a lot of women want both Harrison, and the whip.

posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:16 AM on December 9, 2008

"A Whip! Why do you have a whip?!"

"For whipping !"
posted by The Whelk at 6:56 AM on December 9, 2008

“This guy is like the mutant offspring of Indiana Jones and Harry Anderson.”

Now that there’s some rule 34.

If I was this good with a whip, I’d never tell anyone. But I’d get them to manuver me into doing things with the whip. Like there’d be a whip handy...uh...for no reason... but I’d completely ignore it and someone would ask for a beer or something and I’d be slow in getting it just waiting for them to taunt me into using the whip. Like “hey, you’re moving too slow, why don’t you ‘whip’ me over the beer” and I’d be all ‘oh, I don’t know how to use a whip, I might whip my eye out or something’ and I’d get them into goading me into using it and I’d act all reluctant until *wha-CHOW!* I’m a whipmaster baybay! Here’s your whipped beer right here!

...although I doubt that things would go down, y’know, exactly that way.

...I have the same fantasy about xylophones. Like I’d have a xylophone next to the t.v. all the time and people would say ‘you know how to play the xylophone?’ and I’d be all ‘no, it’s just for decoration’ and...but I digress.

“Anyone remember that Whipmaster skit on SNL?”

I liked Josh Acid.
...not a lot of tricks you can do with acid though...I guess... *kicks can* *walks away slowly* *looks over shoulder* *sniffs*
posted by Smedleyman at 7:08 AM on December 9, 2008

NickO, you have no idea how long I've been looking for that clip. And it's pretty infuriating to look for "Whipmaster" on the internet.
posted by piratebowling at 7:16 AM on December 9, 2008

I highly recommend the recent episode of Discovery's Time Warp where they had him on showing the sonic boom on super-slow motion film.

The episode taught me something really important; I learned how to crack a whip a long time ago, but like so many things in my life, I hadn't realized the full potential of something I thought I had mastered. Watching Adam Winrich showed me the error of my ways; a whip by itself is good. A whip on fire? That's like peanut butter and chocolate.
posted by quin at 8:43 AM on December 9, 2008

I mean.. it's cool to crack a whip but I can't stand these guys who go around touting their multiple and obscure world records. Herzog pokes fun at these people in 'Encounter At The End of the World'.. and he hits the nail on the head.
posted by ChickenringNYC at 10:42 AM on December 9, 2008

I had a friend who'd just bought a bullwhip, and wanted to test it out in a vacant lot next to a bar. It was a rundown area, and someone must have mistaken the noise for gunshots, because the cops showed up not 20 minutes later. They laughed when they saw what it was, told him to knock it off, and drove away.
posted by desjardins at 11:15 AM on December 9, 2008

Is it too late to chime in and say whips are cool?
posted by Vindaloo at 10:30 AM on December 10, 2008

dollyknot: Probably everyone knows this, but just in case someone is unaware as to what causes the 'crack'. The crack is caused by a sonic boom, as the end of the whip goes faster than the speed of sound!

A study done at the University of Arizona suggests that it is not the tip of the whip, but a loop in the whip that is travelling supersonically. The Wikipedia article also states that "a section of the whip" is the cause of the crack, not just the tip.

Anyone want to help clear this debate up?
posted by not_on_display at 1:57 PM on December 10, 2008

Yep, there's a cracker on the end of the whip. That's what makes the noise.
posted by desjardins at 2:35 PM on December 10, 2008

Bullwhip shown with cracker attached.
posted by desjardins at 2:36 PM on December 10, 2008

desjardins: Yep, there's a cracker on the end of the whip. That's what makes the noise.

If that's the case, then how come I can make an ordinary belt, or a wet beach towel, produce the same cracking noise?
posted by not_on_display at 3:20 PM on December 10, 2008

Okay, so I'm partially correct: Some sources state that the cracker is the portion of the whip that makes the loud noise known as the sonic boom, but this is misleading (see "whip cracking" for details). A whip without a cracker will still make a sonic boom, but it will be less audible unless you are standing directly in front of it. The cracker functions to disperse the sound so it can be heard more easily. (wiki)
posted by desjardins at 3:35 PM on December 10, 2008

By the way, if you've never been up close and personal with a whip, it is NOT the same noise as a belt or beach towel. It is LOUD.
posted by desjardins at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2008