Wim Hof
Encyclopedia
Wim Hof is a Dutch
world record
holder, adventurer and daredevil
, commonly nicknamed the Iceman for his ability to withstand extreme coldness. He holds eighteen world records including a world record for longest ice bath. In 2007, he attempted, but failed (due to a foot injury), to climb Mount Everest
wearing nothing but shorts
. Hof has been criticized for his stated justifications for this attempt: "Edmund Hillary's
ascent of Mount Everest was a testament to human achievement; my climb of Mount Everest in my shorts will be a monument to the frivolous, decadent nature of modern society."
Hof broke his previous world record by staying for 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds immersed in ice at Guinness World Records
2008. The night before, he performed the act on the Today Show. Dr. Kenneth Kamler
monitored the event to explain the effects of using the Tantric practice Tummo
to control one's body temperature. Tummo has been practiced by Yogi
monks in Tibet
. Wim describes his ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures as being able to turn his own thermostat up by using his brain.
In February 2009, Hof reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro
in his shorts within two days. It took him only another two days to climb down.
In 2009, Hof completed a full marathon (42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi)) above the polar circle
in Finland in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes. The challenge was filmed by Firecrackerfilms, who make productions for the BBC
, Channel 4 and National Geographic.
Hof again broke the ice endurance record in 2010 by standing fully immersed in ice for 1 hour and 44 minutes in Tokyo, Japan.
Since his youth in the southern part of the Netherlands he has been interested in esotericism, Buddhism, Indian traditions, cultures and languages. He grew up in a Catholic family, with six brothers and two sisters as well as his father and mother.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
holder, adventurer and daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
, commonly nicknamed the Iceman for his ability to withstand extreme coldness. He holds eighteen world records including a world record for longest ice bath. In 2007, he attempted, but failed (due to a foot injury), to climb Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
wearing nothing but shorts
Shorts
Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...
. Hof has been criticized for his stated justifications for this attempt: "Edmund Hillary's
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
ascent of Mount Everest was a testament to human achievement; my climb of Mount Everest in my shorts will be a monument to the frivolous, decadent nature of modern society."
Hof broke his previous world record by staying for 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds immersed in ice at Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
2008. The night before, he performed the act on the Today Show. Dr. Kenneth Kamler
Kenneth Kamler
Kenneth Kamler, M.D., is an orthopedic microsurgeon trained at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center who practices surgery of the hand in New York, and extreme medicine in some of the most remote regions on Earth. He has treated bear bite in the Arctic and frostbite in the Antarctic. He has set...
monitored the event to explain the effects of using the Tantric practice Tummo
Tummo
Tummo is one of the methods of the Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism used to recognize the ultimate nature of reality...
to control one's body temperature. Tummo has been practiced by Yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
monks in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Wim describes his ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures as being able to turn his own thermostat up by using his brain.
In February 2009, Hof reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
in his shorts within two days. It took him only another two days to climb down.
In 2009, Hof completed a full marathon (42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi)) above the polar circle
Polar circle
A polar circle is either the Arctic Circle or the Antarctic Circle. On Earth, the Arctic Circle is located at a latitude of N, and the Antarctic Circle is located at a latitude of S....
in Finland in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes. The challenge was filmed by Firecrackerfilms, who make productions for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Channel 4 and National Geographic.
Hof again broke the ice endurance record in 2010 by standing fully immersed in ice for 1 hour and 44 minutes in Tokyo, Japan.
Personal life
Hof was born in the Dutch town of Sittard, 2 kilometers away from the German border, and seven kilometers from the Belgian border.Since his youth in the southern part of the Netherlands he has been interested in esotericism, Buddhism, Indian traditions, cultures and languages. He grew up in a Catholic family, with six brothers and two sisters as well as his father and mother.