A pig named Norbert from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, USA, has learned to skate perfectly and even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Thanks to his record, Norbert was nicknamed Tony Pork.
It all started when the pig's owner, Vincent, found his old skateboard and decided to try to teach Norbert to skate.
“I had a board when I was a kid, and I decided to try riding it,” he recalls. “I went outside, put the board down, got some unsalted peanuts as a treat. About 15 minutes later, he was standing on the board. After a couple more sessions, he was walking down the street on his own.”
Vincent noted that his pet really loves to eat, so he was taught to climb onto the board and push off, waving treats right in front of his face.
So the pig began to chase around the neighborhood, and after a while the owner decided that his skills could be appreciated by professionals.
“We made sure the skateboard mounts were securely fastened, stocked up on peanuts and cheese, and measured his route so he knew exactly where and how to go,” the owner said.
To set the record, the animal had to get to Vincent, who was standing 10 meters away, as quickly as possible. Norbert got on his skateboard and reached the finish line in 11.32 seconds. This made Tony Pork the fastest skateboarding pig, and he weighs 79 kg.
“He was generously rewarded with bananas, peanuts, and apples slathered with peanut butter. We made sure he was treated like a king,” Vincent said.
Vincent hopes this isn't Norbert's last record. He noted that the pig is quite good at balancing on its hind legs, so he wants to teach it to dance or hold a paintbrush in its mouth to paint on canvas.
