Kiwi is world's fastest texter

A Dunedin teen is New Zealand's latest Guinness world record holder - for texting blindfolded.

Elliot Nicholls, 17, broke the world record in Dunedin yesterday,not once but twice, texting a 160-character message blindfolded and finishing in 51 seconds on his second attempt and then 45 seconds on his fourth try. The previous record was set by an Italian at one minute 23 seconds.

His father, Daniel Nicholls, who watched the record- breaking attempt, always got Elliott a copy of the Guinness Book of Records each Christmas so he wasn't surprised by his son "attempting something quirky".

Elliot, a Year 12 student at Dunedin's John McGlashan College, decided to attempt the world record after seeing the texting record onthe Guinness website. Knowing he could easily beat it, he contacted the Guinness Book and set up the challenge.

Elliot has had to fit his training schedule in with his studies, but estimates on average he sends about 50 texts a day.

For the past fortnight he has had to memorise and practise the world record attempt text - "the razor toothed piranhas of the genera serrasal musand pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. in reality they rarely attack a human".

Elliot's text message had to match it exactly, including spaces, punctuation and spelling with no mistakes.

"I've been practising about 20 minutes every day for the past week, I knew I could do it, I just had to get the phrase into my brain."

Elliot is on his seventh phone, having driven over one, lost two and worn out the keypads on the others.

He has texted since he was 12 and wears a wrist support but claims it's because of a boxing injury.