Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to drop Largest Ball of Human Hair for New Year’s Eve

There have been some strange things dropped at midnight over the years to ring in the New Year — bologna, a peach, a high-heeled shoe — and now, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! will drop the new Guinness World Records title holder for the Largest Ball of Human Hair.

Ripley’s will drop the 225.13-pound hairball, aptly nicknamed “Hoss,” on Facebook Live on Friday, Dec. 31, starting just before midnight EST. Hoss will join other weird New Year’s Eve drops around the country like:

• Tallapoosa, Ga. – In the town once dubbed “Possum Snout,” Spencer, a taxidermy possum surrounded by holiday lights, is lowered.
• Plymouth, Wis. – In the Cheese Capital of the World, a giant wedge of Sartorial cheese is dropped.
• Eastover, N.C. – The tradition of dropping Jasper, a three-foot-tall, 30-pound ceramic flea, stems from the town’s old nickname: Flea Hill.
• Boise, Idaho – What else but a foam potato the size of a car makes sense to lower from a crane?

According to Guinness World Records, Ripley’s has broken the existing record for “Largest Ball of Human Hair” ever created by over 55 pounds. Initially crafted by Ohio stylist Steve Warner, Hoss surpassed 100 pounds in 2019. Since then, over 3,000 people have contributed to its weight.

Most of Hoss’ record-setting weight can be attributed to Ripley’s “Shave the Beard and Make it Weird!” challenge, which launched in November during IAAPA Expo 2021 in Orlando, Fla. The campaign not only increased Hoss’ size, but also raised funds for Give Kids the World Village, an 89-acre nonprofit resort in Central Florida that provides critically ill children and their families with weeklong wish vacations at no cost.

You can watch Ripley’s New Year’s Eve hairball drop at Facebook.com/RipleysBelieveItOrNot.