Minnesota's 'Mohawk King' attempts 2nd Guinness World Record for tallest hair - Grand Forks Herald

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In September 2019, the Park Rapids man successfully set the world record for the tallest full Mohican mohawk.

Saturday, April 17, was another record-smashing day. Grisamore seeks the title for the tallest mohawk spike. The current record — 48 inches — has belonged to Kazuhiro Watanabe of Tokyo, Japan since April 2014.

Joe Grisamore admittedly felt nervous about Saturday's effort to break another world record, this time for the tallest spike mohawk. He wasn't certain his hair was long enough. (Shannon Geisen/Enterprise)

Grisamore, once again, teamed up with Kay Jettman at The Family Hair Affair in Park Rapids. Jettman has been a professional hairstylist for 30 years.

They used the same winning technique that landed Grisamore in the record books in the first place. Layer by layer, Jettman backcombed his hair, teasing it into a sort of “webbing.” She sprayed it with the tried-and-true göt2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray, then blow-dried it as she inched along.

Joe’s mom, Katy Grisamore, stood on a footstool and held the wobbly spike in place until everything was firmly set. According to Guinness World Record rules, nothing may support the mohawk other than hair-styling products.

A bonafide expert at record-setting mohawks, Jettman quickly transformed Grisamore’s lengthy locks into a 50.9-inch spike. It took about 45 minutes.

And it didn’t even require a full can of hairspray.

Joe confessed he was a bit jittery about Saturday’s endeavor because they hadn’t practiced ahead of time and he didn’t know the true length of his tresses. His goal was 50 inches. He hasn’t cut his hair since 2013.

This is Joe’s second attempt at the tallest spike mohawk. A previous effort in 2007 failed when he didn’t meet Guinness World Records’ newly established official guidelines.

There are only two mohawk records available in the world.

“So if I conquer this one, that’s it,” Joe said.

The measuring on Saturday had to be carried out on one occasion by a qualified medical practitioner. This time, it was Dr. Susan Bauer, a family doctor at Essentia Health Clinic.

Dr. Susan Bauer stood on a footstool to measure the spike's length. (Shannon Geisen/Enterprise)

“You’ve got a sailboat on your head,” Bauer said.

The spike mohawk was measured three times. The average of the three will become the accepted figure.

All the required documentation — the video recording, photos, media article, signed paperwork, a cover letter and Joe’s birth certificate — will be submitted to Guinness World Records.

According to www.guinnessworldrecords.com, the evidence will be reviewed, which can take up to 12 weeks.

Katy Grisamore, Joe's mom, documents the measurements in both inches and centimeters. (Shannon Geisen/Enterprise)

Grisamore appears in the pages of the 2021 Guinness World Records book.

He obliterated the record for the tallest full Mohican mohawk in the world. The previous record-holder was a mere 27 inches. Grismore’s was a whopping 42 inches.

His win was certified in April 2020, then officially announced in August 2020 when the book was released.

COVID-19 put the kibosh on the normal events surrounding a Guinness World Record, but the achievement has provided for “all kinds of fun opportunities,” Joe said, mostly via the internet.

In October 2020, he was a guest on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," appearing virtually for the live interview.

The Japanese Suntory Beverage and Food Company used video footage of Joe in one of their commercials.

Jettman appears in the 2021 book with Joe. “That’s good enough,” she said of the fame.

Joe said he’s thankful for everyone’s support

And he has no intention of cutting his hair. “I have no reason to,” Joe said.

His wife, Laura, digs his long hair. “Any mohawk on him looks sexy,” she said. Even though the pandemic dampened the usual fanfare, “I thought it was really cool that Joe kept saying to me, ‘It’s OK. I just like that it can be a bright spot for people right now.’”

Grisamore poses with his official Guinness World Record certificate for the tallest full Mohican mohawk, which he accomplished in September 2019. (Photo courtesy of Laura Grisamore)

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