On Saturday, Air Force Maj. Johnny Cruz Buckingham plans to set a new world record for sand skiing by swooshing down a sand dune in Peru at 76 miles per hour.
“I’ll be in shorts and a T-shirt and just skiing down a big old sand dune,” Buckingham told Task & Purpose.
Buckingham has already set 17 Guinness World Records and has five other recent attempts under review. He has set world records that circled the globe (the fastest time to travel to all seven continents) and records that circled him with fire (the most flaming-knife spins on a balance board in one minute).
But at the center of his efforts is a non-profit, The World Record Breakers Club, that he founded and funds with his record-breaking attempts, and which donates all money he raises to children’s programs.
“The records are cool,” Buckingham said. “They’re fun. They keep me in shape because a lot of these you’ve got to train for. It’s not about the records, it’s not about any of that. It’s really about my passion for the nonprofit and the children’s work.”
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While some might say that Buckingham has found his calling by constantly adding to his record-setting accomplishments, such as popping 100 balloons with his feet in 19.78 seconds last month, he stressed that his Air Force service always comes first, and he only pursues his quest to set new world records during his off time.
“But if you work, you know an eight- to 10-hour shift and sleep for six or seven hours, and you exercise for an hour, you still have another five to six hours each day for whatever you choose to do,” Buckingham said.“So, you know, whether that’s watching Netflix or going on the internet, it’s up to you. This is what I’ve chosen to do with my time.”
His dedication to breaking records has even reached meta levels. In December, he set a new record for the fastest time of setting up and toppling 10 Guiness World Record books in 12.94 seconds.
Originally from Hawaii, Buckingham attended the Air Force Academy where he was on the tennis team. He then flew KC-135 Stratotankers from 2012 to 2017, recording more than 120 combat missions in the Middle East over five deployments. He is currently a program manager with the Air Force’s Kessel Run division, which oversees developing software.
And speaking of veiled “Star Wars” references and record-breaking, Buckingham’s journey began in 2020, when his sister told him about people who had traveled to all seven continents in the fastest time possible. After spending a couple of years planning his route, Buckingham tried to set a new record in 2022, but his attempt was thwarted when he missed a flight in Egypt. Finally, he broke the record in 2025.
Buckingham is always looking for new heights to scale, but he said his process for choosing which records to set is “kind of random.” He decided to visit all seven continents because of his background in flying and his love for travel. He also opted to do the most fire knife spins while standing on a balance board in one minute because he grew up in Hawaii, where he watched Samoan fire dancers. Some of his cousins are also taking hula and dance programs.
“There’s 46,000 records right now, and sometimes you get on the Guinness World Record site, and you’re applying for one record, and then you see in the sidebar, ‘Hey, maybe you should make this attempt,’” Buckingham said. “And then you click on it, and it kind of gets exciting. You’re like: Yeah, I think I could do that. Never thought I’d pop 100 balloons before.”
The logistics of preparing for setting a new record can be daunting, Buckingham said. One attempt required spending hours blowing up hundreds of balloons that would later be popped — including some spares in case any of the balloons burst prematurely.
When Buckingham returns from Peru, he will try to set even more records, including most fast food restaurants visited within 24 hours, he said.
Despite his love of the record-breaking game, the opportunity to give something back after snagging a new win for fastest time to break open five piñatas, which he took a swing at (get it?) in April, is what matters most, he said.
“I toyed with a bunch of ideas of how to make the biggest impact in my community,” Buckingham said. “I’ve got a 2-year old son. I got married a couple of years ago, so my personal time has kind of shrunk, but that led me to this nonprofit where it’s like: All right, cool. How can I make the most impact? It’s not about the records, it’s about the end impact of helping children.”
