Leonardo broke the Kids World Record for the Longest Time Hula Hooping in the Boys' 10-12 Division in February 2025.
Leonardo broke the Kids World Record for the Longest Time Hula Hooping in the Boys' 10-12 Division in February 2025.
Auckland’s Leonardo Pala, 10, broke a kids world record for Longest Time Hula Hooping.
He hula hooped for two hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds in the Boys’ 10-12 Division.
Leonardo now aims to set a record for the longest time hula hooping while walking.
A young boy from Auckland’s North Shore has been handed a world record for one of his favourite pastime activities.
Leonardo Pala, 10, was recently crowned with a Kids World Record for the Longest Time Hula Hooping in the Boys’ 10-12 year old Division.
The kid from Birkdale officially earned the title earlier this year after he managed to spin a hula hoop for two hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds in front of a camera.
Kids World Records confirmed Leonardo had completed the two-hour spin on February 18 and is the current record holder.
While Leonardo’s mother Kristy said the family was “naturally thrilled” for him, they were “not surprised” he’d taken out the top place globally.
“He had ‘accidentally’ broken the existing record for a boy his age while just messing around one day, so we knew he could do it again,” Kristy told the Herald.
Leonardo broke the Kids World Record for the Longest Time Hula Hooping in the Boys' 10-12 Division in February.
“When he sets his mind to something, he is incredibly determined!”
It was only 18 months ago that Leonardo started teaching himself how to properly use a hula hoop.
Although they’d had them at home for years, Leonardo had “spent most of his time to throw them up into trees” when he was younger, Kristy said.
“In no time, he was casually standing there hooping for longer and longer.”
After Leonardo’s parents watched him hula hoop for about 45 minutes one day, they dropped him a hint that he may be vying to knock a world record with his tenacity.
“Of course, this piqued his interest, so we set about finding what the record time was and off he went”, Kristy said.
Leonardo's achievement is now officially marked on the Kids World Records website. Photo / Kids World Records
From late 2024, Leonardo practiced the art of hula hooping “almost every day”, with his sessions naturally growing longer as he perfected his hoop spin.
There was a point where Leonardo “unofficially” broke the Kids World Record, although his legs had become “quite sore” by then.
“I think he was a bit done with it”, Kirsty said, noting he’d put the hula hoop to the side for “a long break” until returning it to it early this year to try and officially log his achievement.
“He didn’t really practise much more at all before we filmed his winning attempt.”
With his name now registered and verified by Kids World Records for their book and online, Leonardo has been handed a boost of motivation, with his mother saying he’s turning his sights towards setting a new benchmark.
“He wants to try to set a record for the longest time hula hooping whilst walking,” Kristy said.
