Mexico City Rides the Wave to Smash World Record—But Who Started It?

In Mexico City, thousands of people gathered to try to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Mexican wave ever. A Mexican wave is when people in a crowd stand up, raise their arms, and then sit down, creating a wave effect that moves through the audience. The current record was set in Tennessee, USA, in 2008, with more than 157,000 people taking part at a Nascar event. This time, Mexico City chose the famous Paseo de la Reforma, a wide and iconic street, instead of a stadium, to make the wave even bigger and more visible. On Saturday, people dressed in green, the color of the Mexican national soccer team, lined the street. They practiced the wave several times before making their official attempt. As they did the wave, they shouted 'Mexico, Mexico! ' and raised their arms in excitement. Now, Guinness World Records officials are checking the results to see if Mexico City has set a new record.

Mexico City is an important place for the Mexican wave. It was here, 40 years ago, that the wave became famous around the world. Today, the Mexican wave is seen at sports events everywhere. However, some people believe the wave actually started in the United States. Krazy George Henderson, a cheerleader from the US, says he created the first wave at a baseball game in California in 1981. He tried to get different sections of the crowd to stand up and sit down in order. After a few failed attempts, the wave finally went all the way around the stadium. Because the game was on television, fans at other sports events saw it and started doing the wave too.

The Mexican wave became truly global during the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. After that, it was known as the Mexican wave everywhere except North America. Scientists have even studied how the wave works. They found that it usually moves clockwise and travels at about 12 meters per second. In a big stadium, it only takes 25 to 35 people to start a wave. The way the wave spreads is similar to how a forest fire moves or how signals travel in the heart. The wave can show that fans are excited, but sometimes it means they are bored and want to have fun. If a game is slow or not interesting, fans might start a wave to make the experience more enjoyable. But if the game is very close or important, fans usually focus on the action instead of doing the wave. The Mexican wave has become a symbol of fun and excitement at sports events all over the world.