Rocket League fans set world record for longest ever audience wave

Renault Vitality weren’t the only winners at the Rocket League World Championship. 

The fans scored a victory of their own by breaking the world record for the longest ever wave. The practice of fans standing and waving their arms in the air in unison with everyone to create the image of a wave is a staple of live sporting events in arenas.

The previous best was set in 2015 at a concert in Japan where fans managed to keep a wave going for a total time of 17 minutes and 14 seconds. Spurred on by commentator Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez, the Rocket League crowd lit up the arena with their cellphones and set their sights on making it into the record books.

Fans in attendance burst into cheers when the timer crossed the18 minute mark, solidifying their spot at the top. However, the energetic crowd managed to carry on for almost 10 more, ultimately crushing the previous record by going for a mind-boggling 27 minutes. 

It’s an achievement that will surely take a monumental effort to beat and considering the last record has stood for almost four years, it will surely stand for quite a bit longer.

The tradition is believed to have originated from the 1986 FIFA World Cup which took place in Mexico City. There are others who claim “The Wave” dates back further to 1981 with roots in baseball or American football. Wherever its roots lie, they rarely last for any length of time 

Though the wave has been a part of live events for years, they are not always well-received. 

Often, the wave is looked at as fans entertaining themselves, either as an indictment of the competitive action taking place or as a means of disrespecting the performers or athletes. Some events outright ban the practice. 

Renault Vitality defeated G2 Esports 4-1 in a tense best-of-seven series to claim the crown of Rocket League World Champions and their $200,000 share of the prize pool.