Village in training for blowing bubbles ahead of Guinness World Record attempt

Residents and visitors of the rural western village of Montgai are in training ahead of their Guinness World Record attempt. 

On Sunday, hundreds took part in a test session to blow the most amount of soap bubbles floating in the air at the same time, as part of the 16th edition of the Soap and Natural Cosmetics Fair. 

The village's Prat de la Riba square was filled with bubbles made by kids and adults alike, all using utensils and devices suitable for the occasion, such as guns, nets, rings and small machines. 

The trial run ahead of next year’s record break attempt was an opportunity for the locals to experiment with different types of soap, with the objective of forging stronger, more resistant, bubbles, and also test out systems of mass bubble production. 

"Of the records that we have evidence of, we believe that we will surpass them, but for everything to be official we will have to wait until next year," mayor Jaume Gilabert explained. 

To succeed, thousands and thousands of bubbles must be created for 15 seconds using different methods, combining manual and electronic devices. "Based on this machinery and the tools we have, we have made an approximate study on the amount of bubbles that can be made," said Gilabert.

The trial run on Sunday featured technology to measure the amount of bubbles in the air and thus guarantee the accuracy of the challenge. "Based on images taken by drone, we can make grids and count the bubbles that are in one of these grids. Then, this amount can be extrapolated throughout the space where the test is done. It is a fairly correct calculation," he said. 

Gilabert also pointed out that the trial run had various people present to ensure the validity of the test.

Soap fair

Montgai is known for its soap-making and was officially recognized by the Catalan government in 2017 as a 'village of unique soap-making heritage.' 

The town's soap fair, organized to revive the village's 19th-century soap-making traditions, demonstrates the age-old techniques used by the town's "saboneres" (soap makers). 

The fair will host over 28 Catalan artisans offering handmade soaps and natural cosmetics under their own brands.  

Montgai is one of Catalonia's microvillages, situated in the Lleida region. Many of Catalonia's microvillages face problems like depopulation.  

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