Kala Kaiwi, who unsurprisingly works as a tattoo and body modification artist, has earlobe stretches or 'flesh tunnels' measuring 109mm (4.3 inches) in diameter, to go with his hundreds of other wacky body adaptations.
He has just returned from Milan, Italy where he picked up his award, almost certainly setting off airport security scanners on his way.
Along with his flesh tunnels, he has had silicon horns implanted on his head, stretches in his nostrils, tattooed eyebrows and studs all over his face.
He even split his own tongue using dental floss, and has bolt holes on his forehead with spikes screwed in.
Kala trained in Las Vegas in 1999 before moving back to Hawaii to open Sin City Body Modification and Tattoo shop.
Ear stretches have become increasingly popular in recent years. The practice originated from indigenous people but has now become mainstream in the western world.
Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh King Tutankhamen is known to have had them, although these days, you are far more likely to see them on a regular person than you are royalty.
The trendsetter was Otzi the Ice Man, who dates all the way back to 3300BC and is the oldest human mummy in the world.
He was discovered by German tourists in the Italian Alps in 1991 and as well as having 7-11mm ear stretches, he is covered in tattoos.
When they first filtered into western cultures they were adopted by subcultures such as punks and rockers, but nowadays, you can find stretches on celebrities such as McBusted's Dougie Poynter or rapper Lil Wayne, as well as all over the streets of any town or city.
However, extra large flesh tunnels are still associated with counter culture. Professor Victoria Pitts-Taylor, from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, says they are 'a slightly more committed body art than temporary practices or ear piercing. The more you stretch the skin, the more commitment you are expressing to a counter cultural look.'
When they first filtered into western cultures they were adopted by subcultures such as punks and rockers, but nowadays, you can find stretches on celebrities such as McBusted's Dougie Poynter or rapper Lil Wayne, as well as all over the streets of any town or city.
However, extra large flesh tunnels are still associated with counter culture. Professor Victoria Pitts-Taylor, from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, says they are 'a slightly more committed body art than temporary practices or ear piercing. The more you stretch the skin, the more commitment you are expressing to a counter cultural look.'
Source : DailyMail
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