Wim Hof (born 20 April 1959, in Sittard, Limburg) is a Dutch world record holder, adventurer and daredevil, commonly nicknamed the Iceman for his ability to withstand extreme coldness. He holds eighteen world records including a world record for longest ice bath. In 2007, he attempted, but failed (due to a foot injury), to climb Mount Everest wearing nothing but shorts. Hof has been criticized for his stated justifications for this attempt, "Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest was a testament to human achievement; my climb of Mount Everest in my shorts will be a monument to the frivolous, decadent nature of modern society."
Hof broke his previous world record by staying for 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds immersed in ice at Guinness World Records 2008. The night before, he performed the act on the Today Show. Dr. Kenneth Kamler monitored the event to explain the effects of using the Tantric practice Tummo to control your body temperature. Tummo has been practiced by Yogi monks in Tibet. Wim describes his ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures as being able to turn his own thermostat up by using his brain.
In February 2009, Hof reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in his shorts within two days. It took him only another two days to climb down.
In 2009, Hof completed a full marathon (approximately 42.2 kilometres or 26.2 miles long) above the polar circle in Finland in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes. The challenge was filmed by Firecrackerfilms, who make productions for the BBC, Channel 4 and National Geographic.
Hof broke the ice endurance record in 2010 by standing fully immersed in ice for 1 hour and 44 minutes in Tokyo, Japan.
Personal life
Wim Hof was born in the Dutch town of Sittard, 2 kilometers away from the German border, and seven kilometers from the Belgium border.
From the days of his youth in the southern part of the Netherlands he got interested in esotericism, Buddhism, Indian traditions, cultures and languages. He grew up in a Catholic regime, with six brothers and two sisters as well as his dad and mother.
Hof has four children with his late wife, and a son (born in 2003) with his second wife Caroline.
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