Best Rubber Band Ball

On the outside, the place looks like any other liquor store on any other corner in San Francisco. It looks that way on the inside, too, except for one minor detail: Sitting next to the entrance at the Pride Superette is the utterly unmissable "World's Largest Rubber Band Ball," as dubbed by the shop's owners, brothers Billy and Sammy (last name withheld). Each day, the proprietors while away their shifts behind the cash register braiding bands into long strands to be added to the humongous rubber globe, which at press time was just a wee bit smaller than a Mini Cooper. The most curious thing, though, is that the ball is covered in a blanket, with a sign atop it that reads "No pictures. Do not touch." As Sammy explains, this is to prevent other would-be record holders from (literally) sizing up the competition, something that's been problematic for the brothers in the past. It turns out the amateur rubber band ball-building circuit has some fierce contenders. Who knew? If you choose to take in some of the action from the sidelines, Slim Jims, Ho Hos, and Mickey's wide-mouth 40-ouncers can be purchased for a small fee, as can miniature rubber band balls, which sell for $7.