Nick Janson: the handcuff king who escaped 1,760 times

Did somebody say "handcuff him"? We don't think so!

Nick Janson (UK), a 70 year-old escapologist, proves that everything, indeed, has a way out!

In 2001, he officially achieved a Guinness World Records title for most handcuff escapes, freeing himself from police handcuffs locked by 1,760 different officers since 1954.

Nick's love for risks made him famous throughout his life. Back in 1954, British Pathe filmed a stunt titled "Thames Escape", where Janson, as the main stuntman, gets thrown into the river in a massive sack and handcuffed. Minutes later, he successfully escapes the sack and resurfaces, presenting himself to the thrilled crowd! The film serves as the documented start of his career in escapology.

Read more stories about record-breaking individuals in our Hobbies and Skills section.

His other performances at county fairs were even crazier! At Ledbury Carnival in 1988, Nick was handcuffed by police officers, then hoisted high above the crowd and hung upside down from a burning rope. He had to escape the handcuffs quickly before the rope burned through and dropped him to the floor, and succeeded!

Another signature performance involved Nick being handcuffed and locked inside a barrel bomb, in Reigate, Surrey, UK, in the same year. Police officers on scene applied the handcuffs and secured the barrel to verify its credibility before lifting Nick up. Nick escaped the handcuffs and barrel JUST before it was released on to the ground, marking another successful stunt!

Generic image of a man in handcuffs. Credit: Photo by Grianghraf on Unsplash

With his love for daring performances, Janson not only impressed the crowd, but also challenged the police system and the credibility of their equipment. Especially in the Post-war era of 1950s and 1960s in Britain, where fear was still hanging in the air, wriggling free of police restraints resonated with society quite well!

Today, Nick is mentioned in the history of escapology, especially among other experts, such as Harry Houdini and James Peters. Unlike Houdini, Nick started performing at simple county fairs instead of grand stages, attracting the regular folks and making his stunts accessible. Overall, accessibility was his niche - he chose cranes, sacks and bomb-barrels as equipment for his stunts, making his performances influential and entertaining.

The art of escapology is still alive, not just locally, but globally!