Vietnamese-American man sets Guinness World Record with 7,000 signatures on his truck

In mid-July, though a storm hit Galveston, Texas, and caused power outages across the city, he insisted on holding his Guinness World Record ceremony.

With power restored just two hours before the event, he and his friends quickly prepared the truck and venue, even serving pho to guests.

"God seemed to want to challenge me until the last minute," the 37-year-old said at the ceremony, where he appeared in a non la, the Vietnamese conical hat.

Sky Le was awarded a Guinness World Record certification in Galveston, Texas, U.S., in August 2024. Photo courtesy of Sky Le

Originally from Binh Dinh, a coastal province situated in the south of Central Viet Nam, where he was born Le Tran Tuan, he moved to the U.S. at 16 and became a hairstylist.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused him to reflect on the fragility of life and start preserving memories of people he met. He began by inviting customers at his hair salon in St. Louis, Missouri, to sign a wall and leave their thoughts.

When the wall was completely filled, he decided to pursue a long-held dream of traveling around the world. But he felt simply traveling was not enough and came up with the idea of collecting signatures on his truck. He registered it with the U.K.-based Guinness World Records and linked it with a charity fundraiser for cancer patients at a local hospital.

He planned a three-year journey starting in the U.S. and through South America and Europe and finishing in Vietnam. Le closed his salon and withdrew his savings to fund the trip. He started to run 30 minutes daily to build endurance for the long hours of driving ahead.

On Aug.12 last year he began his journey from St. Louis and hoped to collect 5,000 signatures within a year. But he quickly encountered challenges due to privacy and legal concerns. Nevertheless, each day he drove 100 kilometers, stopping at parks, plazas and other public spaces to ask passers-by for signatures.

"Out of every 10 people I approached, only three stopped, and just one agreed to sign," he recounts.

He typically had two minutes to explain his project and get a person’s consent.

People added their signatures to Sky Le's pickup truck in Galveston, Texas, U.S., in April 2024. Photo courtesy of Sky Le

Five months into his journey along the West Coast, he had collected 2,000 signatures. But he learned later that all were invalid under Guinness rules, which require signatures to be collected in public places with signatories’ detailed personal information.

"I was shocked and frustrated."

Communication with Guinness was slow, with responses to inquiries taking months. With nearly half his time gone he had seven months to achieve his goal. He recalculated his targets, realizing he needed to gather 250-300 signatures a day, requiring him to work 10-12 hours.

"The pressure was intense, but I never thought about quitting."

"I withdrew from social media and focused entirely on collecting signatures."

He spent significant time along the Texas coastline, enabling locals to recognize and trust him. His sincerity won over many people, who, even if they did not sign, appreciated his efforts.

As word of his mission spread, people began queuing up to sign his truck. At times 30 people would wait, each taking about three minutes to sign, speeding up his progress.

He also secured some notable signatures, including that of Ted Drewes, the 95-year-old owner of an iconic ice cream shop in St. Louis.

Sky Le obtained an autograph from UFC fighter Nick Diaz in Texas, U.S. Photo courtesy of Sky Le

UFC fighter Nick Diaz signed during an encounter in Texas, expressing interest in his message. Even elderly people with Parkinson’s added their signatures.

Le expresses his gratitude to the signers, saying, "I was moved by their openness and support."

After obtaining 7,000 signatures, he sent them to Guinness, marking the fulfillment of a dream he had pursued for decades. In mid-August he started for New York and plans to provide free haircuts to people he meets along the way. He had done a similar thing in Vietnam 10 years ago.

"I feel this is the most meaningful phase of my life," Sky Le declares.