James Ferguson is hoping to secure his place in the Guinness Book of World Records - by spinning a cushion on his finger.
The dad-of-two has honed his technique for two decades, dancing the cushion between his index and middle fingers in the comfort of his own home.
Now, the James, from West Boldon, is preparing to take to the stage in front of an expectant
The 34-year-old is aiming to shatter the record - set by former Britain's Got Talent contestant Thomas "Bounce" Senior - at the Old Fox pub in Felling, Gateshead on Friday.
He said: "When I first started it, it was a little bit addictive trying to get better. Now it's all about the record."
James, who works as industrial chemist at AkzoNobel, first started twirling cushions on the tips of his fingers as a teenager.
He said: "I was just watching telly at home, and I think I started by just tossing it in the air like a pizza and I realised I could spin it on my finger.
"It kind of went from there. At the age of about 15, I think I managed to spin it through an entire episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
“I use my middle and index fingers for when I start to get tired. That's okay with the rules – you can use any number of fingers but it has to be from the same hand.
"I think my record was 59 minutes at the time."
James' talent remained a "party piece" and hidden from the public eye until a recent work event where he was encouraged to reveal an unusual fact about himself.
Impressed by his display, work-mates urged him to dream big and
The official record stands at 15 minutes and seven seconds, while recent reports suggest Brighton man Dan Spencer has extended this to 18 minutes and 14 seconds.
The past five months have involved meticulous planning of the record attempt, and training three or four evenings each week.
The sight of James in his armchair spinning a cushion in front of the television has become an all-too familiar sight to his wife Kerry and daughters Sadie, 3, and one-year-old Nell.
James said: "People tend to just think it's funny and maybe impressive.
"It was not my opening line [to Kerry]. I'm not sure when I even told her about it."
James' weapon of choice for the attempt is a Banbury cushion. Weighing in at 700 grams, the weight and width of the instrument has been carefully selected to provide a comfortable centre of gravity.
On his training routine, James said: “I think it's just practice really, you get into a state of mind.
"If you're doing it for longer than 20 minutes or so, it becomes an automatic thing you're not even thinking about.
"The more you think about it, the harder it is. It kind of helps watching TV.
"It can be relaxing and can clear your mind sometimes."
Timekeepers, witnesses, a photographer and a videographer will all be in place for
The effort will be live streamed on YouTube by a friend from 3pm.
Just days away from the attempt, James admits he is feeling the pressure but hopes to obliterate the current record.
The world-record attempt will also see funds raised on behalf of local non-profit organisation Friends of Felling Park.
He finished: “It's a combination of nerves and excitement now.
"It's a lot of excited energy, and when I'm at work a lot of people are asking me about it.
"I'm hoping to go for as long as I can. I'm wanting to set a record that hopefully won't be able to break.
"The other night I did an hour and 52 minutes. Fingers crossed I would like to break the two-hour mark."
