With all the Dom Perignon that was flowing, the crowd that gathered at Whistler’s Bearfoot Bistro last week didn’t seem too disappointed that owner André Saint-Jacques wasn’t able to beat the challenger to his Guinness World Record in champagne sabering.

In his two attempts to lop off the tops of more champagne bottles in one minute than the recent total of 27 reportedly achieved by a barman in South Africa, Saint-Jacques sabered a total of 40 bottles of the expensive bubbles on Friday (Feb. 26).

He sabered 17 bottles in the first minute and 23 in his second attempt — beating his own world record of 21 bottles in one minute, which he achieved in 2005.

Despite the heavy-duty gloves he wore for each attempt, Saint-Jacques also earned no fewer than three cuts on his hands during the frenzy of flying bubbles. At one point, suds even hit the restaurant’s ceiling.

“I’m a bit disappointed,” Saint-Jacques said while mingling with the crowd after his two tries. “I tried my best.”

He said the gloves he was wearing weren’t gripping the saber well enough, and the blade was slipping and turning in his hand. When he broke the previous world record in 2005, he only wore a glove on the hand that holds the bottles.

Saint-Jacques said he’ll return to using just one glove when he makes his next attempt to saber at least 28 bottles — something he vowed to do “very soon.”

Officials at Guinness have told Saint-Jacques that he still holds the official world record until the 27 bottles in Johannesburg, South Africa can be verified, he said. On Feb. 14, Andrew Duminy, general manager of the Bull Run restaurant, reportedly sabered 27 bottles of a South African sparkling wine.

On Tuesday (March 2), Marc DesRosiers of the Bearfoot Bistro said Guinness officials are asking Duminy for more evidence of his feat. According to the Guinness regulations, the cage and foil must be intact on the bottles and the video Duminy submitted doesn’t conclusively show that was the case, DesRosiers said. It’s possible that Duminy’s claim to the title will be rejected, he added.

Saint-Jacques said he wanted to defend his title during the spirit-filled days of the 2010 Olympics in Whistler.

More than 100 people cheered Saint-Jacques on as he whacked off the tops of the bottles.

“This is your sport, André,” one person cheered, while another called out, “We need another gold.”

To watch a video of Saint-Jacques’ 2005 record-breaking sabering, visit www.bearfootbistro.com.