Brazilian skateboarding legend Sandro Dias has broken two Guinness World Records after turning the curved facade of a 22-story high-rise into what Red Bull calls the world's largest skate ramp. The daring skater dropped from a height of 60 m (197 ft) and reached speeds of up to 103.8 km/h (64 mph) during his spectacular descent.
The event, named the Red Bull Building Drop, took place on September 25 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Dias earned official records for the "tallest drop into a temporary quarter pipe" and "the fastest speed on a temporary quarter pipe."
"Starting from a height of 55 m [180 ft] from the ground and gradually building up to the full 70 m [229 ft], Dias navigated the near-vertical wall of the mega ramp with remarkable control, reaching speeds comparable to cars driving on a highway – all on a standard skateboard," explains Red Bull's press release. "The feat was a testament to his decades of experience and dedication to skateboarding. At 50-years-old, his age is no barrier and he continues to push the limits of the sport."
The Centro Administrativo Fernando Ferrari building that was used for the drop is a government office that rises to a height of 88.91 m (292 ft). Its curving form has been legendary for decades in the local skating community due to it already looking a lot like a skate ramp.
Preparation work took around a month, with another month to build. Plywood panels were constructed along the high-rise's outer curve because the concrete surface of its facade was too cracked and weathered from years of exposure to the elements to be safe to skate on at high speeds.
After the event, approximately 115 tonnes (126 US tons) of ramp materials are being sustainably recycled and repurposed, with metal scrap recycled and around 800 wooden boards donated to local NGOs.
Check out the video below to see a livestream of the record-breaking drop.
Source: Red Bull
