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World record 80.74 mph downhill skateboard run

By Darren Quick
June 20, 2012
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Mischo Erban has set a Guinness world record downhill skateboarding speed of 80.74 mph (129.94 km/h) (Photo: Alexia Marcus)
Mischo Erban has set a Guinness world record downhill skateboarding speed of 80.74 mph (129.94 km/h) (Photo: Alexia Marcus)
Mischo Erban receiving his Guinness world record certificate
The prototype HUD from Recon Instruments Erban wore on his record-breaking run
The prototype HUD slotted into the helmet Erban wore on his record-breaking run
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Traveling at 80.74 mph (129.94 km/h) on four wheels won’t usually grab you a Guinness world record, but when that feat is achieved on a vehicle that relies on only leg power and gravity, it’s another story. That’s just what 28-year old Mischo Erban has done in a record-breaking downhill skateboard run at Les Éboulements in Quebec, Canada, this week.

Erban broke the previous fastest skateboard speed from a standing start of 70.21 mph (113 km/h) set by Douglas da Silva in Brazil on October 20, 2007. On his run, Erban wore a prototype in-helmet Heads-up Display (HUD) from Recon Instruments that allowed him to monitor his speed, distance, time, navigation and more in real time.

Mischo Erban receiving his Guinness world record certificate

While you might think exposing your eyeballs to all that info while hurtling down the asphalt at 80 mph might be distracting, Erban says the info helped let him know if he could push himself to go faster.

“With this amazing HUD I can see all my vital stats in real time, on screen, and combine this info with what I’m feeling on my board. From here I know instantly whether I can push to go faster,” he said.

The prototype HUD slotted into the helmet Erban wore on his record-breaking run

The prototype HUD is similar to Recon’s HUD for alpine goggles, in that it is modular with a clip that slots around the foam supports on the interior of either of Erban’s aero helmets. The HUD’s gooseneck design gave Erban the flexibility to set the display where it would be visible but unobtrusive – just above or below his eye line.

POV video of Erban’s record-breaking run can be downloaded here – but be warned, the 170 MB file may be a little slow in coming.

Source: Recon Instruments, Mischo Erban

View gallery - 4 images

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Remarkable PeopleSkateboardRecord-breakingWorld's FastestHUDRecon InstrumentsWorld Records
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Darren Quick
Darren's love of technology started in primary school with a Nintendo Game & Watch Donkey Kong (still functioning) and a Commodore VIC 20 computer (not still functioning). In high school he upgraded to a 286 PC, and he's been following Moore's law ever since. This love of technology continues as Managing Editor of New Atlas.
4 comments
Jay Grosflam
Congratulations to this man, from the skateboarding capital of the world, Southern California. That is a amazing speed and will be the new point to go faster. Downhill skateboarding is amazing.
challengerpilot
As a former resident of Quebec City and tour coach driver, I can say that it's no surprise that speed was reached. Any picture you see of the road, which descends from the highway down to the St. Lawrence river, does not do justice to the pitch. While not the steepest road in existence (18% grade) it's a bit unnerving to be sitting in the driver's seat looking wayyy down. As a side note, there was a tragic bus accident there in 1997 and since then, improvements have been made to avoid a re-occurrence. But..80 mph on a skateboard has to be a rush...and then some!
Gadgeteer
I've broken 50 mph downhill on a bicycle. Not as fast as professional racers, but still scary as all get up. One flat tire and that'll be all she wrote. I don't even want to think about doing 80, never mind on something as uncontrollable (no brakes or handlebars) and that leaves you as completely exposed as a skateboard.
FYI, the correct term is "head-up display," as the military has called it for decades. Only the uninformed call it a "heads-up display." Think about it. It lets you keep your head up rather than looking down. On the other hand, any display can give you a heads up, whether it's a HUD or not.
Dave B13
If the wheels are about 2.5" diameter, they are turning over 10,000 RPM at 80 MPH. How much does the polyurethane stretch out from centrifugal force? Could you aim a camera at a wheel to find out?
For 80.74 Miles Per Hour 80.74 *5280*12/60 = 85,261.44 inches per minute 2.5" Dia. * 3.14 = 7.85" wheel circumference 85,261.44/7.85 = 10,861 Revolutions Per Minute
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