Going 94 MPH on a Skateboard (New World Record)
Diego Poncelet recently set a new world record for the fastest speed on a skateboard. The old record was 146.7 km/h (91.2 mph) and he hit 151.8 km/h (94.3 mph). There are a couple of parts you can skip, but watching most of the video is worth it because you see the process and can compare how truly insanely fast he is moving during the final run — I found myself holding my breath for the last minute or so.
Also, I cannot believe how closely the camera car is following him — looks like only a few feet away. Bonkers.
I just found the first time I posted about speed skateboarding on KDO: this post from 2008. Less aerodynamic, more gonzo, and the cameraman is also on a skateboard going equally fast.
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I can only imagine how exhilarating that must be; I am certain that I could never pay the cost to find out. Amazing stuff.
One of my friends held the speed world record on a street luge for a little bit, down that very same hill in Québec.
Fun, not-so-fun, fact: this road was redone completely in the early 2000s because a tourist bus brakes failed and fell off the cliff, causing 44 deaths.
The new road is thus smoother and ends in a straight line, so it lends itself quite naturally to these kinds of records.
https://www.lesoleil.com/2008/10/01/la-luge-de-rue-soffre-un-record-guinness-aux-eboulements-fa0a43c98c044bb422c0f397a2ecfeb8/
Skateboarding and longboarding videos are one of my favorite categories on kottke.org. Tony Hawk’s slo-mo black and white spin comes to mind. Also, the imilla skateboarders from Bolivia.
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