Flying High Again

FLYING HIGH AGAIN

The third edition of the Red Bull Experiment (RBE), which puts world-class athletes in the spotlight performing world-first sporting achievements, featured freestyle motocrosser extraordinaire Ronnie Renner. His goal was to establish a Guinness World Record for the highest-ever air on a motorcycle quarterpipe. The giant custom takeoff and landing ramps were built specifically for Renner’s attempt on the Santa Monica Pier in Southern California last July.

More than 20,000 fans attended the event in which he planned to establish the mark with five attempts; but he surprised the crowd with a sixth and final run in which he went six feet higher, setting the world record at 59 feet, 2 inches. “It was all or nothing,” Renner said. “I went higher than I expected and felt like a human lawn dart. Hopefully, my RBE was the baddest one ever.” -Blake Conner