27-year-old Spanish skateboarder Diego Poncelet reached a speed of 151.83 km/h and set a new world record. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
He accelerated downhill to that speed. The previous achievement had stood for nine years. Throughout that time, no one could surpass the result of British rider Pete Connolly, who reached 146.73 km/h in 2017.
Poncelet did not merely improve on that result — he fulfilled a long-held dream by crossing the 150 km/h mark.
According to Reuters, the record run took place on 22 September in the Canadian province of Quebec. For the descent, Poncelet chose the Route du Port road in the Les Éboulements area. Its length is about 2.2 km, and the maximum gradient reaches 18 degrees. At one point, because of the steep descent, the asphalt literally drops away beneath the rider, who sees only a river ahead.
The athlete searched for a suitable location for four years. He studied roads in Austria, Ireland and Canada. The gradient, the length of the descent and the condition of the asphalt were important.
It is worth noting that this is a deadly dangerous sport. At speeds above 150 km/h, any wrong movement or a small crack can lead to a terrible fall. At the same time, braking in the usual way — with plastic pads on the gloves — is impossible at such speed. The skateboarder would simply be thrown off the board. So Poncelet had only one option — to race to the very end.
At the same time, the chosen road was far from ideal. It has cracks and potholes. Poncelet even doubted whether it would be possible to accelerate safely on such a surface. But in the end he decided to take the risk.
To protect himself and get the maximum out of the run, Poncelet prepared for a long time. He trained the perfect stance in a wind tunnel for months and used a 14-kilogram skateboard and an aerodynamic suit.
He also glued rubber from car tires onto the soles of his shoes. First, the skateboarder reached a speed of 146.88 km/h. However, this result did not satisfy him. Five days later he repeated the attempt and accelerated to 151.83 km/h. That was enough to beat Connolly's record.
"If a record lasts nine years, you need not just to beat it slightly, but to destroy it," Poncelet told Reuters.
The athlete also dedicated his run to Connolly. The Briton who set the previous record died of cancer in 2025.
Extreme downhill riding is popular around the world, and Almaty is no exception. Because of the proximity of the mountains and long descents, enthusiasts who like to ride fast down slopes can also be found in the city.
But an ordinary city street is not at all the same as a closed track for a record run. Cars, pedestrians and other obstacles may appear on the road. Potholes, sand and uneven surfaces also pose a danger.
Even a protective helmet and gear do not guarantee safety in a fall at high speed. Therefore, repeating such runs on open city roads without proper preparation is not advisable.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that 34-year-old Irishman Eamonn Keaveney set a world record for the longest barefoot journey. He walked from Istanbul to his hometown of Claremorris in Ireland, spending 369 days on the road.