Norwegian pro skier Anders Backe earned himself a world record for the second time recently. In fact, it’s the second time he’s captured the same record in a little over a decade.
In 2012, Backe set a world record skiing switch and reached a top speed of 128.7 kilometers per hour (79.97 mph). Switzerland’s Elias Ambüehl replaced Backe in the record books five years later in 2017. The Norwegian took his record back by a margin of 2.23 km/h (1.38 mph) over Ambüehl, reaching a top speed of 133.46 km/h (82.92 mph).
Both of Backe’s record setters took place at Vickersund Hill, which is one of the two largest runs in the world built specifically for ski flying. According to Guinness, the main adjustment Backe made for his new record attempt was to simply start his run at the very top of the same hill. After racing down the main track, Backe did a 180 at the jump point, and then continued his run down the hill switch.
“When you drop in, things are going so fast. You are quickly up to around 100km/h in the in-run, doing the 180 out of the ski jump, and then focusing on stomping the landing and keeping the position and balance all the way down,” he said. “And also getting ready for the g-force at the bottom!”
