59,05 km/h: THE CRAZY RECORD WITH SKIS ON ASPHALT TOWED BY A CAR ARRIVES IN ITALY

Records are meant to be broken, even if they were conquered by a myth. Valerio Boni, a journalist specialized in mobility, motors and tourism, thus approached with the utmost respect the attempt he had aimed at overcoming, the record approved by the Guinness World Record for the category "highest speed reached on skis on asphalt towed by a vehicle”, which on November 18th, 2008 was conquered in Utah by Erik Roner. Erik was an extreme sports specialist, a star of Nitro Circus, the television program broadcasted by MTV, and died prematurely at the age of 39 in 2015 during a skydiving exhibition.

The 51.4 km/h average that since 2008 represented the limit to beat seemed an almost ridiculous speed, but all attempts to do better have foundered, as confirmed by the unquestionable Guinness London database. To try to do better, Valerio Boni has organized everything down to the smallest detail, with the aim of celebrating his sixty-fourth birthday with a new record, the fourth in his collection. He chose an ideal track, the Cremona Circuit, with a fairly long straight (one kilometre) and with a gradient of less than 1:1,000, as required by the guidelines, and he looked for the skis to sacrifice in the enterprise.

WITH ALBERTO TOMBA'S SKI

According to the provisions of the regulation, these must be (or have been) absolutely standard and unmodified, so the choice fell on an old pair of giant slalom skis, of the same make and model as those used in the golden years of Alberto Tomba. Tools that had remained for almost 30 years in a friend’s garage, who in 1994 used them to guide a visually impaired athlete at the Paralympic Games in Lillehammer.

On February 23rd, once the obligatory checks had been completed and the photo-finish devices positioned, the attempts began, two in each direction, on two different timed bases. In order not to waste the opportunity, two different solutions have in fact been chosen: 100 meters with a flying start and 400 meters from a standstill. As far as the vehicle intended for towing is concerned, the guidelines leave maximum freedom, you can choose a motorcycle, an airplane or a train. However, practicality has suggested the use of a car, specifically a Cupra Born, 100 percent electric and accredited with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. The tests carried out previously had in fact shown how a "conventional" car, even one equipped with an automatic gearbox, would cause apparently imperceptible decelerations in gear changes, capable of compromising the already precarious stability of the skis on the asphalt. A phenomenon unknown to an electric car like the Cupra Born.

In less than a month, the Guinness judges analyzed in detail the documentation made up of data, images, videos, statements by technicians and witnesses, and certified that the new record for the category is 59.05 km/h, the average speed which results from the passages of 23.95 and 24.83 seconds respectively to cover the distance of 400 meters.

More significant, even if not valid for homologation, are the 4.480 and 4.448 seconds over the 100 metres, which result in an average of 80.719 km/h. This latest result improves what was the highest speed recorded in 2014 by the English Jan Farrell: on the snow he reached an impressive record of 231.66 km/h, towed by a Ferrari F458 Italia Competizione, and had stopped at 5.644 seconds, then at 63.78 km/h.

?Having learned to ski with wooden skis almost 60 years ago was probably an advantage - commented Valerio Boni at the end of the test - however I must admit that on asphalt you cannot count on any dynamics known on snow. I thought I could maintain an aero downhill position, but in that position the skis were completely unmanageable. So I chose a less aesthetically graceful position, but definitely more effective. If the skis hadn't started smoking, perhaps it would have been possible to get closer to the 100 km/h threshold?.

After having homologated the maximum distance records on a mini-bike, off-road motorbike and electric scooter over a 24-hour distance for a personal challenge, Valerio Boni intends to exploit this latest result for a charity initiative.

The goal is to raise funds for an association that needs equipment for a multi-sensory room for blind children. Auctioning the Guinness skis would be the best way to complete the life cycle of tools that had started their careers at the Olympics.