Freeskiing
What goes into making the world’s longest rail grind on skis happen? We take a look behind the scenes at Jesper Tjäder's astonishing 154.49m-long grind to find out.
When he’s not standing on the top of international contest podiums, Jesper Tjäder has been pushing the limits of what’s physically possible on a pair of skis for more than a decade. Year after year, he fills a notebook with new trick ideas and creative, never-before-seen features. Then he turns each page into a reality once the snow begins to fall.
This season, he set his sights on breaking the world record for the longest rail slide in history, which was previously set at 128.7m, or 422ft, in 2016. Take a look at the video above to see how it went down.
“I've done a lot of tricks on rails before, but never near such a long rail as this,” explained the 28-year-old freeskier. "I felt like that would be a good mission to have, and when Tom Wallish broke the record it looked insane. So, I thought I have to try that too.”
Now six years and 127 attempts later, Tjäder has performed the impossible. The Swedish freeskier smashed the world record when he successfully completed the world’s longest rail slide, measuring 154.49m (506.8ft), on May 9, in Åre, Sweden. Tjäder jumped onto the rail at roughly 77kph before sliding a distance equivalent to the length of 15 double-decker buses or one-and-a-half NFL football fields.
Shout out to Tom Wallish for pushing the limits of the sport
“I had a few good attempts, but then it just happened and it felt good all the way through,” explained Tjäder, just minutes after completing the historic slide. “Shout out to Tom Wallish for pushing the limits of the sport, we wouldn’t be here sliding this far if it wasn’t for him.”
Tjäder's Guinness World Record is his latest addition to an extended résumé of mind-blowing projects and competitive accomplishments. From earning a bronze medal in Beijing to consistently breaking the internet with his signature approach to rail trickery, it’s difficult to pinpoint what he'll tackle next… But we can’t wait to find out.
Check out the best photos from the attempt:
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