Married stunt performers Jake Bennett and Mel Eckert have plenty to celebrate after breaking a record that had stood for more than 20 years.
The couple, from Australia, flew 37.10 m (121 ft 8 in) through the air on a motorbike to land the longest motorcycle jump with passenger.
The iconic record had gone unchallenged for 23 years, with Jason Rennie and Sian Phillips (UK) setting it in November 2000 with a jump of 29.26 m (96 ft).
Jake, 34, and Mel, 30, are still feeling the rush of adrenaline after soaring through the air in tandem.
Their incredible attempt was watched by a crowd of their friends, as well as some independent witnesses, who whooped and cheered as they landed safely.
Australian stunt performers Jake and Mel have broken the record for longest motorcycle jump with passenger - which had stood for nearly 23 years 🏍️🔥 pic.twitter.com/DGtCgcXuNg
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) August 23, 2023
Mel can be heard telling her partner of five years Jake “I love you” before they set off and then screaming as they take off into the air and uttering a couple unrepeatable words as they land.
Mel admits that she was so busy getting organized in the morning that it hadn’t dawned on her that she’d actually have to do the jump until a few minutes before, and that her heart was racing as they rode to the jump area.
She said: “I don’t think it was fear or being scared, but all the uncertainty, the unknown. Plus, we had a group of our friends and family there, camera crew, witnesses, all of these people that were wanting to see us succeed, my only thoughts were, what if they see something go wrong.
“But being in stunts, I guess I am in some ways used to the feeling of nerves and adrenaline, I have a good system for how I talk to myself. I made the decision, this was happening and before you knew it, I was in the air.
It wasn’t so much a scream of fear, I think it was all the stress and lead-up just coming out. Also, I had no idea I was going to be in the air for that long. I thought, ‘Should we be landed by now?’
Jake added: “I knew it was all the joy and excitement, and nerves and emotions finally just releasing. I didn’t at any point think she was screaming out of terror. I think it was good that it came out. She had been way too composed through this whole journey.”
Mel and Jake are both seasoned stunt performers, but of course, this was still very dangerous.
Jake has been in the profession since 2016 and has worked on TV shows like Home and Away and huge Hollywood blockbusters like Thor: Love and Thunder, and he also has a background in motocross.
Mel has been involved in stunt performing since 2012 and has worked on lots of TV shows, including the reboot of Ash vs Evil Dead, and her speciality lies in car drifting.
They both have some exciting projects coming up but are remaining tight-lipped for now.
Mel said: “From a person who doesn't jump motorbikes, I can say that it was a pretty crazy feeling being in the air, and almost having this falling feeling. I think I lived in a somewhat ignorant bliss before the day, because I didn't know what it was going to be like, I had seen Jake jump things before and he's so good at it he makes it look easy and safe.
“But after being on the back, I can say it is definitely not something just anyone should be attempting. The consequences if something goes wrong are big. Painfully big.”
Any stunt where the outcome can be catastrophic is a dangerous stunt. This wasn't just one person’s life on the line, it was two. - Jake
The couple first decided to take on the record after Jake was inspired by some big motorbike stunts he’d been doing on a couple movies he was working on.
The stunts involved riding with a passenger so Mel helped him practise on weekends, and they started doing some small jumps together.
They started joking about what the world record jump was and when they looked it up, Jake felt confident they could break it.
Jake found the best spot on the farm where they practised riding and started taking the jump on himself, wearing a weighted vest and carrying weight bags, gradually increasing the weight until it was close to Mel’s.
“This was the only way we could prepare, if we had both of us in the jump each time, the risk was just too much,” Jake explained. “And we would have been jumping further than the current record each time. I didn't want to take the risk until I had minimized it to the best of my abilities, it is my wife's life after all.”
The couple also prepared for their attempt by being strict with their diet – a normal part of their jobs – to ensure the weight on the bike was as low as possible.
Mel added: “My part in all of this was getting as comfortable as possible being on the back and learning how to move through jumps. I'm not from a motocross background, I've been riding since I met Jake, so I don't do big jumps or anything!
“It was all about finding what was a comfortable position and not affecting his control of the bike in any way. I actually had to buy a new set of boots because mine were quite worn out and my feet kept slipping off the pegs. And I had to get a new helmet, because that was slipping too and I couldn't see anything.
“Eventually we got to a point where I was comfortable holding on, but still completely unaware of what to expect from a jump that size!”
At work, Jake has performed some incredibly dangerous stunts, including crashing a car into a hole in a high-speed chase, and Mel has put her life in the hands of a rigging crew as she’s been dropped through trees to land just above the ground.
But they admit this is the most dangerous stunt they’ve ever taken on.
I would have to say this record jump is the most dangerous, exhilarating, and the one I am most proud of this far! Plus, I got to achieve it with Jake, and that is something not everyone in stunts can say! - Mel
The couple are thrilled to have broken a record that’s stood for 23 years and send a shoutout to original record holders Jason and Sian for inspiring them to give it a go.
Mel said: “It’s wild! To know that it hadn't been broken for two decades is something that makes me realize how big of an achievement this is. It really is a big record for both of us, and something that clearly not many other people are willing to do, for whatever reasons. But we did it, and we proved we could.”
Jake added: “I am extremely proud of our effort. And to do it the way we did, on the jump we did, under the circumstances, is a huge personal achievement. I'm very proud of both of us.”
They celebrated with pizza and cocktails while Mel shed a few happy tears, and this might not be the last we see of them as they’re already thinking about what their next record could be.
Jake said: “I’ve definitely thought about it since doing this one. It would be cool to do something together on four wheels, that’s Mel’s specialty!”
And Mel added: “I think I’m still riding the high from this one. But as Jake said, it would be great if we could do another one together. I think that would be the rule, it has to be together. We will have to start getting really creative now.”
Want more? Follow us on Google News and across our social media channels to stay up-to-date with all things Guinness World Records! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Snapchat Discover.
Don’t forget, we’re also on YouTube!
Still not had enough? Follow the link here to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.
Related Articles
