Frenchman burns hole in skis while breaking downhill speed record on a sand dune
Zooming down a sand dune in Peru faster than a car on a highway is Mahé Freydier (France) – but this determined athlete didn’t have any wheels, rather, he was flying down the hill on a pair of skis!
Mahé took the unique Guinness World Records title for the fastest sand skiing this 25 September on the sandy hills of the Toro Mata dune in Acarí, and he ended up breaking a record that was held by Henrik May (Namibia) for over 15 years.
The Frenchman blazed down the dune at a blistering speed of 75 mph (121 km/h), which literally burned a hole in his skis and forced him to make a skillful stop to avoid tumbling down the sandy terrain.
“Passionate about skiing from a very young age, I have always sought to push the limits of this sport, even beyond its traditional environment,” he said to GWR after taking the title.
“This performance represents the culmination of intense work and a deep passion for skiing in all its forms.”
At 23 years old, Mahé is a former high-level alpine skier who currently resides in the Savoie region of France.
And even though his typical domain is fluffy snow, participating in ski tournaments such as the European Cup downhill event, he first started skiing on the sand last year in the Atacama Desert in Chile – which he described as: “an experience that deeply inspired me and sparked my desire to explore this unique discipline further.”
He returned to South America in 2025 to attempt the world record, after following a very specific physical training programme for several months and training on sand to progressively increase his speed and refine his technique on the rough surface.
Read more stories about record-breaking athletes in our Sports and Fitness section!
Yet once he felt ready, Mahé made his way to the dune early in the bright morning of 25 September, accompanied by witnesses and a video team consisting of Kyliant Hulot, Aurélien Droux, and Fanny Marzin.
After ascending to the top of the hill, the speedy skier knelt down to begin his descent at 8:37 a.m. – and if his team wasn’t there to monitor his time with a speed gun, it’s entirely likely that you could’ve missed seeing Mahé fly down the dune in a blur of whirling sand!
Just when he had reached his top speed, the experienced athlete felt the bottom of his ski melt off from the temperature and friction of the terrain. Thinking quickly, Mahé sat upright and slowed his descent, carefully avoiding what could’ve been a nasty fall.
Nevertheless, the gun blinked a measurement of 75 mph (121 km/h), and the cameras attached to Mahé confirmed that he had successfully completed the feat – causing the skier and his team to celebrate wildly.
“This project represents for me a unique way to combine performance, innovation, and the exploration of new environments,” he said.
And even though we’re very proud of his achievement, we’re also just glad he landed safely in one piece!
Congratulations, Mahé – you are Officially Amazing!