Multiple record-breaking friends Hermann Koch and Harald Brenter have achieved the Greatest vertical distance on a ski bob/snow bike in 24 hours (team of two) in Obertauern, Salzburg.
Organised by Hermann, who is the director of a ski school in the Austrian resort, the pair managed to travel a total downhill distance of 63,638 m (208,786 ft) – that’s almost two times the distance between the UK and France (35 km)!
A ski-bob is a vehicle designed for gliding downhill on snow, comprised of a bicycle-type frame and handlebars which are attached to skis instead of wheels and a set of foot skis instead of pedals.
The snow bike takes a certain amount of skill and practice to master – and becomes extremely difficult to handle in bad weather, which the two men faced when night fell.
"The effort was enormous - it was windy and it was raining," said Hermann.
Hermann and Harald travelled up the Schaidbergslift and down the blue piste multiple times over the course of the 24-hour attempt, with only the journey taken on the 'master ski bob' used to get the record distance.
They only had a one-and-a-half-hour sleep break and Hermann just ate gummy bears and jelly beans throughout the entire day!
One the time was up, official Guinness World Records adjudicator Sofia Greenacre verified the attempt and presented the exhausted challengers with their record certificate, in front of an audience of the pair’s family, ski school pupils and other curious tourists.
"This record is all about teamwork, motivation, talent and passion," said Sofia.
This latest record achievement is the third for the pair and Hermann’s fifth.
Koch said: "Five records are not easy and this time, the weather conditions made it particularly difficult."
Watch Hermann break the perilous record for the Fastest 1 km backwards on a ski-bob in the video below.
