Weather permitting, the Red Bull-sponsored skateboarder Sandro Dias will be trying to break two world records Thursday — the tallest drop-in and the fastest speed reached on a standard skateboard.
The fact that the Brazilian athlete is age 50 only heightens the challenge, which will take place at the Centro Administrativo Fernando Ferrari — a nearly 89-meter building in his homeland’s city of Porto Alegre. Billed as the “Red Bull Building Drop,” the feat is being orchestrated with support from Prada Linea Rossa. Dias will wear Prada Linea Rossa for the endeavor, which will start with a 30-meter drop — 98 feet and counting. He will then up the risk factor with multiple higher attempts of up to 75 meters — or 246 feet. That is nearly quadruple the height of a standard mega ramp. The event will air live Thursday on YouTube at 11 a.m. EST.
Busy gearing up for the event with test runs on the Brazilian building, Dias was unavailable for an interview this week, according to a Red Bull spokesperson. His training has included getting used to the G-forces that he will experience descending the ramp. Dias will feel as though he weighs more than 683 pounds. Training with a weighted vest hasn’t been the only way he’s mimicked that sensation. To try to get better acclimated to G-forces, Dias has spent time in a hard-charging plane.
Feeling comfortable reaching speeds upward of 74.5 miles an hour on a skateboard has also been essential, so Dias has skateboarded while being towed by a car. Wearing a Red Bull helmet, he was clocked at 77.67 mph in one test and stopped by slamming into a padded barrier.
The project marks the latest chapter in the partnership between Prada Linea Rossa and Red Bull for the promotion of various events and sporting initiatives. Dias will be suited up in a long-sleeve shirt, pants and shoes from Prada Linea Rossa.
Sandro Dias, as seen in Brazil, earlier this month.
Another seasoned skateboarder, Tony Hawk, noted how Dias’ undertaking can’t just be a hope-for-the-best scenario. “You have to go in knowing all of the elements,” Hawk said in a BTS video that was released by Red Bull.
Dias’ plans to take on the CAFF Building, which is known in Porto Alegre as the “Ultimate Skate Ramp,” is also an ode to the city’s skate culture and a happening that could redefine what’s possible in the skate scene.
Sandro Dias practices on the CAFF building in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Prada will not be selling anything to consumers related to this project. Dias’ attempts to land in the Guinness Book of World Records twice isn’t the only high-flying act that Prada has marked into its calendar. The Italian luxury brand will be staging its women’s runway show in Milan on Thursday. Given that, Prada representatives will not be in Brazil to watch Dias’ record-breaking attempts.
Other fashion houses have warmed up to the skate scene in recent years. The late Virgil Abloh worked skateboarding into his menswear collections at Louis Vuitton and skater Evan Mock has modeled for Calvin Klein and Lacoste. And Shawn Stussy, whose Stussy label helped bring skate culture and fashion to the masses, is reportedly planning a comeback. Stussy could not be reached for comment Wednesday. The domestic skateboard market is expected to reach $1.48 billion in 2030, compared to $1.23 billion in 2023, according to Grand View Research.