Friday, December 30, 2011

  Longest rail grind on a snowboard: Calum Paton sets world record (Video)

 Milton Keynes, England -- British snowboarder Calum Paton, 14, has 50-50 for 78.70 meter (258.2 feet) slide down a 91.5 meter rail custom built for the purpose during a rail jam session orchestrated by Whitelines Snowboard Magazine, Sno!Zone, and the EA Sports snowboard game SSX - setting the new world record for the Longest rail grind on a snowboard, according to World Record Academy (www.worldrecordacademy.com).

 ( enlarge photo )

  Paton bested the previous Guinness world record of 67.9 meters, set in 2009 by Spanish rider Alejandro Benito (also on an indoor slope).

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the longest rail grind on skis: 73.63 m (241 ft 7 in), achieved by Alan Villanueva (Spain), at the Madrid SnowZone, Madrid, Spain.

  "It feels so surreal that I actually hold a world record."

  "I'm so stoked, I wasn't expecting to do it at all!" Paton said, in a statement released after the record was confirmed by Guinness World Records observers.

  A specially-constructed 91.5 metre long rail had been installed in the Sno!Zone Milton Keynes Indoor Slope. The sad news is he didn't make it to the end of the rail.

  Ed Blomfield, editor of Whitelines, said: "We're so stoked Calum broke the record! It's great both for him and for British snowboarding as a whole. We knew that with our thriving indoor scene the UK had some world-class rail riders, and this gave us a great opportunity to prove that. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen, and nice one Calum!"

  Damian Doyle from Sno!Zone, who had overseen the construction and installation of the rail, was himself a previous record holder – with a slide of 39 metres that had only been beaten by Benito in 2009. He said: "I'm so happy Calum broke the record, it's amazing to be able to bring it back to the UK."

  Tristan Kennedy, deputy editor of Whitelines, said: "It was amazing Calum broke the record, and in such dramatic style too! In the last few minutes of a five-hour session, just when everyone had given up all hope of it being broken, he locked onto the rail and just sailed past the previous record marker. Everyone went wild! He didn't just break it, he smashed it by more than 10 metres. What a kid."

Related world records:  
Most ollies on a snowskate board: Eric Carlin

Longest distance towed on snowboard: Jason Buchanan

Largest Ski Flying Jump: Norwegian Johan Remen Evensen

Fastest downhill skateboarder - Mischo Erban

Longest skateboard stationary manual - Aaron Shirazi

Longest downhill skiing in 24 hours- Balthasar Egger sets world record

Most sky lifts-world record set by Christian Flühr and Sylvie Maier

Friday, December 30, 2011