Maddo to make history again in a death-defying NYE world-first stunt
Posted: Tuesday, 9th December, 2008 : 9:23 AM - - 3142 Reads -
Robbie Maddison
Deviating from the standard New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking or save more money, Aussie world-class athlete Robbie ‘Maddo’ Maddison has resolved to break boundaries before the clock strikes midnight on December 31, in a death-defying world-first stunt in Red Bull: New Year, No Limits!
Having already broken the Guinness World Record for a motorcycle with a leap of 322 feet, 7.5 inches over the length of a football field during a 2007 Red Bull New Year’s Eve event, Maddo will attempt a more finessed, but equally challenging jump this time around.
The 27-year-old Aussie daredevil will jump his bike more than 120 feet high and land on the top of the 96-foot-high and 40-foot-deep replica Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas. What goes up must come down, and Maddo’s not going to argue with physics. Upon completing the jump, he will then drop off the Arc and freefall 50 feet to a massive landing ramp below. The smallest mistake could have fatal consequences – leaving no room for error!
“I had some doubts last year whether or not I could jump a football field,” said Maddo. “This year, the doubts are way bigger. The jump has never been done before, but I’m confident in my ability and I believe that as I start training, the dream that seems impossible will become a reality.”
On the same evening in Las Vegas, Kiwi Rick Millen will attempt to become the first person to complete and land a backflip in an off-road truck. Millen’s flip demands the truck to travel a distance of 80 feet at a height of 50 feet. During his final practice before the 2007 New Year’s event, Millen overshot the landing, resulting in injury, damage to his vehicle and his withdrawal from the event. Now fully recovered, the 36-year-old New Zealand native is more determined than ever.
Stay tuned to find out if Maddo and Millen will make or break their New Year’s resolution in the thrilling Red Bull: New Year. No Limits!
