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Way over the Great
Wall
HUNTINGTON BEACH -
Sponsor Quiksilver Inc announced that X Games gold
medalist and DC Shoes team rider Danny Way set a
new world record by successfully landing his
"Quiksilver Great Wall of China MegaRamp Jump" on
July 9 at the Ju Yong Guan Gate outside of
Beijing.
Way already held skateboarding
world records for distance (24 meters) and unaided
height (7.14 meters), but the Great Wall of China
leap was his greatest test ever. Way set a new
world record by becoming the first human being to
successfully leap the wall without motorized
assistance, a feat he accomplished an incredible
five times in front of Chinese dignitaries
including the ministers of extreme sports and
culture, friends, family, the world media and
thousands of spectators.
Numerous people
have tried to jump over the Great Wall, most
notably a 2002 attempt that left a mountain biker
dead, but Way was the first to attempt the feat on
a skateboard.
"I came to China with a goal
and that was to jump over the Great Wall," said
Way. "I have accomplished that and I feel like my
job is done. I was aware of the dangers and my
heart was pumping in my chest the whole time, but
I managed to pull it off with the help of my team,
and I'm honored to have my visions embraced by the
people of China. Skateboarding has yet to realize
its full potential, and by bringing this event to
the people of China and the rest of the world, I
hope I've contributed to the future of
skateboarding and helped bring my sport the global
attention it deserves."
Way's first
attempt over the Wall ended with a controlled fall
that saw him clear the 18.6 meter gap before
throwing his board and sliding to the bottom of
the landing ramp on his back. His second attempt
was successful, and on his remaining three jumps
he upped the ante by completing spectacular 360
degree spins over the Wall.
Following each
of the four successfully landed jumps Way
continued at speeds of nearly 50 miles per hour
into the quarterpipe where he attempted to break
his own world record for vertical height out of a
skateboard ramp. On two occasions he clearly
exceeded the height, but unfortunately was forced
to abandon his board prior to landing, making any
result unofficial.
During a post-jump
ceremony Xiang Yu's Mr. Wang Jianjur, local
co-coordinator of the project and head of the
Ministry of Culture in China, presented Way with a
small piece of the Wall. "This is a great honor,"
Way responded. "I feel like I have left a piece of
myself on the Wall and now I have a small part to
take home with me. Thank you very much."
"Quiksilver is honored to support DC's
Danny Way on his amazing, world record-setting
jump over the Great Wall of China," said Bob
McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver. "Danny is a gutsy
athlete and pioneer whose success makes all of
Quiksilver's global team very proud." Quiksilver's
greater China marketing director Ryan Hollis added
in an interview from Beijing: "It was pretty
fantastic. He really has spent quite a few years
even thinking about this whole idea. It's been in
logistical planning for about eight months... It
was pretty amazing today to see this happen, to
see it adopted by the culture, adopted by the
government."
"It was incredible to see
Danny's vision become reality," said Ken Block,
President of DC Shoes. "We are very proud to be
associated with Danny's jump. It doesn't get any
bigger than the Great Wall, and this achievement
represents the ultimate culmination of his years
of preparation and success."
"The great
feat of Danny Way jumping over our Great Wall and
accomplishing his own dream served as an
inspiration to the youth in China," said Kin Mak,
of Global Village Media Group. "Danny Way showed
us that it is possible to realize our dreams, and
it is the essence of challenging our own extreme
spirit. Global Village Media Group and MegaRamp
Events are excited to have staged the Quiksilver
MegaRamp Jump and [its] satellite events that
unified the spirit of the entire day."
The
Quiksilver and DC-branded Beijing MegaRamp was
designed by Way to be the largest skateboarding
structure ever constructed, even larger than the
existing MegaRamp in Temecula, California, where
he first set records in 2003. The roll-in platform
where he began his descent in Beijing was adjusted
to 30.1 meters, the gap he cleared was in excess
of 18.6 meters, and the height of the quarterpipe
was a total of 9.7 meters.
Highly regarded
within the action sports community as a pioneer
and a visionary, Way has repeatedly challenged the
limitations set by other athletes and
himself-breaking his own records when no one else
could. The Carlsbad, California resident and world
record holder also surfs, rides motocross and
snowboards at a professional level.
The Ju
Yong Guan Gate, at nearly 3,000 years old, stands
as one of the most important cultural sites in
China, and one of the country's top tourist
destinations. The events there included music,
fashion and action sports competitions in a two
day festival which culminated with Way's jump. DC
promoted Way's historic feat with two new
30-second broadcast spots, which aired June 27
through July 17 on MTV, MTV2, and ESPN.
The Quiksilver Great Wall MegaRamp Jump
was made possible by the collaborative efforts of
Quiksilver, DC Shoes, MegaRamp Events, Global
Village Media Group, Dragon TV, Zealand, Xiang Yu
Cultural Production Agency, China's Cultural
Department and the generous consent of the
People's Republic of China.
(from news
services) |
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