AN EXTREME sportsman has become a world record holder with a breathtaking display of speed.Street luge expert Joel King smashed a long-standing high-speed record at the former Bentwaters air base, near Woodbridge.
AN EXTREME sportsman has become a world record holder with a breathtaking display of speed.
Street luge expert Joel King smashed a long-standing high-speed record at the former Bentwaters air base, near Woodbridge.
He used a board powered by a jet engine to reach a speed of 110mph, which comfortably beat the previous record of 98.5mph.
Lying flat on the powered board, Mr King, 27, of Bognor Regis was just a few inches off the ground throughout the bid.
He said afterwards: “It was absolutely amazing and the sensation of speed was awesome. I was buffeted by the wind, the tarmac was flying past and there was grit in the visor.
“It was nerve wracking. I was completely pushing the boundaries and I have been so focused on this for the last few months.”
Street luge was born in southern California in the 1970s when downhill skateboards found they could reach faster speeds by lying down on their skateboard. Street luge competitions normally involve racers competing on boards which are powered by gravity alone, with no brakes. But, for this record-breaking attempt, Mr King's board featured a miniature jet engine.
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