Going 83 mph is nearing the top speed limit on U.S. highways. Now, imagine going that fast without a seat belt down a ski slope.
Now, envision doing that while traveling backward.
That is exactly what professional skier Anders Backe did.
The Norwegian skier recaptured the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed downhill skiing backward. His speed of 82.9 mph is about 1.4 mph faster than the 2017 record set by Switzerland’s Elias Ambüehl.
Backe previously set the record for the fastest backward downhill ski in 2012 by traveling at 80 mph.
His new record was set on Vikersund Hill, a 787-foot-tall hill in Norway. Officials said he started by facing forward at the top of the hill before doing a 180-degree rotation at the jump point.
“When you drop in, things are going so fast," he told Guinness. "You are quickly up to around 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in the in-run, doing the 180 out of the ski jump, and then focusing on stomping the landing and keeping the position and balance all the way down. And also getting ready for the g-force at the bottom."
Anders first posted about the record attempt in March, but the record was not officially confirmed until last week.
“I’m super stoked on getting the record back and also setting it in my hometown Vikersund, where I started skiing," he told Guinness.