Ferrari is a name that hardly needs any introduction, whether we’re talking about impressive cars, exclusive fashion or, as of late, record-breaking and highly collectible timepieces. But Ferrari is also a name with a serious ring to it when it comes to amusement parks.
As of 2017, Ferrari holds the record for the highest and fastest rollercoaster in all of Europe. That’s when the Red Force opened to the public, a Ferrari-branded rollercoaster that sits at Ferrari Land in PortAventura in Salou, Spain, and which is the cheapest way to experience the adrenaline of going from zero to 112 mph (180 kph) in 5 seconds with Ferrari.
Red Force is made of 880 meters (2,890 feet) of steel tracks, with a recognizable top hat structure that gives it its height record of 112 meters (367 feet) and thrilling top speed. That top hat structure has officially been “conquered” by an urban free climber, as part of a thrill-seeking stunt – and viral video.
George King is that urban free climber, and he’s a fixture in the BASE-jumping community mostly due to his 2019 stunt, which saw him climb London’s The Shard and that ended with him doing jail time for it. For his latest stunt, which took place earlier this month, he broke into PortAventura before opening hours, scaled the top hat of the Red Force, and jumped off it.
He says the Ferrari rollercoaster was on his to-do list for years, ever since he was 17, but he wanted to really get the hang of BASE-jumping beforehand. “Patience is a beautiful thing… I’m glad I waited,” he writes in the caption of the video.
What the video doesn’t show is the police and security squad awaiting for him below, and arresting him. King and another man were both taken in, and sentenced to two years of probation and a small fine. According to the Daily Mail, a judge warned them they’d be sent to jail if they do any more scaling or BASE-jumping while in Spain.
If you’re not afraid of heights, here’s one man conquering Red Force on the dawn of a July morning. It goes without saying that this attraction is best experienced inside the train car. This way, you know for sure it won’t get you arrested.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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