Speed addicts from all walks of life, here's one for you. Ivan Origone is the fastest human on skis, as he broke the world speed record on the slopes in the French resort Vars with a staggering 254.958 km/h (158.457 mph).
Since winter is still strong in many places in the northern hemisphere and especially in the mountain areas, there's still a lot left from the skiing season. Some enjoy the solitude of cross-country skiing, while others love the frozen wind pinching at their face. Well, prepare for an experience that surpasses everything else.
Italian speed skier Ivan Origone, alongside his brother Simon and Frenchman Billy Simon, took his gear and best hopes to the slopes of Vars and all three managed to blast past the 250 km/h (155.37 mph) bar. However, Ivan was the fastest among them, and it turned out that he was also the fastest human on skis in the world.
Now, watching Ivan taking the start down the mountain track may seem like it's not such a big deal. Still, make sure you watch the video until the end because the helicopter shot will reveal an entirely different reality.
In fact, seeing how steep the descent was is the thing that sort of made us shudder. And, as if things were not already crazy enough, we also learned that descending that insane slope produces an acceleration that is comparable to that of an F1 car.
Ivan went from 0 to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) in just 5.5 seconds, but unlike F1 drivers that are securely strapped in their seats, he also had to remain literally on his feet and steer, while making sure his stance remained the one providing the best aerodynamics.
Oh, and yes, did we mention the braking from 250 km/h to 0 part? Slowing down safely without crashing is just as important as the rest of this daredevil ride, as even a fall at 100 km/h (62 mph) on hard-packed snow still has good chances of sending a skier to the ER with broken limbs.
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