Seeking Adrenaline rush

We’re all looking to push the limits. A skydive, a spicy dish, bunch of exams, a crazy gig, a steep ski slope, a first date, a speeding ticket… Everyone has it their own way to get a faster heartbeat and free them hormones!

The unexpected energy that our body creates when we’re looking for danger is something Lazaro Schaller knows all about. He, indeed, likes to stretch it to the max. This Brazilian-born Swiss canyon expert just set a world record for the highest cliff jump – 58,8 meters! With only 8 meters of depth at the narrow landing…

This is an enormous achievement for the 27 year-old-athlete that was clearly betting on the odds with this one – he reached the crazy speed of 123km/h during his 3,58 seconds drop. Needless to say it was an epic splash!

A pioneer of Swiss Canyons

Laso Schaller is one of the best Canyon explorers in the world but he’s also a reckless one! If the ropes and harness get in the way he’ll just jump. Cliffs of 20/30m are a walk in the park for this gentleman and he doesn’t take long deciding whether to go for it or not.

«  It’s the same thing for effort and feeling with jumps 25 meters and up, the only difference is the time you spend in the air» explains Laso.

But… 58,8 meters is not something you engage in without reflection. Laso and his team spent time building a wooden deck to have the best possible jump angle, they tested the possible speed, analyzed the risk-factors and then, on august 4^th, he just went for it and it was all over in seconds!

The Cascata del Salto Splash

The world record was set in Ticino, which is 1.5 hours drive up north of Lugano, the Maggia valley is a paradise for thrill seekers. There are over 150 canyons with multiple cliffs ranging from small to outrageous heights – a very well known area of the extreme sports enthusiast.

Laso jumped from the amazing Cascata del Salto. That one gives the chills even when looking from down there. But it takes more for him to chicken out, remember he’s an athlete with intensive training. The technic is slightly different than when you jump from the side of your pool. He knows the exact position to embrace in order to secure a smooth landing for his legs. So the moment he jumped the work had already been done. Easier said than done, especially for the people scared of heights watching the dive from YouTube!

You can feel the relief from the crowd as Laso comes up to the surface that Tuesday, August 4^th. He’s moving, he’s breathing, its all good! He’s clearly a crazy dude but an athlete before anything. Lets not forget his name and keep track of his future challenges, which are bound to be promising ones.

Follow him on Facebook!

The rosti team.

© images : Pilz/Red Bull Content Pool