With the 300-meter mark in mind, Ryōyū Kobayashi attempted something never even considered by any other athlete. The jump, though not exactly 300 m long, holds a deep personal meaning for the athlete. Already one of ski jumping’s all-time greats, Kobayashi, has dreamed of taking the sport to new levels ever since his childhood in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture. His relentless dedication to mastering his art has propelled him to the forefront; so far he has amassed 32 individual wins and two overall titles in the World Cup, individual gold and silver medals at the 2022 Olympics, and three overall titles in the iconic Four Hills tournament.
But he was determined to make an even stronger statement for the sport, and to do it on natural terrain.
Kobayashi’s long-held goal was unlike anything he, or any other ski jumper, had ever attempted – and his success is a testament to his ability to break barriers and defy expectations. While Kobayashi held the world’s second-longest ski jump with a personal best of 252m, none of the world’s existing ski flying hills could provide the physical conditions he needed for a bold attempt, or the wilderness backdrop he felt the
sport deserved.
After a two-year search, the ideal site was discovered in Hlidarfjall Akureyri in northern Iceland. There, exclusively for the attempt, Kobayashi’s team devoted over two months to sculpting a snow ski jump table on the natural terrain that is 1,115 meters high at the start, descending across an altitude difference of 360 meters with a maximum gradient of 36 degrees.
An important element in Kobayashi’s success was his collaboration with Prada Linea Rossa, one of the key partners supporting the athlete to achieve his ambitious goal in the unyielding environment of this remote location. Prada Linea Rossa’s advanced textile developments combine comfort and high-performance functionality, providing the athlete and core team members with functional clothing and accessories for the extended periods spent on the mountain.
Managing the extended takeoff and jump would require a level of physical precision and mental focus beyond anything Kobayashi had experienced. The athlete had been preparing for the intense challenge since 2023, including training at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center in Austria, and he fine-tuned his position and stability with specific wind tunnel training in Sweden.
Kobayashi began his attempts in Iceland on April 23, setting one new record after another with 256m, 259m, 282m and finally 291m. After the last jump, emotions were high.
Janne Vaeaetaeinen, Kobayashi’s coach for the world record attempt, said, “It was a crazy couple of days and I have so many thoughts right now, but an amazing and very exciting result to see this come to life. It was hard to know what to expect for the first jump, and then a rollercoaster of emotions throughout.”
“My motivation also came from thinking about all the people involved in this project – to do it for everyone,” Kobayashi said. “I put everything on the line to go as far as possible in this incredible environment.”
The new world record, though not oficially recognised by FIS, the international ski and snowboarding federation, beat the previous record set by Austrain Stefan Kraft at 253.5m, by 37.5m. The athlete reached a top speed of 107km/h at takeoff, and his time suspended in air was 8 seconds.