FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 6 | Page 90

MAKING HISTORY The gusty headwind has eased ever so slightly, but it’s still good for robbing at least a couple of precious km/h. After a few practice runs dropping into his roll-in and modifying his riding style to try and combat the wind, Langers gives the thumbs up. “Yep, I’m ready, boys.” With shouts of encouragement and motivation from a handful of his closest friends ringing in his ears, he pushes his bike to the top of the roll-in and sits amid the golden swaying grass, moderating his breathing, collecting his thoughts and waiting for the breeze to drop. Suddenly he’s up on the pedals, stabbing his feet at the ground and wrenching on the bars as he rockets towards the roll-in. A quick tuck over the knuckle to minimise the air he gets under his tyres and he’s screaming down the steep hillside tucked behind the bars like a road cyclist to minimise the wind drag. Within two heartbeats he hits the take-off and unweights the pedals as his wheels leave the lip. He’s airborne, soaring towards the rolling ridge and flying for an eternity, further than he’s ever jumped before. A few miniscule body changes counteract the wind’s effect and prepare the bike for its inevitable impact back on terra firma as Langlands spots his landing. The wheels whack the ground hard enough to throw up small spurts of dirt, and Langlands careens down the hillside screaming an animalistic roar, punching his clenched fist in the air. He’s done it. With zero budget or financial investment from his sponsors, this Kiwi bloke from a small country town has broken the 2011 longdistance record of 60ft. In far from ideal conditions and equipped with nothing but a shovel, a watering can, a roller and a wheelbarrow, Paul Langlands soared 64ft, smashing the current record by over a metre and entering himself into the history books.