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.