The 6 Craziest Record-Breaking Stunts in History
In the world of online gambling, you need a few key ingredients to survive. A sense of daring, a willingness to take risks, and the ability to keep calm in the face of unpredictability,
That said, it isn’t just online gamblers who hold these incredible characteristics. It’s these traits that have skyrocketed the world’s greatest daredevils to record-breaking heights.
So, who are some of these iconic history-makers? Let’s take a look.
1. David Blaine’s Magical Balloon Flight
In 2020, illusionist David Blaine pulled off what most people can only dream of – a flight by balloon. Hanging on to roughly 50 helium balloons for dear life, Blaine floated above the Arizona desert in a stunt he dubbed “Ascension”.
While Blaine originally planned to float to 18,000 feet, he reached heights of over 24,000 feet. Blaine then let go of the strings, skydiving and parachuting down to the ground. From launch to landing, the whole flight took roughly an hour and concluded with Blaine declaring, “Wow! That was awesome.”
Pretty ‘lax reaction to pulling off a record-breaking stunt, if you ask us – but that’s just David Blaine for you.
2. Walking on a Tightrope Across Niagara Falls
Nik Wallenda is no stranger to danger – and he never has been. The American aerialist has performed some of the most jaw-dropping – and life-threatening stunts known to mankind. Hanging from helicopters, crossing a tightrope on a bicycle – you name it, he’s done it.
But the one that put Wallenda on the map was his tightrope walk across Niagara Falls.
People from around the world watched with bated breath as Wallenda crossed the U.S.-Canada border over the raging waters on a tightrope. Over 9 million Canadians watched CTV News’ live broadcast of the event, while over 120,000 spectators came to support Wallenda in person, including his wife and children.
From start to finish, the trek took Wallenda roughly 25 minutes. Upon touching down on Canadian soil, Wallenda was greeted by two Canadian border force agents who requested to see his passport. That’s right – being one of the world’s greatest stuntmen doesn’t afford you special international permissions.
3. Highest Stunt Free Fall on Film of All Time
The year was 1982. Stuntman Dar Robinson climbed Canada’s tallest freestanding structure, the CN Tower, to make history. Performed for the film Highpoint, Robinson headed to the top of the tower, reaching the platform, which stands at roughly 1,100 feet. From there, Robinson jumped and descended in a freefall. The craziest part? His parachute opened just 300 feet from the ground. Talk about a close call.
4. Performing Headstands at Death-Defying Speeds
Although very niche, this is still one of the most epic stunts to make history – which means it was only fitting to include it on this list.
In 2019, 31-year-old Marco George of the UK broke the record for the fastest speed reached on a motorcycle while performing a headstand/handstand. Having been a stunt rider for five years at this time, the biggest ride of George’s career came when he reached speeds of 122 km/h in August 2019.
George had practiced the move for roughly three years before nailing it at that speed and making history. Despite this achievement, George doesn’t plan on slowing down when it comes to breaking records. He hopes to eventually break the record for the fastest speed reached while riding a motorcycle backward and the fastest speed reached while being dragged behind a motorcycle.
5. Climbing the World’s Tallest Building on Film
Anyone who’s ever seen the Mission: Impossible films knows that they’re jam-packed with epic stunts. But did you know that Tom Cruise actually performed many of them himself?
One of his craziest and most impressive moments was when he climbed Burj Khalifa in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Located in Dubai, Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building, standing at over 2,700 feet.
In the nail-biting scene, Ethan Hunt (Cruise’s character) smashes through a window of the skyscraper, leaps out, and runs down the side of it until he reaches the end of his rope. The problem? He’s still one floor above the rest of his team that he’s trying to get to. So, he runs in the opposite direction to gain momentum and launches himself into a power jump toward the window where they are. After hitting his head on the window, Hunt falls, and his team members have to grab his foot to save his life—a sequence that was, again, actually performed on location by the real actors.
6. Setting Fire to the Most People at Once
Game of Thrones fans know that the series has some intense battle scenes. What you may not have known is the fact that some of these sequences actually broke records (and wild records, no less).
In Season 7’s “The Spoils of War”, the show broke the record for the most stuntpeople set on fire at one time, with 73 fire burns. Yes, you read that right. In the episode, Daenerys Targaryen attacks the Lannister troops on her dragon, Drogon. Despite the dragon, of course, being CGI, the flaming soldiers were very real.
“No film or TV show has ever done that in a whole show, let alone in one sequence. We also set 20 people on fire at one time, which is also a record,” said stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam.
Perform Your Own Stunts at Ignition Casino
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