Sandro Dias sets two world records in Rio Grande do Sul

Sandro Dias descends the world’s tallest skateboard ramp in Rio Grande do Sul, setting two world records.

What was once simply a fantasy for the people of Rio Grande do Sul became a reality, complete with an adrenaline rush. The Red Bull Building Drop, supported by the Rio Grande do Sul State Government, challenged skateboarder Sandro Dias, a world-renowned figure skater, to descend the world’s tallest ramp, which was installed on the facade of the Fernando Ferrari Administrative Centre (CAFF) building in Porto Alegre.

With this historic feat, the 50-year-old athlete set two Guinness World Records™ by descending a 22-storey building. He reached a speed of 103 km/h, descending from a height of 70 metres, with a drop of 60 metres, measured from the lowest point of the ramp to the platform.

“The most important message I have to give is for people to never give up on their dreams. It was a dream I’d had for over 13 years. I put it on the table at Red Bull to make this happen here, and knowing the magnitude of it, I knew it was possible but almost impossible.

But they were dreamers with me; they believed in my dream, and we achieved it with all possible success. Never give up on your dreams, no matter how far away they may be,” said an emotional Sandro, shortly after achieving the historic feat.

The state government’s encouragement of sports has encouraged skateboarding in Rio Grande do Sul. In March of this year, the Executive Branch supported the STU Pro Tour in Porto Alegre. Since Eduardo Leite’s government began in 2019, the Pró-Esporte RS Program has awarded R$186.68 million to sports initiatives, including R$2.58 million for skateboarding.

Other initiatives, such as Segue o Jogo, promote skateboarding throughout the state; R$95,300 has already been spent in 22 skateboarding training projects. Furthermore, agreements made under the Avançar no Esporte program provided towns with R$1.16 million for skate park development, maintenance, and renovations.

“Today we are experiencing a historic moment. Skateboarding down the Caff ramp is the realization of a dream that, for decades, has inhabited the collective imagination of Porto Alegre residents and is now becoming a reality, leaving an unforgettable mark on the building’s history and on skateboarding in Rio Grande do Sul.

After more than a year of planning, it took seconds of intense technique, precision, and courage to make this radical feat possible,” the governor emphasized. “This achievement also symbolizes the strength and persistence of the people of Rio Grande do Sul, for whom no achievement is impossible when there is determination and the will to achieve.”

In return for the Government of Rio Grande do Sul, Red Bull will deliver two mini skate ramps to the State, which will choose the cities where they will be installed, and will revitalize two tracks in Porto Alegre.

Danielle Calazans, head of the Secretariat of Planning, Governance, and Management (SPGG), noted that the Caff is a state heritage site, a symbol of modern architecture and public life in Rio Grande do Sul. “Seeing this building transform into the setting for a global sporting landmark is both a celebration of our history and a vision for the future of Rio Grande do Sul. SPGG was at the forefront of the entire process, ensuring security, organization, and the necessary care to make this feat a reality,” she emphasized.

Sandro began his trip at the lowest heights and, with steadfast courage, steadily stretched his reach to find the boundaries of both people and skating. His initial drop, at 30 meters, was already a remarkable achievement—a typical mega-ramp is roughly 27 meters tall.

But Sandro didn’t stop there; he dared to go higher, surpassing heights of 40, 50, 60, and 65 metres until achieving an astonishing 70 metres with a 60-metre plunge, a historic accomplishment that made legend a reality. He also endured a maximum G-force of 3.9 g while weighing around 277 kg and facing a maximum ground reaction force of 280 kg.

After pushing all limits and reaching this height, Sandro decided it was time to stop and shared his perspective on the challenge. “I’ll be honest, I think I’ve reached my limit, I’ll stop here, and I think it was really good. We know there are many factors that make up this scenario: first, the ramp, which has never existed before, with a combination of high speed, high G-force, and weather conditions—it was very windy up there. I think I’ve climbed enough now, I’m satisfied, completely satisfied, and I think this proved that we can overcome ourselves. I never expected to drop off a ramp at this height, and we also need to know when to stop. I think where we’ve reached is excellent,” said the athlete.

Who is Sandro Dias, “Mineirinho”?

With a career spanning over three decades, São Paulo native Sandro Dias, known as “Mineirinho”, was the third skateboarder in the world to land a 900º and the first to do so in the middle of a competition line.

The achievement came at the Latin American X Games in Rio de Janeiro in May 2004. He was a six-time world champion, won gold at the X Games in 2006, and was inducted into the Action Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

In 2019, the six-time world champion also skated down the Estaiadinha Bridge in São Paulo, from a height of 30 meters, in a stunt done in partnership with Red Bull.

At 50 years old, he continues to make history and further cements his position as a skateboarding pioneer by bringing to life the urban legend of descending a “skateable” building, breaking barriers in the sport.

In addition to his sporting achievements, the athlete dedicates himself to social impact projects through the Sandro Dias Institute in Santo André, São Paulo, which promotes access to sports, fosters the development of new talent, and prioritizes services for neurodivergent children. He also runs the Sandro Dias Camp in Vargem, São Paulo, an initiative aimed at promoting sports, especially skateboarding, among young people.

Since its construction, Caff has been seen by skateboarders as “the perfect ramp” due to its curved facade, similar to a half-pipe. In 2009, a manipulated video simulating a descent went viral—but until then, it was all just imagination and digital montages.

Now, with Sandro at the top, the dream has become reality. The project was made possible with the support of the Rio Grande do Sul State Government, which made the use of the state’s administrative center possible.

During the descent, Sandro reached speeds of 103 km/h on his skateboard and withstood forces that challenge the limits of the human body. He also easily surpassed the previous known record for the highest drop from a ramp, at 23 meters—the height of the Mega Ramp.

Thomas Stoggl, a doctor of sports science and coach at Red Bull’s Athelte Performance Center (APC), explained the training process. “G-force, vertical drops, speed, braking—you can train all of these things in isolation, but never the entire process. You can only do that here in the building. And that was the main focus behind this project; that’s why it required a routine unlike anything he’d done before,” he explained.

The project was born from the athlete’s dream of descending the Caff ramp for over ten years. Since then, it has taken years of study and months of physical and technical preparation to face the challenge. During training, Sandro wore vests weighing over 40 kg to simulate the effects of G-force on his body and tested high speeds on asphalt tracks to simulate the impact of winds and understand the destabilization of skateboarding. In some sessions, he relied on motorcycles to pull the athlete so he could reach speeds exceeding 120 km/h.

To make the descent possible, wooden panels were installed along the outer curve of the Caff, temporarily adapting the building for skateboarding. The temporary roof protected the facade and allowed the athlete to utilize the building’s natural curvature. For safety reasons, the project included inflatable barriers similar to those used in MotoGP (motorcycling’s top category), as well as protective equipment (such as a back protector) worn by Sandro.

In partnership with Trashin and Gerdau, the Red Bull Building Drop will sustainably dispose of approximately 115 tonnes of waste from the ramp. Gerdau will be responsible for the metal scrap, and Trashin will handle approximately 800 wooden panels, ensuring that at least 90% of the waste does not end up in landfills.

Part of the wood will be donated to local NGOs and social projects, and another part will be used as biomass (a renewable energy source).

Source: Governo Do Estado Rio Grande Do Sul | Follow Europeans24 for more updates!