Photo credit: Fabio Piva / Marcelo Maragni | Red Bull Content Pool
On September 25, Sandro Dias stood on top of a 22 story government building in Porto Alegre, Brazil, looking down a ramp that would make even the most fearless skater hesitate. At 50 years old, the Brazilian skateboarding legend was still attempting to make history. Dias turned an urban legend into reality with the Red Bull Building Drop, breaking two Guinness World Records: the highest drop into a quarter pipe and the fastest speed ever recorded.
Local skaters had been drawn to the Centro Administrativo Fernando Ferrari (CAFF) building for years, an 88.91 meter tall government office with a curved exterior. Its shape screamed potential – a natural skate ramp just waiting to be skated. Whispers and jokes had been circulating for years, inspired by a digitally manipulated video of a skater bombing down the side. Dias, a six time vert world champion, wanted to make the myth a reality. The result was a giant ramp that redefined what skateboarding could be, combining engineering with athleticism.
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Building this beast took over two months, as a team covered the CAFF’s old concrete façade with smooth plywood panels, creating a surface safe enough for Dias to skate at highway speeds. The ramp was more than just functional; it was also about safety. Crash pillows from MotoGP sat at the bottom to cushion any crashes. Dias wore a spine protector and Prada’s Linea Rossa gear, designed to perform and protect. After the event, the team didn’t just tear it down and call it a day. They recycled 115 tons of waste, sent metal to the scrap yard and provided 800 timber boards to local NGOs or biomass initiatives.
Photo credit: Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Content Pool
Dias didn’t just show up and roll; his planning started in January 2025. He trained with weighted vests to simulate the 3.9 g-forces he’d be hitting—the equivalent of 280 pounds on his torso. Stability workouts and speed testing helped him overcome speed wobbles, a skater’s worst nightmare at those speeds. By the time he was at the ramp’s edge he’d spent months preparing his body and mind for an 8 second drop. Four attempts, each flawless on the first try, culminated in a final run that he’d never practiced to the full 70 meters.
Photo credit: Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool
The stats are insane: 60 meter drop, 103 km/h speeds and a 22 story tall ramp. “I knew it was possible but almost impossible to do,” he said after the event. Tony Hawk, the god of the sport, said it plain and simple: “Sandro has jumped ahead about five times everyone else”. Ryan Sheckler, Dias’s protégé and fellow pro, called it a testament to the “skate in his heart”.
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