Spain’s Poncelet achieves ‘dream’ with speed record

Spanish downhill skateboarder Diego Poncelet did not just want to set a standing world speed record; he wanted to know what it felt like going 150kph with no brakes.

The two-time world champion finally achieved that goal on Sept. 22 in Canada when he reached a speed of 151.83kph, nine years after Pete Connolly clocked 146.73kph on the same road.

“If a record has stood for nine years, you don’t just break it by a little bit, you destroy it,” Poncelet said in an interview on Wednesday. “If I’m honest with myself, my real objective was 150kph. That was the dream.”

Spanish downhill skateboarder Diego Poncelet poses for a photograph after an interview in Madrid on Wednesday.

Photo: Reuters

The Red Bull athlete began work on the attempt four years ago, but his search for a road with the required gradient to spur him to record speeds came to nothing.

Finally, Poncelet had to accept that Route 362 in Les Eboulements, two hours northeast of Quebec City, is a “miracle.”

“A lot of people told me it wasn’t possible anymore because of large cracks and potholes,” the 27-year-old said. “There was a real question over whether the road had deteriorated too much.”

On a specially designed 14kg skateboard, in shoes soled with car tire rubber, Poncelet launched himself into the abyss.

“That road in particular was terrifying because you’re doing about 110kph and suddenly the road disappears, you can’t see it. All you can see is the St Lawrence River,” Poncelet said.

Usually when Poncelet plunges downhill, he has two plastic slide pucks attached to gloves he uses to slow himself.

Not this time.

“It was very difficult mentally, because of how steep it is and because of the equipment I was using, I couldn’t brake. Once you start the run, whatever happens, you have to get to the bottom at full speed,” he said. “You can’t brake because at those speeds you would go flying.”

Poncelet, who has a degree in international relations, says it is almost as if he enters a Zen-like state when traveling at such frightening speeds.

“I like to say it’s as if there’s a wise person inside your mind and you let that person take control,” he added. “That wise person is your subconscious. It’s an incredible feeling, everything feels perfect.”

“It’s like high-consequence meditation,” he said with a grin.