Valentino Guseli, Kim Gubser and Brooke D’Hondt soar to new heights
A week of nonstop ski and snowboard action at Schilthorn, Switzerland has concluded with three new snow sports records. On a “Perfect Hip” built with the express mission of sending riders sky-high safely, two snowboarders and one skier set new highest-air world records.
The biggest air of the week was logged by Kim Gubser (SUI, SKI) who hit a high point of 14.6 meters (47.9 feet) on Friday, the 12th of April 2024, breaking the previous record of 14.2 meters (46.6 feet) set by David Wise in 2016.
“I tested it out a little bit with smaller speed, and then getting faster and faster,” said Gubser. “We were looking where the limit is, and I found it. I found my limit.”
Just a few hours after Gubser, Valentino Guseli (AUS, SNB) flew to a height of 11.5 meters (37.7 feet), topping Christian Haller’s record of 11.3 meters (37.1 feet), also from 2016.
“I was just going as big as I could,” said Guseli. “I’d say it’s the biggest hip I ever hit. And the thing that’s gnarly about it is, when you first hit it, you already have to go big.”
On Thursday, Brooke D’Hondt (CAN, SNB) established the first official record for highest hip air in women’s snowboarding. She reached a height of 7.3 meters (23.9 feet), setting a formidable new bar for the female side of the sport.
“I always wanted to come to this event, and having a bigger hip feature is kind of playing to my strengths,” said D’Hondt. “It definitely does not get easier standing up there. Especially the first one of the day, it’s just as scary as the first time ever hitting it. But the feeling of stomping it, nothing beats it.”
The three new world records are among the highlights of a weeklong session that saw a crew of 40 invited riders from 13 different countries tackle a custom course of features beyond the Perfect Hip. More highlights from Swatch Nines will be released soon, so stay tuned!
Additional quotes
“The Swatch Nines are always very special because you never see features like this in regular snowparks or during World Cups. It’s a whole different experience. Everything is way bigger and looks very aesthetic. It’s not a competition so there is no pressure. It’s just a week of just having fun, being with friends, athletes and filming.” – Kim Gubser
“The mission of Swatch Nines is to provide a platform for athletes to express their creativity and push their limits in a safe and non-competitive environment. The fact that we’re able to break records like these shows that we’re doing something right. I can’t believe what the athletes were able to achieve on this setup. It’s the most gratifying thing to see something that you’ve been planning for so long finally come to fruition and exceed all your expectations.” – Nico Zacek