British Snowboarder Jamie Barrow Breaks Guinness World Record for Fastest Speed on a Snowboard Towed by a Vehicle

Record breaking feat took place on the frozen lake of St Moritz in Switzerland, with Barrow and the Maserati Levante SUV hitting a maximum speed of 151.57 km/h

ST. MORITZ - February 20, 2018: Britain's fastest snowboarder Jamie Barrow has broken his own Guinness World Record, clocking a new fastest speed on a snowboard while being towed by a vehicle on the frozen lake of St Moritz.

Barrow previously broke the same record in February 2016, when he was clocked at a speed of 99.87 km/h while being towed behind a car across the same frozen lake in St Moritz. Despite breaking the record in 2016, Barrow was always confident that an even greater speed was possible, due to the track in 2016 being slightly shorter than originally planned and the soft snow not allowing the grip needed.

This time he returned to the lake with a powerful Maserati Levante SUV, a much faster car than the one used in his last record attempt, fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires. The special studded tires have 474 studs per tyre and are 4 mm long to allow the best grip possible on the frozen lake.

Maserati’s luxury SUV offers an array of high-tech features including the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System and the recently developed EPS producing a highly capable SUV. With its variable torque control, the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system is always active and responds immediately to any variation in the driving conditions, providing premium performance for Barrow’s Guinness World Record.

In conjunction with the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System, EPS improves the car’s handling and comfort, better supports the driving modes, and enables the newly-introduced active ADAS functions. The advanced technology allowed the Levante to perform on the frozen lake surface, without losing the razor-sharp steering feel expected of any Maserati.

With the record attempt taking place on a frozen lake, safety and preparation were a major factor when planning the project. The track was closed, fenced off and piste-bashers groomed the snow especially for the Guinness World Record attempt.

Strict criteria had to be met for the record to meet Guinness World Record guidelines. These included completing a timed run in both directions with specialist recording equipment, set at 100m by a Guinness World Records official. With 400m needed either side so that the Maserati Levante could accelerate and slow down safely on the snow, a total run of approximately 900m was prepared.

On the morning of Monday 19th February, the very first out run was recorded at 151.57 km/h. Due to the Guinness World Record stipulations, a return run back was recorded at 147.72 km/h. The two runs were then averaged to give the final Guinness World Record speed of 149.65 km/h.

About his newly set Guinness World Record, Jamie said, “I’m absolutely delighted to have broken my own record. I always knew there was much more speed possible with the right conditions and crucially the right car to tow me. The Maserati Levante made light work of the icy and snowy conditions, giving us the grip to really hit top speed. The adrenaline rush is always amazing when you hit those speeds – I’m just happy I was able to hold my nerve, keep the snowboard in line and ultimately smash the World Record.”

Jacob Nyborg, Head of Marketing for Maserati SpA commented, ‘What a fantastic effort from Jamie to break the World Record. As soon as we spoke to him about this attempt, we knew it was something we had to be involved with. The new Maserati Levante SUV has performance at its heart, so this was the perfect way to show its off-road capabilities, while helping Jamie break a new Guinness World Record. We are excited to see what the future holds for Jamie and hope we can help him reach even greater speeds in the future – what an incredible athlete.”

The Maserati Levante was supplied by Kessel Auto, the official Maserati dealer in Lugano, with a showroom in Saint Moritz.

Guinness World Record – “Fastest speed on a snowboard being towed by a vehicle”
Event Date: Monday 19th February 2018
Location: St Moritz, Switzerland
Vehicle: Maserati Levante
Speed: Out run – 151.57 km/h Return run – 147.72 km/h Average of 2 runs for record – 149.65 km/h

About Jamie Barrow
Jamie Barrow, aged 25, is officially Britain’s fastest snowboarder. Forced to retire from the British Snowboard Cross team in 2013 with a serious back injury, Jamie has been pushing the limits of speed snowboarding ever since.

Jamie is also famous for his viral internet videos including being towed by an aircraft across a runway and speeding across St Moritz’s frozen lake using a jet-powered backpack.

Maserati
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars with individual personalities which are instantly recognisable anywhere. Their style, technology and innately exclusive character delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and remain an automotive industry benchmark. The brand's current line-up comprises the flagship Quattroporte in GranLusso and GranSport versions, the Ghibli executive sports sedan, the Levante - Maserati’s first SUV, and the legendary GranTurismo and GranCabrio sports cars, which have recently been restyled. The most comprehensive range Maserati has ever offered; with petrol and diesel engines, rear-wheel and all–wheel drive, the finest materials and outstanding expert engineering. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance and safety.