Former Cochranite Ross Baradoy is making his attempt to break into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Baradoy is looking to break the street luge speed record of 164 km/hr, which was set by American Mike McIntyre in 2016. Baradoy will attend the L’Ultime Descente from Sept. 15 to 17, which a Top Speed Challenge event. The race hill is situated one hour north of Quebec City and features a steep hill with an 18 per cent drop.
Baradoy has made am attempt at the world record back in 2007 when a street luge event was held in Brazil, but he says it was an unofficial speed of 134 km/h, due to the fact organizers used a radar gun for cars, which only registered some of the speeds.
“The speed trap they used was for a car, that they tested in a parking lot. It wouldn’t register everyone’s speed so it upset the people like myself who spent the money to come to the event to basically get an unofficial time.” Baradoy said. “Then, the next year in Quebec City the record was broken.”
Baradoy grew up in Cochrane and got into the street luge scene at a very young age. “I don’t live in Cochrane anymore, but I distinctly remember going down the hill over by GlenEagles back in 1998. My mom would drop off my friends and I at the top of the hill, and we’d ride our boards down to the bottom of the hill.”
Street luge is actually illegal in Canada as it is considered a form of stunting, so Baradoy packed up his belongings and is now living in Switzerland, where street luge is welcomed.
The sport itself actually has very little relation to its winter namesake luge. It is a gravity-powered activity that involves riding a street luge (or sometimes referred to as sled) down a paved road or course.
“Street luge looks scarier than it actually is.” Baradoy recalls. “It is fast, but you’re fairly stable and you have brakes on your feet. I’ve always wanted to go fast, hopefully I can go fast enough to put me in the record books.”
The next time you see Ross Baradoy, whether it be in Cochrane, Quebec City or Switzerland, you might have to just call him the record holder.
