
Whether on television or in person, San Diegans might have noticed two high-flying vehicles zooming across the San Diego skyline on New Year’s Eve. Snowmobiler Levi LaVallee and motocross daredevil Robbie Maddison piloted their machines concurrently in a jump over 300 feet of water at the Embarcadero Marina Park downtown, smashing two records in one fell swoop. LaVallee broke his own 361-foot record by launching his snowmobile 412 feet and Maddison broke his existing certified world record of 351 feet by more than 30 feet, landing 378 feet from his take-off ramp. Maddison also unofficially eclipsed the current motorcycle jump world record of 391 feet at a practice for the Dec. 31 event. Last year, LaVallee, a seven-time Winter X Games medalist and champion Snocross racer, was injured during a trail run of the jump, postponing his attempt at the record during the 2010 “Red Bull: New Year. No Limits.” challenge. “I am so pumped to be able to come back to ‘Red Bull: New Year. No Limits.,’” LaVallee said before the jump. “Last year obviously didn’t go the way I was hoping, and I am excited to have another chance at this amazing opportunity.” Maddison, an accomplished freestyle motocross rider with an X Games silver medal in Moto X Best Trick and two wins on the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, iterated his excitement for the challenge as well. “Jumping long distances is a passion of mine, and I’m excited to come back for New Year’s Eve and sail over San Diego Harbor,” he said. “It’s not all about getting the world record to me. It’s more about understanding this feat and the commitment ahead to achieving what most would consider an impossible jump.” After the record-breaking event, LaVallee expressed exhilaration at his success — and relief that he landed in one piece. “I’m as excited as I think a person can be,” said LaVallee. “I just landed an over 400-foot jump. I’m not sure how the sled’s doing, but I’m OK, so it was good. It’s an amazing feeling. You have no idea how pumped I am.” Maddison, too, was happy with the result. “It’s a cool feeling to do what I do and have the backing I do,” said Maddison. “I was confident we were going to go a long way tonight and we’re going to come back and go even further.”








