Lasse Walker, a prominent big-air kitesurfer, accomplished a world-first on Cape Town's Dolphin Beach by performing an impressive jump over the low-flying Carbon Cub piloted by skilled Red Bull Air Race pilot Łukasz Czepiela.
The jump demanded exceptional precision from both Lasse and Łukasz. As the Polish pilot maintained the plane nearly hovering by flying directly into the high winds in Table Bay, Lasse looked for the ideal wave to start his jump. With an astounding leap of 15 meters high, he soared over the aircraft, a feat achievable only through flawless timing and coordination between the two athletes. The conditions were extreme, with wind gusts exceeding 50 km/h.
Lasse Walker is well-acquainted with Big Air kitesurfing and is renowned for his impressive jumps over unique obstacles. He has previously leapt over a freighter, a pier, and even a whale. Nonetheless, his collaboration with Łukasz Czepiela introduced a new challenge.
"The idea arose a few years ago," Lasse explains. "I was in a plane with headwinds and thought: if a slow plane flies against the wind, can I jump over it?" With this goal in mind, Lasse worked over the past few years to perfect his jumps, where consistency in height and distance were crucial.
By pointing the plane's nose directly into the wind at the slowest possible speed, Luke managed to keep the aircraft almost stationary. Achieving this with such a light aircraft in these conditions at such low altitudes is extremely challenging. During his preparations, Luke practised flying at minimal speeds on windy days keeping the aircraft straight and level without losing any altitude.
"You're flying a plane you're trying not to drop out of the sky, you look forward and see a guy on the water with a kite above him. He jumps and flies over the plane. It was very surreal." Says Czepiela.
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