On November 5, 2026, at the site of the former Trbovlje Power Plant in Slovenia, home to Europe's tallest chimney, an unusual sports experiment took place: two extreme athletes were not dropped from the structure but, conversely, shot into the sky using a specially designed 60-meter vertical catapult installed at the top of the structure. As a result, two Guinness World Records were set — for the greatest height reached by a human launched from a catapult and for the greatest total height during a simultaneous launch.
Participants and Mission
The project featured Spanish wingsuit pilot Dani Roman, 35, and French BASE jumper Fred Fugen, 47. Their goal was to safely complete a full flight cycle: acceleration in the launcher, exit, gaining extra height through inertia, transitioning from an upward trajectory into freefall, and deploying parachutes. Both athletes wore helmets with Red Bull branding, and the flight was accompanied by colored smoke to visualize the trajectory on video.
Single Launch: 180 km/h and 4.2 G
During the single launch, Roman accelerated from zero to 180 km/h in just 2.15 seconds, experiencing forces up to 4.2 G. After exiting the launcher, he climbed an additional 100.36 meters, setting the Guinness World Record for the greatest height achieved by a human catapult launch. This result became the first of the two recorded milestones.
Simultaneous Launch: 151.72 Meters Total
Next, the athletes attempted a simultaneous launch, accelerating to 145 km/h in 2.66 seconds and setting a second Guinness World Record for the greatest total height reached by a human catapult launch, which amounted to 151.72 meters. After the launch, Roman reached a height of 75.97 meters and Fugen 75.75 meters. Both athletes deployed their parachutes after transitioning from the upward trajectory to freefall, completing the flight safely.
Engineering and Partners
Developing this ambitious project took two and a half years. The engineering was handled by the Slovenian stunt collective DD Squad, supported by Red Bull and Prada Linea Rossa. Choosing the site — the former Trbovlje Power Plant with the tallest chimney in Europe — provided the necessary height and open air corridor to safely execute the stunt and deploy parachutes at a sufficient altitude.
Significance of the Result
The dual achievement sets a new standard for the discipline where a human is launched upward rather than falling downward, and highlights the role of engineering in extreme sports. Both records are listed in the Guinness registry, and the flight video, featuring smoke trails and views of the Slovenian mountains, serves as visual confirmation of the measurements.
