The latest Prada Linea Rossa Red Bull extreme aerial project took place inside a 360-metre-high chimney in Trbovlje, Slovenia. To complete the stunt, the athletes were launched vertically from a giant catapult custom-built for the occasion, accelerating from 0 to 180 km/h in just 2.15 seconds before transitioning into a freefall and parachute descent. The launch system allowed them to bypass the traditional jumping methods associated with their sport.
Who are Dani Roman and Fred Fugen
Spanish athlete Dani Roman is specialised in B.A.S.E. jumping, outdoor skydiving and wingsuit flying, building on a professional career that started as a tandem instructor and wind tunnel acrobat. French athlete Fred Fugen, a prominent member of the Soul Flyers team and a former freefly World Championship winner, shares a similar history in pushing the limits of aerial sports. Together, the two Red Bull athletes pooled their extensive flight experience to safely execute this unprecedented challenge.
The location for the launch was the Trbovlje Power Station chimney. Originally constructed in 1976, the industrial structure stands at 360 metres high and remains the tallest flue-gas stack in Europe. The launch system installed inside the chimney was a 60-metre-long catapult specifically engineered by the Slovenian collective DD Squad. It was built to project athletes vertically into the open air from a central launch capsule. The mechanics allowed for both individual and simultaneous launches, guaranteeing a controlled transition to a brief moment of zero gravity at the very apex of the trajectory. Following this weightless pause, the jumpers entered a freefall stage at speeds mirroring their initial launch acceleration, before deploying their parachutes to land securely on the ground.
The Human Catapult Guinness World Records
The project secured two new Guinness World Records titles for the athletes. During the individual launch phase, Roman established a new global benchmark for the greatest height achieved using a human catapult, soaring to exactly 100.36 metres above the point of release. Roman and Fugen then executed a simultaneous launch to claim a second official Guinness World Records title. Together, they achieved the greatest combined height for a human catapult launch, reaching an official total of 151.72 metres. Within this combined figure, Roman reached an altitude of 75.97 metres and Fugen followed closely at 75.75 metres.
The Prada Linea Rossa Red Bull collaboration
As the official technical partner for the initiative, Prada Linea Rossa equipped both Roman and Fugen with specialised functional apparel and accessories tailored for the conditions of the flight. The provided outfits featured a comprehensive range of high-performance garments, including technical trousers, jackets, sweatshirts, footwear and eyewear. According to the brand, the design approach focused on merging ergonomic comfort and technical functionality with the label's distinctive aesthetics.
This initiative acts as a continuation of the ongoing partnership between Prada Linea Rossa and Red Bull. The two brands regularly work together to support extreme athletes who challenge conventional sports performance and explore new physical possibilities across different disciplines, providing advanced textile engineering for demanding environments.
Staff
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