Roller coasters are enough of an adrenaline rush for most people. But there are some who walk among us who crave greater heights, faster speeds, and more free fall. The history of stunts is long, with self-proclaimed daredevils constantly attempting to one-up each other in pursuit of new records. These are some of the greatest and most dangerous stunts ever attempted.
Luke Aikins set the record in 2016 for the highest jump without a parachute. Without a wingsuit, he free fell 25,000 feet using just air currents to guide his landing. A 10,000 square foot net constructed from high-tech materials caught Aikins. He did 18,000 parachuted jumps in preparation of this jump. source
Felix Baumgartner is best known for jumping to Earth from a helium balloon that carried him into the stratosphere. He set the record at the time for the highest jump completed, at 24 miles, and the fastest speed of 843 mph. An unexpected obstacle to him completing the jump was the claustrophobia he experienced in the pressure suit required to go into the stratosphere. source
Philippe Petit, a French daredevil who walked on a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. At the time it was called the “artistic crime of the century.” Petit began planning the stunt a year before he performed it in 1973. He used disguises to access the towers and take pictures. He and his friends hid equipment around the buildings the day before. On the morning of the 7th, he spent 45 minutes 1300 feet above the ground. source
Nik Wallenda was the first person to tight-rope across the Grand Canyon. The stunt took place in 2013. Wallenda didn’t wear a safety harness, and walked across on a 2-inch steel cable, 1,500 feet above the ground. Nik has acrobatics in his blood, as a member of the Flying Wallendas, a circus performing family. source
Mad Mike Hughes is a flat-Earther who built his own rocket. He successfully completed a 1,875 foot jump in 2018 by launching himself off the back of a mobile home. He’s a bit of a character, who funds his stunts with money from a casual dating & hookup app called “hud.” He considers himself an amateur astronaut and is hoping to reach the edge of space with a homemade rocket one day. He’s got a lot further to go, he’d need to reach 327,000 feet to match his goal. source
Dean Potter was a famous BASE jumper died while attempting a jump at Yosemite. Both he and a friend were attempting to clear a notch along the ridge of a mountain. Instead, they both crashed into the rock instead. Potter had jumped frequently from the same spot without incident, and despite having a spotter, officials are still uncertain of what caused the accident. source
Kitty O’Neil was a deaf stuntwoman who broke the land speed record in 1976. She performed the stunt in a three-wheeled vehicle powered by rocket fuel. Her record still stands for women stunt drivers, with a land speed of 618. She was a stuntwoman who worked on “Wonder Woman,” and “The Bionic Woman.” Not all of her stunts were successful, but she was always fearless. When a car she was in flew 200 feet into the air during a 350 mph run, she described the experience to reporters “I had a lot of fun.” source