Sandro Dias Drops Into Skateboarding History with Record-Breaking Ramp

When it comes to skateboarding legends, Sandro Dias has always lived in rare air. A six-time world vert champion, an X Games icon, and one of the few men ever to land a 900 on vert, he has consistently pushed the limits of what’s possible on four wheels. But his latest project with Red Bull has rewritten the script entirely.

In September, Dias dropped into a quarter pipe from the top of Porto Alegre’s Centro Administrativo Fernando Ferrari building in southern Brazil, transforming the 70-meter-high structure into the world’s ultimate skate ramp. Dubbed the Red Bull Building Drop, the feat smashed two Guinness World Records™ — the highest drop into a temporary quarter pipe and the fastest speed ever achieved on one. Hitting an eye-watering 103.8 km/h, Dias cemented his name in skateboarding history once again.

A Dream 13 Years in the Making

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment stunt. Dias had dreamed of this project since 2011, when whispers first circulated in Porto Alegre’s skate community about the possibility of turning the towering office building into a ramp. For years, the idea floated around as a kind of urban legend, a “what if” scenario that seemed too dangerous, too far-fetched to pull off.

But Dias is not one to let dreams collect dust. Together with Red Bull’s creative and engineering teams, he spent years mapping out the logistics, physics, and safety protocols necessary to make the impossible possible. “It took 13 years to make this happen,” Dias said after the record-breaking ride. “This was my dream, and today I can finally say it’s real. No matter how far away your goals seem, never give up on them.”

The Build

Constructing the temporary quarter pipe required a small army of builders, designers, and safety experts. The ramp itself rose from the base of the building, with a transition designed to handle the immense forces generated by a rider dropping from 70 meters up. For context, that’s roughly the height of a 20-story building. At that altitude, Dias wasn’t just skating — he was effectively free-falling onto his board.

The engineering challenge was immense. The ramp had to be strong enough to withstand multiple high-speed runs yet precise enough to allow Dias to hit it at the exact angle required to avoid disaster. Every millimeter of curvature mattered. And once it was built, there was no testing with anyone but Dias himself — the project was too risky to replicate.

The Moment of Truth

On the day of the drop, a crowd gathered below the skyscraper to witness what looked more like a daredevil stunt than a skateboarding session. Dias climbed to the rooftop, strapped on his pads and helmet, and rolled his board to the edge.

The first run was a blur. As he dropped in, the sound of wheels hitting steel echoed across the city. In seconds, he was a streak of speed, hurtling toward the quarter pipe at highway velocity. He rocketed up the transition and soared into the air, landing clean to a roar of disbelief from the crowd.

Over the course of the day, Dias completed four flawless runs. Each time, his confidence grew, but so did the weight of what he had accomplished. At 50 years old, most pro skaters would be content reflecting on their past glories. Instead, Dias had just set a new benchmark for courage and progression in the sport.

A Legacy Secured

For Dias, this wasn’t just about records — it was about proving that skateboarding still has untapped frontiers. “I wanted to show that even at my age, with dedication and passion, you can still break barriers,” he explained. His message resonated far beyond Porto Alegre, inspiring skaters worldwide to dream bigger and push harder.

The Red Bull Building Drop may never be repeated, but it doesn’t need to be. Like Danny Way’s Great Wall of China jump or Tony Hawk’s first 900, it’s a moment etched into skateboarding lore. A reminder that the sport thrives on audacity, imagination, and riders willing to risk everything in pursuit of the next horizon.

👉 Watch Sandro Dias make history