The vertiginous fall of 41 meters from a freestyler kayaker

Dave Jackson is what we call a freestyler kayaker, but his job, which requires him to perform incredible acrobatics in wild rivers, often turns him into a stuntman. Especially when operating in the south of Santiago, Chile, on the Salto del Maule waterfall. A few days ago, the American tackled the largest waterfall he knew to sign an impressive feat with a fall of 41 meters!

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Stare it down, feel it out, set it ..... | - @novusselect | | #saltomaule #stout #beast

A post shared by Dane Jackson (@danejacksonkayak) on Feb 9. 2020 at 9: 31 PST

The 26-year-old kayaker took four years to decide and jump into the void. The fall only lasted a few seconds but offered him unique sensations. "It's like falling from the face of the earth. You can just look down and it's chaos everywhere, ”the athlete told CNN . The world champion in the discipline had meticulously prepared his move while being fully aware of the risks involved. "I had accepted the idea that it was going badly but I knew that I wanted to have an experience of this type with a jump like this," he continued.

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The greatest view I have ever gotten to experience. | #saltomaule #stareitdown #glorious #gopro

A post shared by Dane Jackson (@danejacksonkayak) on Feb 11. 2020 at 9:32 PST

Gilles BeyerRed Bull

Jackson said that the impact with the water was surprisingly mild, but he was forced to get out of his kayak very quickly because the kayak, not having withstood the impact, took on the water after the detachment of her skirt. "With a stunt of this power and this height, the way things went remains a victory for me, even if the end could have been a little better," said the athlete.

And now the world record of 57 m?

Premature by birth, this extreme kayaker has lost 70% of his hearing and has developed the ability to read the lips of those around him over the years. A handicap that did not slow him down to become one of the big stars of his discipline. In the wake of his feat, he now plans to do better than the world record set by Tyler Bradt at Palouse Falls (57 meters in 2009), southeast of Washington State (United States), even if 'he's not obsessed with it. “It will be difficult to find a fall as perfect as Palouse. If I find it, and the opportunity arises, I might take a look, but I'm not hunting because I have a lot of other things to do, "concludes the freestyler, recognized for his commitment to the protection of rivers.

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