Top British snowboarder breaks world record for fastest speed towed by vehicle

Britain’s quickest snowboarder has broken the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed towed by a vehicle.

Jamie Barrow broke his own previous record by hitting 92.99mph while being pulled by a Maserati Levante across the frozen lake of St Moritz in Switzerland.

He achieved a top speed of 94.18mph on his first run. However, Guinness World Record regulations require a second run, and once this slower session was taken into account, an average top speed of 92.99mph was recorded.

Barrow’s previous record stood at 68.97mph while being towed behind a Mitsubishi Evo. He also holds the title as the first snowboarder to be towed by a commercial plane, which saw him reach 77.67mph at an airport close to St Moritz.

The Levante is more powerful than the car Barrow used for his previous attempt, and came equipped with studded Pirelli Scorpion Winter tyres designed to offer the best traction on snow.

Maserati’s Levante also proved useful thanks to its all-wheel-drive system, which can respond to the conditions and adjust the car’s settings accordingly. Variable torque control can accurately transfer power to the wheels with the most grip – a feature that proved useful on the frozen surface of St Moritz.

Barrow said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have broken my own record. I always knew there was much more speed possible with the right conditions and, crucially, the right car to tow me.

“The Maserati Levante made light work of the icy and snowy conditions, giving us the grip to really hit top speed. The adrenalin rush is always amazing when you hit those speeds – I’m just happy I was able to hold my nerve, keep the snowboard in line and ultimately smash the world record.”

The speed was measured over a distance of 100 metres, with an additional 400 metres at each end so that the car could safely accelerate and come to a stop. The snow had even been specially prepared so that the run could go as smoothly as possible.