Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
In an increasingly crowded world, seemingly no spot has gone un-surfed. American skydiver Sean MacCormac found a unique way to break new ground, however, by becoming the first person to grind across the suspension cables of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.
MacCormac is a pioneer in the world of skysurfing, a variant of skydiving where athletes descend with a board strapped to their feet. This most recent feat, called Bridge Rider, started off as a daydream, though it soon became much more serious. “We had a lunch break and I was looking out over L.A., daydreaming about skysurfing,” explained MacCormac, “and I just imagined this impossible grind where you could use the canopy to grind a rooftop or something. Seeing lines with this equipment that I wouldn’t have imagined otherwise. From there, it just kind of percolated into this.”
The stunt started with a jump from a helicopter at 5,500 feet. From there, MacCormac deployed his parachute, and went on a three-minute flight towards the bridge, navigating wind currents to precisely line up with the cables. Once there, he rode on the cables, then executed a sharp right turn to descend the remaining 200 feet to land on a barge waiting below.
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
“This was probably the most intense, wildest project I’ve ever done,” said MacCormac. “To be able to complete this project brings me an incredible sense of accomplishment.”
Months of careful preparation went into the stunt. “We have a giant crane with two anchoring forklifts and with Eric, our math magician, we’ve been able to come pretty darn close to emulating the schematics of the bridge, so what we’re able to do is get some repetition and figure out what the best flightlines are and go through this whole process,” explained MacCormac. “It’s been really incredible and confidence-building, so we’ve crossed the rubicon of the unknown.”
