"It's been crazy ..."

Unparalleled insanity met high hopes in the friendly confines of Chicago’s Butler Field at Grant Park as Ronnie Renner broke his own Guinness World Record for the highest motorcycle jump off a quarterpipe on July 25. The 32-year-old American corrected the standing record to 63 feet 5 inches (19.35 meters).

On July 25 thousands of excited fans from all over the Midwest huddled together in anticipation and watched as Ronnie Renner fearlessly approached the imposing ramp, which featured Chicago’s world famous skyline as the backdrop. On his third attempt, Renner launched himself an astounding 63 feet 5 inches (19.35 meters) above the ground, eclipsing the record he set a year ago. ‘It’s been crazy. I’m so pumped to have done it,’ said Renner after his jumps. ‘What a killer vibe! All these people coming out to see me and they were psyched. I could hear the crowd cheering.’

Guinness World Records certified Renner’s highest jump, which was officially measured from the top of the 22-foot-tall (6.7 meters) quarterpipe, as 41 feet 5 inches (12.64 meters) from the top of the ramp (63 feet 5 inches high in total). ‘I was super excited to come here but didn’t really know what to expect,’ said Lindsey Marlow, a fan. ‘I’ve seen a lot of motocross events, but Ronnie’s jump was amazing!’ Immediately following Red Bull High Rise, Renner jumped on a yacht to be a part of Chicago’s 52nd Annual Venetian Night as the last boat of the evening. Adding his usual touch, he played air guitar as he sailed down Lake Michigan. During Renner’s time in Chicago, he witnessed both a White Sox and Cubs game, priding himself on being a non-biased fan. Unfortunately, he missed White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle’s perfect game by a day.

Ronnie set his initial world record in 2008 on the Santa Monica Pier by jumping 59’2” (18 meters) above the ground. After that jump, he knew he could go higher, and under an ominous Chicago sky, he did. When asked what he planned to do next, Renner stated, ‘Between me and Red Bull, we’re bound to come up with something crazy.’ Renner is a respected freestyle motocross veteran whose credentials include a gold medal in Moto X Step Up at the 2007 Summer X Games, and the Step Up world record. He will participate in the X Games 2009, competing in the Moto X Step Up and Best Whip events.

Renner’s jump completed yet another amazing chapter of world-firsts, following the record-shattering performances of fellow motocross sensation Robbie Maddison and BMX star Kevin Robinson. Maddison jumped the length of a football field in front of thousands on New Year’s Eve 2007, clearing 322 feet (98.14 meters) in Las Vegas. Last June, Robinson soared 27 feet (8.2 meters) above the lip of a huge quarterpipe (54 feet – 16.45 meters – above the ground) in New York’s Central Park to set the BMX big air world record.