On 12th April 2024, Swiss skier Kim Gubser soared over this monster hip in Schilthorn, Switzerland, and set a new world record for the highest air on a pair of skis. At his high point Gubser was a mind-boggling 14.6 metres (47.9 feet) above the lip of the jump. Theo Acworth, the photographer on hand to capture the historic moment, takes up the story:
“This session had a different energy to it than most days at the Swatch Nines event. There was definitely some tension in the air that morning. This hip was no joke—the margin for error was tiny, and the trajectory and takeoff had to be perfect. Drifting even a metre to the left or right would guarantee serious injury, or worse.
“This sort of thing is honestly more like a crazy stunt than a regular ski trick, and it definitely requires a certain level of insanity to approach. Kim didn’t seem too phased about it though. Maybe he was nervous on the inside, but if he was, it didn’t show.
“For me it was really important that the photo did justice to how insanely big this air was. I felt the best way to do that was to shoot roughly at eye level with the top of the kicker. The morning light was beautiful and having the backdrop of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau was a no-brainer. This is easily the gnarliest thing I’ve photographed.”
Photo: Theo Acworth
