What does it take to pull off a stunt that's never been attempted before?
For Austrian freeride rider Elias Schwärzler, it meant two years of planning, months of testing, and a single chance to get everything exactly right.
Nearly 950 metres above the ground, Schwärzler rode his mountain bike across the top of a hot air balloon before launching into a double frontflip and BASE jumping safely back down. The feat is believed to be the first of its kind, combining mountain biking, hot air ballooning and BASE jumping into one continuous stunt.
To bring viewers along for the ride, Schwärzler mounted two Insta360 X5 cameras to his helmet, capturing the entire stunt from a first-person perspective.
No Room for Error
Unlike a traditional hot air balloon flight, Schwärzler wasn't standing inside the basket.
Instead, he balanced on top of the balloon's envelope—the thin fabric that forms the balloon itself. Beneath him was nothing but open air. Under his tyres was a curved surface heated to around 100°C, offering no handholds, no safety railings and no opportunity for a second attempt.
From riding across the balloon to launching off the edge, rotating through two frontflips and deploying his parachute, each step relied on total precision. A mistimed take-off, an incomplete rotation or even a slight delay opening the parachute could have had serious consequences.
Only once the parachute opened and he landed safely was the stunt complete.
Two Years in the Making
Although the final moment lasted only seconds, the project had been in development for around two years.
Schwärzler and his team worked through the technical and logistical challenges of bringing the idea to life, refining everything from how the bike would be mounted on the balloon to the exact launch point needed for the jump.
Each element had to work independently before they could all be combined into a single uninterrupted sequence. And, of course, he needed a camera that could keep up.
Pushing the Limits
This isn't the first time Schwärzler has redefined what's possible on two wheels. In 2022, he set an official Guinness World Record by reaching 272 km/h (169 mph), becoming the fastest person ever on a bike.
With this latest achievement, he adds another world first to a career built on pushing the boundaries of action sports. It's creators like Elias who continue to inspire what Think Bold means in action.
Some ideas seem impossible—until someone decides to try them.
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