Year-Ender 2025: Check 18 Most Defining Stories From The World Of Red Bull

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on a year shaped by world-first achievements, elite athletic progression and ambitious projects executed at the edge of human capability across every corner of Red Bull’s universe.

From altitude-defying aerial firsts and limit-testing endurance challenges to record-breaking feats, cultural milestones and applied engineering breakthroughs, these 18 stories reflect what defined 2025 across sport, culture and innovation.

Dario Costa Pushed Aviation Limits with Unbelievable Flight Down Kitzbühel's Legendary Streif

Red Bull Air Race pilot Dario Costa delivered a world-first by flying his Zivko Edge 540 down the iconic Streif downhill ski course in Austria’s Kitzbühel at 350 km/h, facing 85% gradients, over 10g of force, and razor-thin margins through two low arches. Built for skiers - not aircraft - the course demanded constant power adjustments with no room for error. Backed by The Flying Bulls’ meticulous planning, Costa’s run redefined controlled flight on extreme terrain, earning praise from skiing legend Daron Rahlves as “the best run ever.”

Skydiver Max Manow Redefines Human Flight with World’s First Mid-Air Plane Hook Manoeuvre:

Red Bull Skydive Team athlete Max Manow achieved a world-first over Arizona’s Hell Hole Bend, leaping from a helicopter, chasing down a nosediving Cessna 182, and attaching himself to the aircraft mid-air before being towed back to altitude. Using a custom hook system and modified wingsuit, he demonstrated an “endless skydive,” proving continuous flight without landing or repacking. Flying through a 240-metre-wide canyon at speeds up to 150 km/h and placing total trust in pilot Luke Aikins and his re-engineered aircraft, Manow ascended at 500 feet per minute before releasing into freefall - pointing toward a new frontier in human flight.

When Snowboarding Becomes Art: Pierre Vaultier’s Hypnotic Pumptrack on a Frozen Lake

Two-time Olympic champion Pierre Vaultier turned Pontillas Lake in Serre Chevalier into an otherworldly canvas, riding a custom pumptrack built on a partially frozen surface for his project Floating Shapes. Carving across ice just centimetres thick, Vaultier balanced precision and creativity as narrow 50 cm sections left no margin for error - each misstep risking a plunge into 1°C water. Blending athletic mastery with visual expression, he redefined snowboarding as an art form in motion.

Olympic Champion Karsten Warholm Battles the Elements in the Coolest Hurdle Run Ever

Olympic 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm became the first athlete to hurdle on ice, sprinting across a frozen Norwegian lake in shorts and modified 9mm-studded spikes for a wildly unconventional winter training session. Braving sub-zero temperatures and 54 km/h winds, he tackled slick ice and handmade hurdles with remarkable balance and control, turning an extreme environment into a showcase of creativity and athletic boldness.

Red Bull Starman: Sebastian Alvarez Shatters Three World Records with Groundbreaking Wingsuit Skydive

Chilean wingsuit pilot Sebastián “Ardilla” Álvarez broke three world records in a single flight, leaping from 41,470 feet over Tennessee and harnessing a jet stream to reach 550 km/h, glide 53.45 kilometres, and remain airborne for 11 minutes and 1 second. Flying a custom aerodynamic wingsuit through –100°C wind chills and ultra-thin oxygen, he delivered unprecedented margins across speed, distance, and time - cementing his status as a pioneer of human flight.

Swiss-Austrian Duo Break 21-Year-Old Speed Climbing Record in the Bernese Alps

Swiss climber Nicolas Hojac and Austrian partner Philipp Brugger broke a 21-year-old record by climbing the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau in 15 hours and 30 minutes, nearly ten hours faster than the 2004 mark. Starting in darkness and moving nonstop across rock, snow, and ice, the duo completed one of mountaineering’s most demanding endurance challenges in a single push - an achievement that marked Brugger’s comeback from a serious health scare and honoured Hojac’s late mentor, speed-climbing pioneer Ueli Steck.

Ben Stokes and KL Rahul Team Up for a Batting Challenge Across Lakes, Trucks, and Floating Targets

Ahead of the England vs India Test Series, rivals Ben Stokes and KL Rahul put competition aside to team up for the Ultimate Cricket Challenge, reimagining batting through a series of inventive, high-pressure trials. From striking balls off the roof of a moving truck to hitting floating targets from a lake-based pitch and facing a drone-assisted finale, the duo were pushed far beyond traditional matchplay. Swapping stadiums for unconventional arenas, the challenge showcased elite skill, adaptability, and camaraderie.

Vaulting the Rooftops of History: Parkour in Turkiye's Storied Southeast

Freerunners Hazal Nehir and Lilou Ruel turned the centuries-old rooftops of Mardin and Midyat into an open-air playground for Roof Rush, blending modern parkour with the architectural heritage of southeastern Türkiye. Moving across sandstone rooftops above the Mesopotamian plains, the project marked Nehir’s return after a long injury layoff and a personal homecoming for Ruel.

Luc Ackermann Defies Physics in FMX Tsunami Backflip Between Moving Trucks

Freestyle motocross rider Luc Ackermann completed a physics-defying feat by jumping his bike from one moving truck to another, clearing a 9-metre-high motorway barrier with just half a second to spare. Launching at a combined speed of 74 km/h, Ackermann covered a 40-metre gap while performing a Tsunami Backflip, relying on split-second timing and total trust in his team.

Sean MacCormac Completes World-First Skysurf on San Francisco Bay Bridge Cables

American skysurfing pioneer Sean MacCormac became the first person to ride the suspension cables of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge. Jumping from a helicopter at 5,500 feet, MacCormac aligned his descent with the bridge, ground along the cables on a custom board, and landed safely on a floating platform in the Bay. Months of engineering analysis, precision training, and bespoke equipment culminated in a landmark skysurfing feat that reimagined how aerial sport can interact with urban landmarks.

Peter Salzmann Breaks World Speed Record With Thrilling 347km/h Wingsuit B.A.S.E. Jump

Austrian wingsuit pilot Peter Salzmann set a new world speed record by reaching 347 km/h during a 35-second wingsuit B.A.S.E. jump from the Eiger’s North Face in Switzerland. Launching from the ‘Ecstasy Board,’ Salzmann flew 2,073 metres into the valley in a custom-designed wingsuit, surpassing the previous 340 km/h benchmark and even outpacing the world’s fastest camera drone.

Jamie Huser Sets Wakeboarding World Record with 140-Meter Rail Ride

Swiss Red Bull athlete Jamie Huser set a new wakeboarding world record by riding a 140-metre rail on Lake Falerin in Laax, nearly doubling the previous benchmark. Built from 24 floating metal segments and positioned at 2,000 metres above sea level, the rail demanded exceptional balance and control, with Huser succeeding on his 113th attempt at a precise speed of 34 km/h.

Andrzej Bargiel Skis from the Summit of Mount Everest to Base Camp, Without Supplementary Oxygen

Andrzej Bargiel delivered a world-first by climbing Mount Everest and executing a full ski descent from the summit to Everest Base Camp without supplementary oxygen. After nearly 16 hours in the death zone above 8,000 metres, Bargiel clipped into his skis at the top of the world and descended via the South Col, navigating the Khumbu Icefall before reaching Base Camp safely.

Brazilian Pro Skateboarder Sandro Dias Breaks Two Guinness World Records Descending from 22-Storey Building in Porto Alegre

Brazilian skateboarding icon Sandro Dias made history by dropping in from a 22-storey building in Porto Alegre, breaking two Guinness World Records™ for the tallest drop-in and fastest speed on a skateboard. Reaching 103 km/h from a height of 70 metres, Dias turned a long-standing skateboarding urban legend into reality with Red Bull Building Drop.

Domen Skofic Climbs Around the Outside of a Plane in Mid-Flight

In a world-first feat, Domen Škofic climbed the exterior of a plane in mid-flight, completing an 8a route across the wings of a Blanik glider at 2,500 metres. Battling freezing windchill, shifting G-forces, and airflow at speeds up to 100 km/h, he moved across the aircraft equipped only with a parachute, before finishing with a backflip skydive from 1,500 metres.

Red Bull Athletes Turn the Sky into the Ultimate Aerial Obstacle Course

Red Bull’s aerial athletes joined forces to create the Ultimate Aerial Obstacle Course, a 15-stage airborne flight linking mountains, cities, and open skies into what appears as one flight line. Blending wingsuit flying, skydiving, paramotors, aerobatics, and drone formations, the project unfolds as one large-scale “party jump,” featuring human gates, mountain catapults, skyscraper slaloms, and a glowing Red Bull can formed by drones.

Breakthrough Foil Wing Developed with Red Bull Advanced Technologies Enables Salzmann's First Wingsuit Foil Soaring Flight with Altitude Gain

Peter Salzmann brought wingsuit flying closer to bird-like soaring by completing a sustained flight with altitude gain using a newly developed foil wing. Flying above the volcanic cliffs of El Hierro in moderate winds of around 40 km/h, Salzmann harnessed ridge lift to soar for 160 seconds and climb 67 metres, a feat previously thought possible only in extreme wind conditions.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Cyclists Pull a Glider Plane Into Flight Using Only Human Power:

A nine-rider peloton from Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe achieved a world-first by towing a glider plane into powered flight using only human effort. Accelerating to 54 km/h on a 1,500-metre runway, the riders generated enough force to lift pilot Andy Hediger and the aircraft into the air without an engine or mechanical tow. The feat, known as Peloton Takeoff, combined elite cycling performance with applied engineering - transforming human power, data modelling, and perfect synchronisation into controlled flight.