Daredevils live to tell the story
They have lived to see another day and, perhaps, another world record.
Daredevils Enrico Schoeman and André de Kock successfully negotiated the 120,4m distance between them and a possible new Guinness World Record, on September 5.
The duo, who used to race at the Dunswart Stadium, in Benoni, rode Schoeman’s Australian-side car at Rhino Valley, in the Free State, on September 5.
They improved on their existing world record of 103.09m and have now unofficially broken their current record.
It’s the 14th time the two have ridden through a fire tunnel on the bike with slick tyres, no brakes or suspension.
De Kock said he would not attempt the feat again.
He said the distance they have reached is on the edge of the machine’s and their limit, as one small mistake would result in certain death.
De Kock said when things go well it feels like they could have gone an extra 20m, but there is no point in extending the distance, as they already hold the record.
In the event of someone else breaking the record, de Kock remains steadfast that he will not do it again.
“If you touch the devil too many times he will touch you,” he said, adding that the ride on September 5 went fairly well, despite a minor glitch in the tunnel.
De Kock explained that the bike slipped on something (possibly fuel) and veered towards one of the walls, but
Schoeman calmly corrected the bike’s course.
After the stunt, Schoeman told de Kock he was unaware of the sideways motion.
Schoeman, who rode with a torn shoulder muscle, said he feels that he won’t attempt the daring stunt again, but that one should never say never.
The pair should know within the next two weeks whether they have broken their previous record, which was set in 2012.
