CZ8 Meets Ryōyū Kobayashi

The air is still – quiet – but for one man gracefully soaring through it, set against the blue and white like a bird of prey. A little over six weeks ago, Ryōyū Kobayashi took to Hlidarfjall Akureyri in northern Iceland and set a new ski jumping world record. Clocking in at over 291 meters, and with a top speed of 107km/h at takeoff, the Japanese athlete broke the previous record by a whopping 37.5 meters. Supporting him in this extraordinary feat was Prada Linea Rossa, who provided Kobayashi and team with durably designed clothing and accessories for the record. It’s the latest in the Italian luxury brand’s partnership with Red Bull, as they set out to promote unique sporting achievements. We sat down with the ski jumper for a quick chat about his incredible achievement.

CZ8: How did you first get into ski jumping?

RK: I first started ski jumping by pushing snow to make small hills outside of my house when I was young. I was using Alpine skis and boots and just went for it. I didn’t land well and fell, but that was my first ever jump. I started to practice seriously after that.

CZ8: What’s a typical day like for you?

RK: Outside of training, I normally just relax lakeside with some friends, or go in the sauna. I also like to play golf, which I use as a chance to also keep active whilst having some fun.

CZ8: How did you end up collaborating with Prada Linea Rossa on the clothing and accessories used for your amazing world record jump?

RK: Thankfully Red Bull and Prada Linea Rossa have a great partnership, and had collaborated on many big projects before, so it was a natural partnership that I enjoyed a lot.

CZ8: What inspired you to want to break this record?

RK: I had always wanted to try something like this, so I mentioned this dream to Red Bull, who thankfully brought this to life with the support of Prada Linea Rossa – only this partnership could truly help in making this achievement happen. I also had a strong passion to break the World Record and leave a mark on the sport.

CZ8: How did you prepare for your jump?

RK: As there had been a one-month gap between my last World Cup event and the attempt, I focused on the physical side by training in a wind tunnel, where I faced 140km/h winds. There was also a lot of focus on my mental performance – so that I can stay focussed for the jump. On a broader scale, the Red Bull team and my coaches prepared the ski jumping hill and I also discussed the project with a ski jumping professor out in Japan.

CZ8: What are your plans for the future? Where do you go next?

RK: Even though ski jumping is popular in Europe, it’s still not a major sport in Japan, so in the future I want more people to know about ski jumping, and to bring more attention to the sport. This project was perfect for that. People around me always ask, “Do you want to jump even further?” and the answer is always “yes”, so who knows what’s next. On the grassroots level, I also want to inspire the next generation and hold events to teach the younger kids, like I did in my hometown of Iwate recently.