On New Year’s Eve, daredevil stunt racer, Travis Pastrana, broke the world record for the longest rally car jump. Sponsored by Redbull, Pastrana’s challenge was to jump the pier in Long Beach, California, and land on a padded barge set up in the harbor. The jump totaled 269 feet and literally smashed the original world record, achieved by Ken Block in 2006, by approximately 98 feet.

Pastrana emerged from the car uninjured after the jump, whooping and hollering with excitement. He then astonished the crowd even further by doing a back-flip off the barge and into the chilly harbor.

Pastrana has been making a name for himself in the extreme sports world since 1999, when at just 15 years old, he jumped his motorcycle into the San Francisco Bay after winning an X Games gold medal. While the stunt cost him the medal, it certainly didn’t stop Pastrana from going on to pursue his need for speed and adrenaline. He has also been an active rally car racer since 2003, winning numerous titles in the series in the last four years.

While I have never been fond of heights, and can’t imagine the adrenaline rush of such an incredible jump, I can’t help but gasp in awe every time I watch this video. It’s the Travis Pastrana’s of the world that remind us that not so long ago, birds were the only things up in the air, and rightfully so. It is the continued willingness and excitement of the adrenaline-fueled pioneer to push the limits and change the rules for the rest of us on a regular basis.