Austrian Stuntman and Daredevil Attempts Water Speed Record on His Red Bull Vespa PX

A Vespa paired with the agility and swiftness of Piaggio engines is vulnerable to multiple hazards from the stream of much larger vehicles during a daily commute. Often physical abuses occur even when the Vespa is quietly and unobtrusively parked on a city street.

Vespas are minute when compared to most vehicles that share the road, often their small size makes them easy victims of abuse even from a slight negligence by a driver and their car. At other times, scares are the direct result of the Vespista’s deeds .

For instance, the time I rode my fully loaded Vespa 250 GTS from Sept-Îles to Montreal, Quebec, (560 miles / 900 km) at full throttle, stopping only to refuel.

Austrian Stuntman and Daredevil, Günter SCHACHERMAYR

Others like Austrian stuntman and daredevil, Günter SCHACHERMAYR push their Vespa to extreme limits in a quest to establish new benchmarks by shattering the old.

Jumping with his scooter from a plane 4000 meters above ground, parachuting off a hot air balloon 7000 meters high, riding up the Olympic and World Championships Bergisel ski jump tower and navigating a slalom course on one wheel, while blindfolded.

To appreciate the difficulty of the latter, stand on one leg and close your eyes.

Günter’s, latest attempt at a world record included strapping his Red Bull Vespa PX with water skis, tied using a tow rope to a 420-horsepower speedboat then dragged as fast as possible down a limb the Danube river,

The Record Attempt

After two years in development, this past July at the Wallsee watersport complex in Lower Austria, the time arrived for he Austrian with his crew to attempt the water speed record.

A significant challenge would be to maintain contact with the water as both the speed of the scooter and the height of the waves created by the towboat increase.

As the speedboat accelerated pulling the rider and scooter from a deepwater start, after about 60 seconds when the speed reached an impressive 65 km / h, the force of the waves generated by the towboat tore the Vespa away from under Günter.

“I lost control of my Vespa in the high waves,” said Günter. “The Vespa hit left and right once, then at full speed, the ski tips dipped and I hit the water very hard. I had to let go of the Vespa because I felt a server pain in my left chest area.”

Günter’s team have submitted the video material to Guinness Book of Records, UK .