Takahiro Ikeda is a 23-year-old pro BMX rider who defeated many opponents and overcame numerous challenges to win a world championship in 2010. If that weren’t enough his good looks have also earned him several TV appearances.

However, last July he had to face off not with other skilled opponents, nor with the lights and cameras of the media, but with himself as he attempted to set a Guinness World Record in the “megaspin” – a move in which the rider spins around on their back wheel without touching the ground with their body or other wheel.

On 19 July Ikeda went to a warehouse in Shinkiba, Tokyo to be observed by the Guinness officials. In Ikeda’s previous record he could make 30 spins in 30 seconds on the back wheel of his bike. This time he had set out to break his own personal best.

The air in the warehouse was thick with tension as the young man warmed up and the crew got into place. Ikeda’s challenge was simple in theory: When he starts the megaspin the stopwatch begins to count down from 30 seconds. If he spins more than 30 times then the record is his. But that’s easier said than done.

When the clock hit 0:00, not only did Ikeda beat the record, but he smashed it with a whopping 45 spins in 30 seconds, earning himself the Guinness World Record. The video of the record attempt was filmed as a part of the Sony Action Cam promotional videos. This is the same series that took RocketNews24 along to explore Battleship Island (Gunkanjima) earlier this year.

Not a bad idea for a promotion as we can see Ikeda very clearly as he megaspins around at inhuman speeds. In fact, it’s so clear you’d almost not think he’s doing 90rpm without going by the timer. Even the camera mounted on the bike caught a clear shot of Ikeda’s pretty mug as it spun around and around wildly.

Takahiro Ikeda set the bar pretty high at Guinness with 45 spins in 30 seconds, it’s hard to say if anyone including himself can top it. Meanwhile, we’re expecting this particular rider to show up more and more in the Japanese media with his killer-combination of looks and talent.

Source: Action Cam by Sony: World Record Challenge By Takahiro Ikeda

Courtesy of Sony Marketing