Red Bull Athlete Sean MacCormac Skysurfed on San Francisco Bay Bridge

Of all the crazy aerobatic stunts, yesterday’s video of a skysurfer’s ride down the cables of the San Francisco Bay Bridge combined elements of luxury, sailing, aeronautics, and extreme sports, with two very different companies, Prada and Red Bull, supporting the event.

Sean MacCormac, a two-time X Games medalist, jumped from a helicopter flying at 5,500 feet, aimed his chute towards the suspension bridge, standing at 525 feet at its tallest point, and for several heart-stopping seconds rode the steel cables on a specially made board. He then hopped off and landed with precision on a floating platform in San Francisco Bay.

“This was probably the most intense, wildest project I’ve ever done,” said MacCormac in a statement following the skydive. “I’ve never had that view before and pretty sure no one else has either.”

That’s saying something. Having executed more than 20,000 skydives, including stuntman events in Godzilla, Point Break, and Ironman 3, MacCormac, 50, is no stranger to danger. A member of the Red Bull Air Force, MacCormac parachuted into a thunderstorm as part of the Storm’s Edge project, buzzed the Freedom Towers in a wingsuit in Manhattan, did a “Barrel of Monkeys” scene where he successfully rescued people who had fallen out of an airplane in Ironman 3.

But this one was different. It required 18 months of preparation, a new flight suit and one-off surfboard. Instead of calling it a “stunt,” the public-relation mavens at Red Bull and Prada also positioned it as the resurgence of “skysurfing,” a board sport last seen in the 2000 X Games, but one in which MacCormac has made his reputation.

In the video, MacCormac’s prowess was quickly put on public display as he careened towards the earth from the chopper and then navigated the board along the cables without it snagging or catching, and eventually aiming towards the platform under the bridge. The event ended with a perfect landing and hug from his coach.

One of the unsung heroes of the event was the Prada board, designed and fabricated by the America’s Cup team Luna Rossa, with help by Prada Linea Rossa, the luxury brand’s technical clothing maker. To achieve this first-of-its-kind stunt, the sky surfboard was designed to be rugged but lightweight, with other characteristics needed for it to succeed.

Though it looks simple, the board is a one-off technical feat that required extensive load analysis and design. The Luna Rossa team used many of the same materials on their cutting-edge race boats. The bottom was covered in a high-density polyethylene base to withstand the abrasion caused from contact with the metal cables of the bridge. The interior was comprised of a honeycomb core between layers of carbon fiber for both strength and maneuverability. MacCormac needed to be able to navigate the board with agility along the cables at dizzying speeds. The designers avoided adhesive material on the board’s surface that might rub away, snag or fray, and instead painted on the graphics.

Despite being over in seconds, MacCormac spent months rehearsing the different maneuvers required for the skysurf. Prada Linea Rossa designed the high-performance jumpsuit, mixing the trendy black look with aerodynamic features. As he parachuted towards the bridge, MacCormac looked stylish. After all, he wasn’t just riding the wind—he was riding the skyline.