California native Danny Way will try to add a world record for the biggest air in skateboarding to his list of achievements, which includes a gold medal in the Summer X Games.
(dannyway.com)He says he's not a "crazy guy" trying to "freak people out," but skateboarder Danny Way is about to do something pretty outrageous.
The professional skateboarder is preparing to jump more than 20 feet from the neck of the guitar outside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday night and land on a massive ramp while breaking the world record for a "Big Air" jump. The current world record stands at 12 feet, 3 inches.
"I'm a little bit of a daredevil, so I do have that fire that burns," said Way by telephone as he prepared for the Vegas event. "I like to see what I'm capable of."
Check back with ABCNEWS.com on Friday for a video clip of Way's jump from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Those who follow skateboarding closely know he's capable of plenty.
The 31-year-old is an X Games gold medalist and has a string of firsts on his bio: a world record in distance jumps and the distinction of being the only person to jump from a helicopter on a skateboard. His last high-profile event had him skateboarding across the Great Wall of China. (Click here to watch video of the jump.)
Despite these accomplishments, he does have his share of jitters for the Hard Rock stunt. "I get pretty nervous. I mean, I am human," said Way. "I've got a family, a wife and two kids."
Before he could conquer the Great Wall or consider leaping from a giant Fender Stratocaster guitar, Way knew he first had to nail a math problem.
Hanging out on a skateboard and crunching numbers may sound like an odd mix of hobbies, but he learned early on that when it comes to vertical skating it's all about physics.
"When I was about 11 years old, I built my first ramp in my backyard, learned about dimensions and G-force and angles … and all the geometry that goes into the success of any design of a ramp."
