All eyes in the world of wrestling have been on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Darby Allin as he attempted to scale Mount Everest, despite not having mountaineering experience.
The US sports personality, known for his daredevil stunts on bikes and in cars, has been documenting his journey with breathtaking photos, and kept his large fanbase entertained on the way up by performing a kickflip, which he reckons broke records for being the highest stunt of its kind ever.
He has now safely reached the summit, posting on Instagram a snap from the summit. In the caption he says:
"Thanks to the amazing team at adventure consultants and the Sherpa squad this s*** was wild!"
On May 5, Allin shared a video on his Instagram account of him performing the skateboard trick. In the audio you can hear him claim elatedly: "There we go. We are at Everest Camp II and the elevation is – pull out the watch for official proof [...] – right there, 20,958ft. That is a world record for the highest elevation kickflip."
World famous professional skater Tony Hawk commented underneath: "Do a kickflip! Now find some oxygen!"
Allin climbed the world's highest mountain with Adventure Consultants; his trip began on April 8. On April 14 the tour operator posted the image below featuring Allin as the team saw Everest for the first time.
A typical Mount Everest expedition takes around two months but "Allin’s lack of prior experience in mountain climbing could extend his journey," reported Wrestling Headlines. "While roughly two-thirds of climbers reach the summit, the success rate is lower for those without experience, and about one percent of climbers face fatal risks."
Allin originally planned to climb the mountain in 2024, but had to push back the expedition when he broke his foot performing a front flip in a wrestling match.
He has discussed the expedition publicly, imagining it to be a "humbling experience".
"I want to always dig deep down inside and remind myself of what I am capable of and who I am. I'm very excited for that opportunity to do with Everest and very grateful that AEW is letting me do this in the middle of my career," he said in an interview with Wrestling Inc.
"I've been doing so much breathing exercises now [sic]. I can hold my breath for 3 minutes and 40 seconds. And I'm just mentally training in case I get stuck under an avalanche... It's some of the most strenuous, hard, training I've ever done," he revealed in a separate interview with Wrestling Inc.
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