A snowsports instructor has broken a world record at Trafford's Chill Factore, after skiing up and down the slope 400 times in just one day.
Callum Mackenzie, 26, was out on the snow for a total of 22 hours as part of the attempt to break the record for ‘Greatest Vertical Distance Skied Up and Downhill in 24 Hours (indoors)’.
To achieve this accolade, Callum had to climb up the 180m indoor slope 200 times, totalling a vertical height of 12km in the 24 hour period.
He only took a short five minute break for every hour he skied, and was not allowed to use the indoor slope’s ski lifts or any form of assisted skiing.
The instructor, who has skied since he was four years old, had been training for the intense endurance challenge since the first lockdown, which involved a punishing daily routine.
His regime included running, walking, cycling and home flexibility and strength workouts to ensure his body could take 24 hours on the snow.
On the record attempt, which can be watched above, Callum said: “The challenge was definitely a lot harder than I expected, both physically and mentally.
“I was a little bit naive going into it but I got there in the end and I’m just so happy to end 2020 on a high!
“I would like to thanks Chill Factore for supporting me and allowing me to do the record here.
“In the future I’d love to take on a couple more records in this slope – if I do, I’d like to do them for charity, specifically DSUK, to raise money and awareness for adaptive skiing.”
Throughout the challenge, Callum was monitored by both a group of adjudicators and a highly accurate professional GPS tracker.
For the final distance figure to be valid, the Guinness World Record team had to measure the altitude of the starting and finishing point of each run.
By cross referencing the data with the adjudicator’s logbook and GPS statistics, the final figure could be verified.
As he wasn’t allowed to use the ski lifts, Callum used a special type of skinned ski and heel lifts to ensure he didn’t slip when climbing the 180m slope.
Chill Factore CEO, Morwenna Angove, praised the instructor’s ‘incredible’ achievement.
“Callum’s World Record is nothing short of incredible; it’s something that all skiers, whether you’re a professional or amateur, can appreciate,” she said.
“This is the second time an individual member of our team has brought home a GWR, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fact that the Chill Factore is open once again than with today’s achievement.”
The successful attempt at the world record, which took place from 14th to 15th December, was the second time it had been organised after being postponed due to the pandemic.
