Estonian stuntman Jaan Roose is the first to cross the Strait of Messina on foot.
He did this by walking on a 1.9 cm wide rope for three hours.
Despite the feat, he missed the world record after a fall – 80 meters from the goal.
It was on Wednesday, July 10 that the Estonian slackline athlete and Jaan Roose stood at the starting point, 265 meters in the air, and began to walk across the Strait of Messina – on a rope.
Roose, who is also a Hollywood stuntman, completed the 3,646-meter stretch in nearly three hours, surpassing the current world record distance of 2,710 meters. However, there was no new world record for Roose, as he fell in the last 80 meters of the stretch. To break the world record, he needed to complete the entire distance without falling.
The final stage of the leg was uphill, so Roose needed to climb 130 meters in height to the finish point on Sicily’s Torre Faro tower.
The Strait of Messina is located at the tip of the Italian toe and separates Sicily from the Italian mainland.
“I feel ‘Jaantastic,’ I’m super happy, a little tired and worn out. But listen, I made history! I walked 3.6 kilometers across the Strait of Messina! It was a long walk, full of surprises from start to finish, I had some difficulties, but the weather was good! I expected more wind,” said Jaan Roose after the feat.
Roose spent over six months preparing for the Messina Crossing.