Red Bull Building Drop: skateboarding history made in Brazil with support of Prada

On 25 September in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the world watched as legendary skater Sandro Dias made history with the Red Bull Building Drop, a daring feat created in collaboration between Red Bull and fashion brand Prada. The project transformed the 88.91-metre-tall Centro Administrativo Fernando Ferrari (CAFF) into a record-breaking skateboarding stage unlike anything seen before.

A collaboration between Red Bull and fashion brand Prada

The partnership between the energy giant and the luxury label was more than an aesthetic gesture—it was a statement about blending culture, style, and extreme sport. Prada’s Linea Rossa collection provided Dias with specially engineered gear, designed to withstand the speed, pressure, and heat generated during the high-speed descent.

Together, Red Bull and Prada clad the curved side of the CAFF in a massive plywood quarter pipe that stretched from the rooftop to the ground. Attached with a steel frame, the structure created a seamless riding surface over the building’s weathered façade, effectively turning government offices and a symphony hall into the ultimate skate ramp.

A skateboarding project that redefined limits

What had been the subject of speculation in Porto Alegre’s skateboarding community for decades became reality after two months of design and construction. Blue platforms were fixed at several points—55, 60, and 65 meters—so Dias could build up to his final attempt from 70 meters above the ground.

On his last descent, Dias reached an astonishing 64 miles per hour (103.8 km/h), setting two Guinness World Records™: the fastest speed on a temporary quarter pipe and the tallest drop into a temporary quarter pipe. Each run lasted just seconds, but the impact was monumental, combining technical mastery with the raw spectacle of architecture meeting skate culture.

Beyond the event: sustainability and legacy

Red Bull confirmed that over 115 tonnes of material used for the ramp will be repurposed—steel recycled, plywood donated to NGOs, or used as biomass. This ensured that the temporary project left a lasting benefit for the community rather than a mountain of waste.

For Dias, who has dreamed of this project for more than a decade, the message was clear: perseverance pays off. At 50 years old, he continues to redefine the boundaries of skateboarding. “I knew it was possible, but almost impossible to actually pull off,” he reflected after the descent, underscoring his belief that no dream is too far out of reach.

The Red Bull Building Drop stands as both a sporting milestone and a cultural spectacle—one where engineering, fashion, and skateboarding converged on the face of a Brazilian landmark.