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Skateboarder grinding a rail
There’s a classic adage concerning the power of perseverance that says if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. One skateboarder did exactly that and then some, as he spent over a week attempting to break the world record for the longest grind ever recorded more than 500 times before finally succeeding.
I personally did not have the patience to learn how to skateboard when I was growing up, as I only needed to eat pavement a few times after trying (and failing) to simply balance on one when I was younger before coming to the conclusion it just wasn’t going to happen for me.
I, in turn, respect anyone who put in the time and effort to learn how to pull off even the most rudimentary trick, and that’s especially true when it comes to the skaters who are talented enough to turn that pastime into a profession.
The closest I’ll ever get to knowing what it’s like to be in their shoes is controlling a character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, a game where I also never really got the hang of the delicate sense of balance you need to pull off manuals and grinds in that virtual world.
As a result, I’m even more impressed with what one man who recently secured a world record was able to pull off in reality.
Czech skateboarder Maxim Habanec nearly grinded the length of a football field to set a world record
As things currently stand, the Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Jagger Eaton as the holder of the record for the longest 50/50 grind (one where both trucks are in contact with the rail at the same time) on a skateboard, one he set with a distance of 62.1792 meters (204 feet) in 2016.
However, multiple people set out to break it this summer, and on June 8th, Kanaan Dern appeared to do exactly that with a grind that unfolded on a rail that spanned 230 feet.
It didn’t stand for very long, as Kyle Walsh saw and raised him at the end of June with a grand total of 250 feet.
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However, the throne has once again welcomed a new ruler.
According to Sport.cz, Maxim Habanec decided to take on a 78-meter (255.9-foot) rail that was erected on a road just outside of Prague in his native Czechia earlier this month (with some help from the folks at Red Bull) for what ended up turning into a nine-day saga.
The 34-year-old came up short on his first 547 attempts, but the 548th one turned out to be the charm, as he became the unofficial world record holder after grinding the entire rail and nailing the dismount.
NEW WORLD RECORD 🛹@maximhabanec just completed the world’s longest grind, coming in at 78m 🤯
📍: Red Bull Česko
🤝: @redbullskate pic.twitter.com/ArA6HpctJr— Red Bull (@redbull) July 29, 2026
Gnar.