Johnny Cruz Buckingham set a Guinness World Record for the fastest sand skiing on 16 October 2026, reaching 127 km/h on Peru’s Toro Mata dune. The American surpassed the previous mark of 121 km/h, held by France’s Mahé Freydier, by a margin of 6 km/h.
Crashed, bent, and back on the line
On his second October descent at 89 km/h he hit the abrupt round-out at the bottom, bent an ankle and twisted a knee. He feared torn ligaments in both legs but recovered to reach 117 km/h on his ninth attempt.
The team had already endured a failed trip in February, when rainy-season weather slowed their drive to Acari. Buckingham’s first run in heavy snow gear reached only 97 km/h. A change of skis and lighter clothing brought him to 120 km/h before the wax wore off and the team had to leave.
“I was scared. Like, really scared.”
Standing at the summit the next morning, with cold sand underfoot and the sun just touching the horizon, Buckingham admitted the moment had shaken him. He had never straight‑lined a run that big on sand. Once he pushed off he held a tight tuck and focused on nothing but his position.
The sound of the wind grew louder the further he travelled. When he rounded out at the bottom he sensed he had passed 75 mph even before the numbers were read. Teammate Mike Bedient’s radar gun confirmed 78.9 mph. Dito Chavez, the Peruvian snowboarder who guided the team, had called 77 mph from below.
A record hunted from the start
Buckingham first saw Freydier’s 121 km/h run in September 2025 and said he wanted the title immediately. By February 2026 the Air Force officer and Kessel Run program manager already held 17 Guinness World Records.
Guinness certified the mark in November. “It’s not about breaking the record. It’s about the excitement of planning it out and seeing if I can pull it off.” His next target stretches further still: the fastest towed skiing record of 189.07 km/h.
