On Monday, Italian Simone Origone succeeded in breaking his own world speed skiing record with a new speed of 252.4 kilometers per hour (156.8 miles per hour). His previous record of 156.2 miles per hour was set in 2006.

Speed skiing is the sport of skiing downhill in a straight line, attempting to gain as much speed as possible. It is one of the fastest non-motorized sports on land.

The latest record was set at Chabrieres in the French Alps, where the slope drops more than 1,600 feet in three-quarters of a mile with a maximum grade of 98 percent. According to Outside, “Most black runs in the United States have a maximum grade of about 35 percent, so, yeah, that’s pretty steep.”

Passion for the exhilarating sport seems to run in the family, as Simone’s brother, Ivan Origone is also a speed skier.

Check out the video below.

http://youtu.be/2upkXffg_O8