Seventeen years ago, he fell into the water four times, with his furthest attempt reaching just over 20 meters, falling short of the target by only 5 meters. Now at 39, Zhang Xue returns to Mayang, Hunan, to take on water sports once again.
In 2009, when 22-year-old Zhang Xue was still working as an assembly line worker at a motorcycle factory, he appeared on CCTV's "People and Society" program. He rode a motorcycle with iron plates welded onto its wheels toward the water, aiming for a distance of 26 meters. However, he failed all four attempts, crashing each time, with his furthest reach being just over 20 meters.
According to media reports, netizens recently spotted Zhang Xue riding a motorcycle on water near Caijia River in Chongqing. The motorcycle instantly transformed into a speedboat, gliding smoothly across the surface.
Previously, Zhang Xue declared in Chongqing that he would return to Mayang on October 25 to challenge the Guinness World Record for motorcycle surfing. His exact words were, "So easy! I'm very confident; we've already tested it."
Netizens joked that a motorcycle manufacturing boss, having just finalized export orders with German clients at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, immediately turned around to ride his modified bike into the water. Truly crazy.
Subsequently, netizens uncovered details of the latest modifications: based on an off-road motorcycle frame, special tires were added with "small wings," and buoyancy steel plates and airbags were installed underneath the body.
From leaked footage, it appears the test wasn't just a staged run of 1-2 meters. Instead, he rode alongside a speedboat in an open river channel, maintaining stable body posture throughout.
Currently, the specific criteria for the Guinness challenge have not been fully disclosed; details regarding distance, timing methods, and certification rules have yet to be released. However, there are international benchmarks for motorcycles traveling on water.
It is reported that Robbie Maddison once set a record of 31.9 kilometers for distance traveled on water, while Luca Colombo reached a speed of 104 km/h on water, covering 1.9 kilometers in 2 minutes and 43 seconds.
It remains unclear which specific category Zhang Xue is attempting this time, but one thing is certain: simply riding in a circle on water won't count. There will be rules, timing, and certified officials present.