Who is Ken Stornes?
KEN STORNES regularly delights his social media followers with picturesque shots of himself exploring the Norwegian wildnerness.
The infantry combat veteran is now enjoying even more success and praise from his fans after breaking a world record – and bringing it back to his homeland.
Who is Ken Stornes?
Ken Stornes is a “death diver” who was born in the Norwegian town of Harstad.
He joined the military and then went on to become an MMA fighter.
Stornes is very popular on social media and, as of December 2023, has over 715,000 followers on Instagram.
He often shares updates of his career in extreme sports with his fans, as well as posting plenty of scenic shots of the Norwegian wilderness near where he lives.
Stornes has an adorable dog called Ronja who regularly appears on his Instagram with him.
What record did Ken Stornes break?
In December 2023 Stornes broke the world record in “death diving”.
Death diving, also known as Døds diving, is an extreme sport which originated in Norway.
It requires participants to jump from extreme heights into icy waters, landing in a cannonball or pike position.
There are two different types of death diving – the “classic”, where contestants throw themselves off horizontally with their arms and legs are stretched out wide.
They then tuck their limbs back in just before hitting the water.
The other type is the more dangerous “freestyle” – where jumpers can choose how they want to dive.
Stornes set a new record on December 3, 2023, by jumping from a rock wall in Stryn in Nordfjord, 40.5 meters above the water’s surface.
He is the first person to make the dive from over 40 metres.
The self-described Viking, posted about his jump on Instagram, telling his followers: “Once again we take the death dive world record back to Norway where it belongs.
“This was insane!”
In the accompanying video, Stornes is seen completing his dive into the waters, plunging between cliff faces and floating shards of ice.
Asbjorg Nesje, also from Norway, holds the women’s “death dive” record with a jump of 30.5m.
After achieving the milestone, Stornes spoke to Norwegian publication NRK, telling them: “I’m a person who needs to do things, I like to have something to strive for, and like to do things that can be a little risky”.
He added: “At least it makes me feel alive”.
When it comes to hitting the next decade milestone, however, Stornes has cast his doubt over being able to dive from 50 meters.
He said: “I don’t think you can get away from 50 meters without serious injuries”.
“I landed perfectly,” he added of his record-breaking 40.5 meter jump.
“The flight time and rate may not have been optimal, but the landing was perfect, and that is what counts,” he said.
Who had the world record before Ken Stornes?
Prior to Stornes’ record-breaking dive, Côme Girardot and Lucien Charlon held the world record.
Giradot, from France, and Chalron, from Switzerland, set the record diving from 36.5 metres.
While Stornes has broken the world record, he is unable to call himself World Champion.
The holder of that title will be decided at the annual World Championship which takes place Oslo, Norway.
The event has been held every August since it debuted in 2008.