Man Tattoos Himself While Skydiving From 15,000 Feet in Bid for Wild Guinness World Record

A tattoo artist and thrill seeker has secured a remarkable Guinness World Record after tattooing himself while in freefall during a skydive from 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) The feat, which Guinness World Records has now officially recognised, combined two high-risk pursuits into a single record-breaking achievement.

The stunt was completed on 8 June, although Guinness World Records only recently announced the achievement on its official website. During the jump, Funky Matas exited an aircraft at approximately 15,000 feet before using a tattoo machine to ink the word 'FLY' onto the back of his own hand while falling through the air.

Skydivers typically reach terminal velocities of around 120 mph (193 km/h) during freefall. At that speed, they have less than a minute before deploying their parachutes, leaving Matas with only a brief window to complete the tattoo while maintaining control of both the equipment and his body position.

The successful attempt earned him the Guinness World Record for the highest altitude skydive while performing a self-tattoo, adding another unusual achievement to his growing list of records.

'I love adrenaline, tattoos, and rebellion – so it was a no-brainer for me,' Matas told Guinness World Records when asked what inspired him to pursue the challenge.

Months of Planning Overcame Technical and Safety Hurdles

The record required far more preparation than the final freefall itself. According to Matas, organising the attempt proved difficult because several skydiving operators declined to participate due to the obvious safety and logistical concerns surrounding the stunt.

After eventually finding a company willing to support the attempt, he spent weeks rehearsing the process under simulated conditions. Training included practising tattooing with a powerful industrial fan blowing directly at him to recreate the intense airflow experienced during freefall.

One of the biggest technical obstacles was keeping the tattoo ink usable. Temperatures at 15,000 feet can fall well below those on the ground, creating the risk of the ink becoming too cold during the jump. Because there would be no opportunity to refill or adjust the tattoo machine once in freefall, Matas had to complete the design as quickly and accurately as possible.

Despite the extreme conditions, he was pleased with the final result.

'Considering we were going about 120 miles an hour, I think it came out pretty good! It's definitely legible,' Matas said.

It Wasn't His First Guinness World Record

For Matas, the record was about more than pushing physical limits. He hoped the achievement would encourage others to pursue ambitious goals, regardless of how unrealistic they may seem.

'The message I just sent with my record or with anything I do is that anything is possible. It's not what you want, but how bad you want it,' he explained.

'If I can achieve something like this, then anyone else looking to achieve their goals... I hope they get some courage by seeing the things that I've done.'

The latest feat marks Matas' second Guinness World Record. He previously claimed the title for the most signatures tattooed on the body (male) after collecting 273 signatures permanently inked onto his skin.

Matas has been expanding his online presence by sharing tattoos, extreme sports and behind-the-scenes footage of his challenges across social media. His content has attracted a rapidly growing global audience. He now has more than one million followers on Instagram.