Three months ago, I got the call that set this whole thing in motion. Red Bull wanted to pull off the unthinkable—send Sean MacCormac, a skydiving legend with thousands of jumps, X Games golds, and more accolades than you can count, out of a helicopter above San Francisco Bay. To add to the drama, a chase skydiver, another aerial legend, Jon Devore, would be right on his heels, documenting his free fall, and the goal? To have him board slide the Bay Bridge cables, then stick the landing on a barge floating just below the span. Strong currents, morning fog, razor-thin margins, and one of the busiest bridges on the planet—what could possibly go wrong?
To address some of the safety concerns, Red Bull brought in the Maverick’s Rescue team to handle water safety for this monumental mission. These days, the crew is a tight collective of rescue ski drivers, swimmers, divers, medics, and support boats—ready to back up just about anything someone dreams up over the water. And man, did we have our hands full this time. On this day, the team would also be backed up by the San Francisco Police Marine unit and the US Coast Guard.
Drake Stanely
” loading=”lazy” width=”960″ height=”720″ decoding=”async” data-nimg=”1″ class=”standard-img” style=”color:transparent” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/prlZTQsBpdc6fxAcH3PIrA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcyMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/surfer_magazine_140/999c109a6f47e4ba5709f11560a65fd9″/>Maverick’s Rescue team on location in the San Francisco Bay as Red Bull Air Force skydiver Sean MacCormac took skysurfing to the urban frontier by riding his board down the suspension rails of the iconic San Francisco Bay Bridge.
Drake Stanely
“This was probably the most intense, wildest project I’ve ever done,” MacCormac said. “I’ve never had that view before, and I’m pretty sure no one else has either. To be able to complete this project brings me an incredible sense of accomplishment. We put such incredible focus, math, and science into lining up the cable and landing safely on the barge.”
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Pulling this off in under three months—juggling permits, agencies, boat traffic, and tidal currents—was nothing short of a miracle. But it all came together in a few heart-pounding minutes above the Bay. With the sun rising over one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Sean MacCormac made history, riding the Bay Bridge cables in a way no one had ever imagined.
This story was originally reported by Surfer on Aug 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Surfer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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