We’re obsessed with this video of Kurt Steiner, the ultimate Zen Master and Guinness World Record champion in stone skipping. In it, Steiner demonstrates his mastery of physics to support the sport. Not only is his technique and torque fascinating to learn, but his easy-going approach to life is utterly contagious. This guy is living his best life, communing with nature and doing what he loves. He gets it.
In the video, Steiner, who holds the standing world record for 88 times skipping a stone, shares all his burning secrets—the qualities he looks for in his preferred rocks and general tips and tricks to throw like a pro (plus, the footage of his stone skipping a gazillion times will haunt you). Apparently, there are five variables Steiner considers with each throw: speed, spin, tilt angle, attack angle (measured from where you let go to how it hits the water) and twist angle (affected by distance and wind conditions).
Ideal conditions to look for, according to Steiner, include keeping the wind to your back, calm waters, and an even, obstacle-free slope from which to perch yourself.
This guy rocks.