Snowboarder towed by plane reaches speed of 78mph

Jamie Barrow, 22, became the first person to snowboard while being towed by a commercial aircraft in Switzerland. [Photo/IC]

A British snowboarder reached speeds of 78 miles-per-hour (126 kms-per-hour) and became the first person to snowboard while be towed by a commercial airplane.

Daredevil Jamie Barrow of the British Snowboard Cross Team is the UK’s fastest snowboarder and completed a world's first feat by hanging from the wing of an aircraft at Engadin Airport in Switzerland.

With temperatures at a crisp minus 17 degrees centigrade and bright sunshine, Barrow hooked on to the PC12 aircraft, flown by Swiss pilot Duri Jos.

As the plane began to accelerate down the runway, the rope slack tightened and Barrow sped along the snowy strip in a miraculously straight line.

Barrow took two more rides while hanging onto the aircraft, eventually reaching the impressive 78mph speed.

Barrow chatted with press after the event, adding that he'd wished he'd been able to go even faster - should the pilot have been able to take off - and hinting that there could be a follow up stunt in the future.