A 15-Year-Old Brit Won $250,000 at the World’s Biggest Drone Race
Sick of waking up before dawn to drive your kid to hockey practice? It might be time to switch him over to the sport of the future: drone racing.
The young sport, which recently received major investments from the likes of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, involves VR helmet-clad dudes flying drones at breakneck speeds through a roller coaster-esque aerial circuit. On Saturday, the World Drone Prix — the biggest and most lucrative drone racing event yet, featuring 150 teams and a total purse of $1 million USD — took place in Dubai.
The winner? A 15-year-old Brit named Luke Bannister, who took home the $250,000 USD grand prize. This is what he looks like:
That’s right. A kid who isn’t old enough to drive and looks like Geordi La Forge‘s white, prepubuscent cousin made a quarter-million dollars in a single day. Seriously, pack up the skates and sticks and get a remote control in your offsprings’ hands immediately.
Here’s Luke’s championship-winning run, so you can see exactly what it takes to win big in drone racing. Fair warning, though — it might make you feel a little nauseous.
H/T: Wired
