Archive for April, 2009

As you know we are all about extreme sports and in our endeavours to bring you interesting news and stories we do a lot of research into all kinds of whacky things that people get up to both in their spare time and professionally. One name that keeps popping up all the time is Red Bull. Beyond the high energy drink what is it with Red Bull?

Red Bull was founded by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian businessman and billionaire, whose parents were Croatian and who currently owns a 49 per cent share in the energy drinks giant, Red Bull GmbH. He was born on May 20 1944 in St. Marein im Murztal in the region of Styria.

Dietrich Mateschitz

Life was fairly ordinary for Mateschitz as he grew up in Austria. He attended the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and graduated with a marketing degree after ten years.

After finishing his degree, Mateschitz went on to work for Proctor & Gamble, where he was employed within their marketing department. He progressed up the career ladder to eventually become the marketing director for Blendax tooth paste. It was during one particular business trip that the initial idea for a stimulant beverage began to take shape.

Dietrich Mateschitz

In 1982, when sitting in a hotel in Hong Kong and suffering from jetlag, Mateschitz was musing into the popularity of ‘tonic drinks’ that were big sellers in the Far East when the idea of selling similar beverages in the West came to him. He then went on to form a partnership with a couple of local businessmen who were already producing a drink called ‘Krating Daeng’ (Thai water buffalo) and it was from this that Red Bull was born.

He founded Red Bull GmbH with his Thai partners Chaleo & Chalerm Yoovidhya. It was agreed that Mateschitz would run the company and after much research, testing and set backs, the caffeinated energy drink was finally launched in Austria in 1987.

Red Bull was an instant hit in it’s native country and as sales continued to grow, it was launched in other European countries. Not everything went so swimmingly though. Sales in Germany suffered as supply couldn’t meet the demand of 1 million cans per day and the product had to be re-launched six months later. France and Denmark banned the sale of the drink due to health concerns over the high caffeine level and the use of the chemical taurine.

But health issues aside, over the years Red Bull has managed to take a strong foothold in the competitive drinks market in Europe and America. In most countries, it lines up third behind the likes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the total number of cans consumed. By 2008 sales of Red Bull had increased by 17% on the previous year to 3bn Euros ($4.4bn; £2.3bm) having shifted 3.5bn cans in 143 different countries. These impressive statistics are mainly due to clever marketing which has increased the profile of the drink through non-traditional advertising streams.

From the outset the Red Bull brand has been associated with a variety of glamorous and exciting sporting events such as mountain-biking, snowboarding and paragliding. With Mateschitz being the marketing strategist that he is, he saw the potential on offer by tapping into large audiences and giving the Red Bull brand a “cool” image by being linked with sports and athletes. The profile of the brand seemingly increasing as a result of the many extreme sporting events the company sponsored.

So what are the extreme sports that the company sponsors. What follows is a compendium of just some of those extreme sports.

• Rugby Union
• Downhill Mountain Bike Racing
• BMX
• Snowboarding
• Freestyle Soccer
• Aerobatic Flying
• Kite Surfing
• Skate Boarding
• BASE Jumping
• Soccer
• Athletics
• Cricket
• Wake Boarding
• High Diving
• FMX
• Free Skiing
• Formula 1
• Cliff Diving
• Air Racing
• NASCAR
• Surfing
• Rallying
• Crashed Ice
• Break Dance
• Para Gliding
• MX Racing
• MX Freestyle
• Daytona
• Art
• Music
• Dance

Well that won’t be all – we are bound to have missed a few out – other than the energy drink then this is what Red Bull is about – marketing. It sponsors events and individuals in these high profile sporting events – what brilliant marketing – something Mr Mateschitz obviously learnt very well during his ten years at university.

To add to the fun we thought you would appreciate a couple of videos of extreme sports that Red Bull is supporting. The first, not surprisingly from redbull is of some truly awesome action from Red Bull Rampage – mountain biking in Utah.

The second is again from redbull of the Snowscrapers event held in New York in February which was won by Shayne Pospisil.

This one from redbullusa demonstrates the humourous side of Red Bull – some crashes from soapbox racing at an event they sponsored held in Seattle.

No doubt about it – a great combination of fun, sport and adrenaline – keep up the good work Red Bull.

What kind of a lunatic would throw himself over a giant waterfall in a flimsy piece of plastic not much bigger than a child’s toy? Stand up, Shaun Baker, an extreme kayaker from Maidenhead, Berkshire.

We have found this article from The Times ONline by Chris Mooney which tells the story of one crazy Brit who is planning to succeed in pulling off this stunt.

This nine-time British whitewater freestyle kayaking champion already holds the world record for the longest freefall over a waterfall. That was a drop of almost 65ft off the Aldeyjarfoss falls on the Skjalfandafljot, a glacial river in Iceland, in 1996. Now he is looking for even higher waterfalls to leap over. Indeed, he aims eventually to take on the big daddy of them all — Niagara.

Shaun Baker with his jet kayak

No one has gone over the top of this 167ft monster in a kayak or canoe and survived. But Baker has a secret weapon to help him stay clear of the vertical torrent that forces any object caught up in large waterfalls under the surface — usually with fatal consequences for swimmers or canoeists. It’s a 330cc two-stroke engine. He has invented the world’s first jet kayak.

“I’m planning to run some huge, record-breaking waterfalls,” says Baker, 44. “The ones I had to walk away from in the past because I simply would not have been able to clear the rocks at the bottom. This time I can stop 10 metres from the edge, fire the engine up and get a ballistic burst of speed and just fly right over the top. Fifty metres downstream — that’s where I’m going to land — literally flying.”

Baker has already recorded a top speed of 25mph in his invention and believes the jet kayak will give him the extra acceleration to tackle higher, more dangerous falls for the first time.

The kayak is 6½ft-long with a one-gallon tank of petrol (pre-mixed with some oil) and a flattened two-stroke engine crammed into the base. Two intakes at the top of the kayak suck in air to light the petrol/oil mix in the carburettor. The engine then powers a jet turbine — similar to the hydro jets used in jet skis — at the rear of the kayak, which sucks in water then fires it out of the back, sending the kayak surging forwards.

In the finished version, the jet kayak will be able to switch to compressed air canisters inside the craft when the air intakes are submerged. Baker perches above the steaming hot engine, with only a layer of aluminium and his wetsuit for protection. Speed is controlled by a throttle on the paddle.

Remarkably it is still officially classed as a kayak, albeit a powered one. “We talked to the International Canoe Federation to find out exactly what a kayak is and what it isn’t,” explains Baker. “You must use standard equipment, and you can’t have steering mechanisms, just paddles or leaning.”

The genesis of Baker’s remarkable craft came over Christmas lunch about four years ago. In 30 years of taking kayaks to places they don’t belong, he had ridden his conventional kayak off the highest dunes in the Sahara and clocked up more than 20 “first descents” of waterfalls. He had also piloted a standard plastic kayak down some of the world’s most demanding ski slopes at 39.1mph to break the kayak land-speed record.

He’d done it all and he was bored. Then, over Christmas pudding, a friend had an idea. “I was desperate to up the stakes, and he just said, ‘Well, remember what Evel Knievel did when he wanted to get better? He put a rocket on the back of his bike and tried to jump Snake River Canyon. We could build the fastest kayak ever made.’ Eureka!” explains Baker. “We quickly realised you didn’t actually need a rocket, thankfully.”

And so the jet kayak was conceived. Baker teaches kayaking and one of his pupils, who was studying engineering at Brunel University, created the initial design for his final-year dissertation — but Baker is the only person who has ever dared to ride it.

In 2007 he and his team took the craft to Dorney Lake, Windsor, the traditional training area for Eton College’s rowing club, and grabbed the world record for the fastest kayak paddled — a consistent 25mph over 100 metres.

He’s now looking for extra sponsorship — he estimates he needs £100,000 — to make his invention even faster. If all goes well, he could make a record-breaking leap of more than 100ft within the next year.

Shaun Baker kayaking over falls

He won’t name which waterfalls he’s planning to tackle specifically “because there may be access problems”. Basically he may get into trouble. But, he says, to begin with he’s “looking at the rockier rivers in north Wales and Snowdonia”.

“Do I look worried?” he adds, looking extremely nervous. “There are two hazards you will encounter when descending from a large waterfall. The first is the rocks below, and the second is what we call the towback, which is where you are kept submerged by the undertow and will find it very difficult to emerge.

“As you paddle off the end of a waterfall, there is a moment where your centre of gravity reaches thin air, but the rear of the kayak is still buoyant and held by the water behind you. If you are going too slowly, you will start falling vertically. The faster you go, the closer you can keep the boat at a horizontal angle and gain some momentum to propel yourself forward and away from danger.

“There is another risk in going that fast, though, which is landing completely flat. It’s like jumping out of a third-storey window and landing on your backside in the driveway. Spinal compression is an injury I don’t want to experience again.”

Yet even with these horrors in mind, Baker is drawn irresistibly to the ultimate challenge of Niagara. These giant falls, which straddle the border between the United States and Canada, have never been conquered in this way, and if he is to succeed in his mission it will take years of planning.

Baker is already thinking through the logistics. “One guy tried it in a canoe when I was out there recently, and he was very confident, but he drowned. It’s been done in a barrel, and even then you’re getting underwater and you can sometimes be in there for hours. They build in an air supply, which obviously you can’t do in a kayak.

“You’d need to build in an aerofoil system so you can actually fly through the air, and from that sort of height — 160ft — you’d need it, trust me. If you get caught in the towback, you drown. That’s it. But yeah, it’s possible.”

Below is what is claimed to be the world record for taking a kayak over a waterfall – it looks mad to us but hey – that makes it extreme! Thanks for the video averneng.

At 31m it is more than Shaun’s 65 feet – so what can we say – there would appear to be some disagreement over who holds the world record but if Shaun succeeds in conquering Niagara in his Kayak there will be no dispute – good luck Shaun.

In the video below from nick6kcin the versatility of the bicycle is superbly demonstrated and shows how the sport of mountain biking has evolved over the years. From use as a ‘push bike’ where we probably all started to downhill mountain biking, xc and four cross, the bike has come a long way. The 2009 season kicked off with the recent announcement that two of the best in the world of downhill racing, Sam Hill and Brendan Fairclough had found a new sponsor.

But first a little background reading to bring those who are new to the sport up to speed.

Downhill mountain-bike racing began in a low-key fashion back in the 1970s, and in recent years has grown rapidly in popularity. The Union Cycliste Internationale recognised it as a sport in 1990, when it sanctioned the world championships. It has yet to be made an Olympic discipline.

Downhill races are held on steep descents, usually narrow, tree-lined and rock-strewn, in the world’s most rugged and mountainous regions. Riders hurtle downhill at speeds that often exceed 40mph, frequently leaping several feet into the air off jumps and other obstacles along the route.

The competitor who completes the course in the fastest time is the winner, and each race typically lasts about five minutes. Think of rally driving crossed with downhill skiing — though without the roll cages or the snow.

This year’s World Cup events kicked off in South Africa last weekend, and the British leg will take place in Fort William, Scotland, on June 6-7.

The world championship which this year takes place in Canberra, Australia at Mt. Stromlo. The Championships will be staged from September 1 to 6, 2009 and are expected to attract more than 30,000 visitors from up to 40 countries. The event will involve more than 750 of the world’s top riders who will compete in the four mountain bike disciplines of Cross Country, Downhill, Four Cross and Observed Trials for the honour of being crowned World Champion.

Specialized announced in November 2998 a much anticipated decision to sponsor Team Monster Energy in 2009—home to two of the most notorious faces in downhill racing, 2X World DH Champion Sam Hill and 2006 Junior World Cup DH Champion Brendan Fairclough.

Next season, the two-man team will ride the Specialized Demo 8—the same race rig trusted by Decline Team America—known for its generous travel, patented FSR suspension, durable chassis and killer good looks. In the pre-season, Sam and Brendan will also train on the Stumpjumper FSR, Specialized’s premier XC Trail bike, along with the 4X-winning SX and P3.

Known as downhill’s man to beat, Australian Sam Hill is a 2X World DH Champion, the 2007 World Cup DH Series winner and a World Cup podium veteran, not to mention the Australian MTB Cyclist of the Year, 2004-2007. Sam has been an unforgiving competitor since he started collecting wins internationally in the U19 category, gaining more notoriety every year for being both hellishly fast and methodical about his strategy on the race course.

In the video below from viiselminha we see why Sam is one of the best in the world

Australian down hill extremist - Sam HillAt just 20 years old, teammate Brendan Fairclough is also no stranger to DH racing. As a former Junior World Cup DH Champion and 5X British National Champion, Brendan continues to move up the ranks at the World Cups, posing a threat to some of the sport’s most experienced athletes.Briton Brendan Fairclough

The ‘essence’ of climbing is what enthralls most avid climbers as in borne out by this video from Extreme57

We’re all for ‘getting out there’ and doing, rather than sitting on our bums and merely thinking. However, there is no point in taking unnecessary risks especially where extreme sports are concerned.

So here are a few elementary points to bear in mind next time you head for a rock face…

• This one is obvious, but needs repeating… avoid climbing beyond what you consider your acceptable limit and don’t let peer pressure push you into it…
• Remember – you are not invincible – always warm up before starting a climb…
• It’s your choice, but protection equipment is a good idea…
• Always check your equipment before you start climbing and don’t lose concentration. It is an important element to the climb. Check your harness buckle doubled back, helmet on, belay device properly rigged, etc. Visually check your climbing partners safety and belay checks too…
• When climbing, don’t automatically accept your partner’s decisions. Critically evaluate your circumstances and apply your own common sense if needs be…
• Rock climbing equipment is there for a reason. Don’t use it inappropriately but do double up on such things as anchors…
• Where safety is an issue – never cut corners…
• We’ve done this one before – but again, it’s worth repeating! Don’t confidently walk up to the cliff edge to set up an abseil – make sure you are tied into a reliable anchor or being belayed before you do so…
• Don’t drop gear or ‘clean’ as you climb. There might well be others below you who could be injured by falling debris…
• And lastly, always make sure that your climbing partner understands your terminologies and expectations, particularly if they are newbies. In fact, always demonstrate a technique to a newbie and get them to repeat it before the climb begins so he or she knows how to do it.

Otherwise this could happen…. with thanks to SSMolokai for posting it. As he himself says: “I wasn’t paying attention to how much rope I had out, or how far past the last clip I was, or how unstable of a clipping position I was in. It was also the belayer’s gym test at the time.”

Or this, from modestflea

Or this one from papasmurfuk76 , let it be a salutary lesson to warm-up.

… if so, please follow this link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13766845/Vacation-Planner

As we move into mid April it is time to be thinking of putting away the skis and snowboards and at the same time dusting off the mountain bike. A little time spent at this time of year ensuring you have the right kit will help you to avoid disappointment when you get a sudden call from a mate to go out to the mountains only to find you never had the brake fixed on your bike. So here are a few reminders.

Body protection and your helmet

You may well have grown an inch or so since last year so it is as well to check out the kit you wear.

The single most important item of personal clothing for downhill mountain biking your helmet – ensure you always wear a helmet to protect your head against accidental falls. It is not enough to assume that you are talented and very competent to perform downhill mountain biking because safety is a very important issue as well. On no account must you put your life in peril and so wearing a helmet at all times is the best downhill mountain biking tips that you can get.

Other kit will include shoes, gloves and knee and elbow protectors – again you will have probably grown and there is nothing more uncomfortable than forcing your feet into a pair of shoes half a size too small. We also recommend that you take a light weight back pack – so important for carrying that Mars Bar or other essential sustenance which is so appreciated after an hours biking. We also recommend you ensure your body is well hydrated whilst mountain biking so take along enough liquids and water to ensure that you don’t get thirsty.

Your bike

Maybe Santa crammed a brand new mountain bike down the chimney but whatever the situation and this applies to new bikes as well it is very well worth your while giving your bike the once over. Check nothing is loose, the saddle, the handle bars, the chain – check the brakes are working properly and the gears are sliding from one to another in the right manner. Oil the chain, check the pedals, make sure the tyres are in good order and you have no punctures, check the tyre pressure. Nothing too onerous here – just some basic common sense.

Where to go

It pays to search for relevant downhill mountain biking tips. One place where you can find useful downhill mountain biking tips of where to go is through online sources and via mountain biking forums. We also suggest (if you are not already) that you become a member of a downhill mountain biking club. Never be afraid of asking a question: mountain bikers are on the whole a friendly crowd and always willing to share their tips and experiences

So get ready for what will be a wonderful summer of mountain biking and we thought you would like to see the video below from XTremeVideo of some great action shot in South Africa, Andorra, Spain, the UK , France and Italy.

Ok so that was rather extreme, but that is what we are all about – whatever you skill levels we hope you have a great time.