If you haven’t seen the cinematic masterpiece that is Ski Schoolthen you need stop whatever it is that you’re doing RIGHT NOW and watch it, seriously, we’ll wait. Ok, got that out of the way? Great. Now, Ski School is clearly the be all end all of films that capture the raw energy and passion of freeskiing. It also showcases the pinnacle of mountain fashion and attitude, and fashion in general that was the year 1991. We just made that sign with our hands that a mustachioed caricature Italian chief would make, you know the pinch your fingers together and kiss them to let the world know “that’sa tastyyyy meataballll” because 1991 was so on point:
Source: Klaus Polzer/Red Bull Content PoolSource: Klaus Polzer/Red Bull Content Pool
But we digress. Redbull (“that’sa tastyyyy energyyy drinkaaa”) decided to take an expanded look at the fashion and skiing styles of five decades of freeskiing in their latest mini documentary Generations of Freeskiing.
Filled to the brim with neon jackets, long tees, and every other awesome fashion fehler (German for mistake, so we’re told) that has hit the slope in the last fifty years, Redbull’s Generations of Freeskiing also features some of the biggest names in modern freeskiing.
Source: Klaus Polzer/Red Bull Content Pool
To name a few, Jon Olsson, Ben Mayr, Lisa Zimmermann, Nick Goepper, Jesper Tjader, all throw down to make the film as awesome as it is entertaining.
Source: Klaus Polzer/Red Bull Content Pool
Generations of Freeskiing can be streamed in full, for free on Red Bull TV. Now if you’ll excuse us we’re going to break out the neon and take back the slope from those pesky snowboarders!
Mother nature is not to be trifled with. She can throw some pretty gnarly things at you, and in a land as raw and pristine as New Zealand the extreme becomes the norm. Enter the Redbull Defiance, a twist on the traditional triathlon, a two person team, two day adventure race which combines trail running, kayaking, endurance mountain biking, and “the creative element of undisclosed special stages.”
Defiance, by definition is the presentation of challenge, but at the same time a means to overcome challenge. The course, created by multisport endurance phenom and Kiwi, Braden Currie is designed to do just that, challenge as well as push athletes to overcome by racing through and over some of the most beautiful scenery the South Island of New Zealand has to offer. Situated in the Wanaka region and focusing on and around Lake Wanaka the 2017 course consisted of a 71 KM enduro mountain bike, 39 KM trail run, 40 KM kayak, 60 M abseil, all of which combined measure out at 5238 M of vertical.
Distance: 11 km Altitude Gain: 490m Terrain: Steep technical climb/fully formed trail/abseil Expected Fastest time: 1hr 15min
Special Stage: Abseil
The special stage for day one is a abseil descent of rocky outcrops into the native bush of Diamond Lake. All abseil equipment is provided and instruction from professionals is provided to aid the completion of this stage. Timing for this portion is halted and athletes will have no more than 5 minutes to prepare for the abseil with the equipment provided. Timing resumes as athletes begin their abseil down the rock face.
Distance: 28 km Altitude Gain: 1278 m Terrain: 4WD track/single track/rough terrain Expected fastest time: 2hrs
Special Stage: Clay Pigeon Shoot
Both team members get 1 shot each. If a shot is made then the team is free to start the next stage of the event, if both shots miss, teams will be forced to take a two minute penalty before starting the next stage of the race.
Distance: 28 km Altitude Gain: 1848 m Terrain: Farm tracks/markers/exposed alpine route/rocks/shingle Expected fastest time: 3 hrs 15min
Details of Redbull Defiance 2018 have yet to be announced, but with a overwhelmingly positive reaction from the endurance racing community we’re sure that course info and registration for the coming year will be available soon, likely to be held in January of 2018. As Jess Simson, Women’s One Day Coast to Coast Champion 2014, and all around badass, says, “If there is any multisport race to do in the world right now, Red Bull Defiance is it!”
