Enter a world of magic and mystery, in my own head, where surfing and snowboarding are considered real jobs! Amazing feats of daring and skill are performed every day - and that's just getting the footage onto film!
Media anarchist, film guru, surf addict and web video blogger!
Day 1 in Aspen and we have already had some crazy action in both Snowboard Super Pipe and of course the mayhem that is Snowmobile Freestyle. In the first final of 2013, it was Red Bull superstar, Levi LaVallee, who stormed the final to win yet another Gold! Check out his winning run...
The Snowmobile competition was pure carnage behind Levi with some monster crashes. Check out the worst ones...
Also on the menu for Day 1, was Mens Snowboard Super Pipe Elimination and all eyes were on the "Flying Tomato", Shaun White, to see what he was bringing to the party in 2013. He was highest out of the Pipe at 5.8m and scored enough in his first run to get through (Lucky to, as he flunked his second run)...
There was also way more going on as per usual at XGames, so check out the Day 1 Highlights...
We all know the boys from the Nitro Circus play hard. But sometimes they pay the price so high, the rest of us mere mortals just have to cringe. Some of the worst wipes I have ever seen, many by Travis Pastrana, in this short video...
This guy is possessed of the power to go large! Some of the rails and launches he tries in this video are simply ridiculous. He also pays the price hard, but always gets up and hits the rail again and again till he nails it. Be inspired today and watch the full movie HERE
Jaie Toohey canes a BMX on dirt and goes for some of the biggest tricks in the sport. Riding hard has its price though. Check out his leg breaking at the Nitro Circus Show.
Check out some horrendous wipeouts from the new Snowboard film, Cooking with Gas. These guys deserve a medal! The slam in the concrete skate park really made my toes curl in pity...
A while ago the net was abuzz with Wingsuit master, Jeb Corliss, crashing on Table Mountain. The video was kept off of the net till now and here it is. What amazes me the most is not the actual crash, but that he managed to control it and actually survive. He ended up with two smashed legs, but it could have easily been his life.
Lewis Crathern wowed the judges to win the first
ever LEN10 Megaloop Challenge (Photo: Red Bull/Kolesky)
The first ever Len10 Megaloop Challenge went down last Friday at Big Bay. I was there and the kite guys were busting big Megaloops. Red Bull always put on a good show and definitely know how to host the guys watching. Check the video and press release below.
NB - Ruben went out for a demo just before the final and on his first jump had one of the biggest wipes I have ever seen!! Check the video!
Brit pulls out all the stops to win ‘Mega’ kiteboarding event in Big Bay, Cape Town
The wind was pumping and kites were flying high as Lewis Crathern wowed the judges to win the first ever LEN10 Megaloop Challenge in Cape Town.
Crathern, from Worthing in the UK, went up against Sam Light (UK) and Gianni Aragno (ESP) in the final. “I was just stoked to have been in the final with two of my best friends. A megaloop isn’t the easiest trick because you have to try and get height while trying to get your kite as horizontal as possible. I’ve been coming to Cape Town to kiteboard for the last six years and I love it here. The people are friendly and the weather and wind conditions are perfect here,” he commented.
Brainchild of Red Bull Athlete and ‘King of the Megaloop’ Ruben Lenten (NED), the LEN10 Megaloop Challenge saw 24 participants compete in a format new to kiteboarding competitions. Ruben remarked: “All the riders and spectators were excited about the format which gives the guys time to pull their best moves and score high. I’m happy that such a big crowd came down to see the guys pull some gnarly tricks and see some pretty epic wipeouts too – which is just as much part of kiteboarding as landing the trick.”
Participants were scored on the height, technique and the style in which they executed the megaloop with.
LEN10 Megaloop Challenge winner, Crathern and the other finalists had decided before they went out for the final to split the prize money – it wasn’t about the prize but rather spending a good day out doing what they love. He does, however, walk away with a one-of-a-kind trophy and a photo shoot with renowned South African action sports photographer, Craig Kolesky.
Ruben Lenten is keen to bring the competition back even bigger in 2013 and throw himself into the mix. “We’re going to push the limits of kiteboarding even more.”
Ok, so there were many major wipes during the course of this year's Winter X Games, but this one had to hurt the most. Justin Hoyer, attempting the double backflip on his Snowmobile, gets the rotation all wrong and nose dives it to getting rolled over. He tries to get up and walk away, but clearly more damage than he thought. Good news is, he has been discharged from the hospital.
Jeb Corliss is one of the best known base jumpers in the world. Some of his previous web videos have garnered thousands of views on Youtube. But, in a sport that pushes the boundaries of safety like this, you are never guaranteed of a safe landing. Yesterday, while filming on Table Mountain, he clipped the edge of a ledge while proximity flying over the mountain. Miraculously he survived, how is a question he will be asking himself for a very long time. When you watch the slow motion replay, try count how many times he flips and then realize how fast he was going when he impacted. I wish Jeff a speedy recovery and hope he will return to what he does best - namely freaking us mere mortals out!
We all know and love Ken Block's antics in his Rally Car. The guy has entertained more people than any other driver, thanks to his Gymkana series of Youtube videos. He also competes in the WRC Rally Championship and the Rally America series. Here are three of his biggest crashes over the years. The guy pushes the limits! I cannot believe they walked away from the Portugal one.
