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august 2013a beyond the ordinary magazine

GulfEdition

“... the blindness and paralysis remain but the fear has gone ... I’m not scared anymore, just keen to continue exploring the boundaries of what is possible.”

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RUNDARK

WEDS • 13TH NOV 2013 • 7.30PM • 5k and 10kDUBLIN•CORK•BELFAST•LONDON•MANCHESTER

•POP-UP EVENTS WORLDWIDE•

IN THE

In July 2010 blind adventure athlete Mark Pollock fell from a second story window. He cracked his skull, his

chest and torso filled with blood and his back was broken in three places. He had no feeling from the waist down.For 6 months after the accident Mark lay in hospital. As his mind battled to accept reality and find positivity his body was further hit with recurring infections. In a hell of IV drips, fluids, antibiotics, fevers, blood clots and vomiting, Mark lost three stone and with it he almost lost the will to go on. But he was not beaten. From hospital he blogged his intention to fight:

“The last 6 months have been truly torturous and until now I have been unable or unwilling to look to the future. I spent 12 years filling my life with experiences that would sweep the blindness to the side. And I know if I don’t do the same with this paralysis then it will dominate me.”

Mark’s supporters created the Mark Pollock Trust and Run in the Dark to fund his ambition to walk again. Now Mark is using his body for research as he walks in Ekso robotic legs and follows an aggressive physical therapy programme. Mark Pollock Trust and Wings for Life, the global spinal injury research charity, will benefit directly from each Run in the Dark entry.

Welcome Waves – we’re on them and under them this month, with world-beaters in both places. The new boats in this year’s America’s Cup are among the most advanced vessels built for any sport, and the crews that race them put their lives on the line every time they take to the water. Beneath the surface, but no less at risk, is Franco Banfi and his driving passion: to photograph the most dangerous sea creatures in the world. Another hidden world revealed by The Red Bulletin this month is the secret street art by Belgian graffiti genius RoA. His images of animals could not be more different to those of Banfi, yet they are equally stunning. All that and much, much more, including the stuff that makes soccer hotshot Neymar so special. We hope you enjoy the issue.

ready for take offThe catamarans that will slice through San Francisco Bay in next month’s America’s Cup are creating a new type of sailor for a new kind of sailing

68

August

“ In fencing you have to trick your rival to win. Turned out I had a real thirst for it. It’s fun’

Sharp practice:Olga Kharlan

THE WORLD OF RED BULL

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21 89me & my bodyhow european beach volleyball champ clemens doppler plays a numbers game with the tool of his trade: his physique

The Joy Room With celebrity guests, fountains and house beats, this club is the hot spot for the wise pleasure seekers of mexico

78KuwaiT open ciTyin a place where municipal freedom can be hard to come by, a group of freerunners is rewriting the rulebook

Bullevard 10 photos of the month

17 news Sport and culture on the quick 21 me and my body Clemens Doppler 24 Kit bag A bowman’s equipment 26 where’s your head at? Neymar 28 winning formula The science behind indoor weather systems 30 lucKy numbers One-hit wonders

Features

32 Wet And WildUnderwater photographer Franco Banfi on the dangers of a life aquatic

44 Girls Names The Belfast post-punk four-piece get to grips with life on the road

46 Thrusting Talent Fencer Olga Kharlan gets to the point

50 Thomas Dold He runs up the Empire State Building

52 Uphill Struggle Who will come out on top of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb?

62 Painting The Town Secretive street artist ROA speaks exclusively to The Red Bulletin

68 Not Plain Sailing The new America’s Cup catamarans

78 Freerunning In Kuwait Urban explorers finding new ways to experience the region’s cityscapes

action 88 get the gear A biker’s back-up89 party Clubbing in Mexico City90 travel Dune bashing in Abu Dhabi91 training Inline skating92 my city A graffiti artist’s Dublin94 playlist With Empire Of The Sun95 save the date Events for your diary98 time warped Can it be true?

AT A GlANce

32animal insTincTa photographer’s subjects can be difficult, but the underwater creatures in franco banfi’s images can bite back – fatally

high dRama taking the high road to victory with rally legend Sébastien Loeb at the pikes peak international hill climb, aka the race to the clouds

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THe WORlD OF ReD BUll

the red bulletin 07

contributorsWho’s on boardthis issue

The comic book artist and illustrator has had his work published in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, but he’s not normally preoccupied with football. Before he drew Neymar for The Red Bulletin, Inzana had never heard of the Brazil and Barcelona hotshot. “I thought Neymar was the name of Ernest Hemingway’s boat. We Americans,” he says, with a grin, “still see soccer as a fad, like the internet and penicillin.”

ryan inzana

“Seeing deep and genuine passion for

a leftfield sport in a region that often sticks to the conventional.” That’s what stuck with the writer after his Bulletin assignment to investigate freerunning in Kuwait. Ebdon’s primary school teacher told him that he would be a writer (great job, Miss) but she could not have foreseen his most memorable job: a Swiss classic car rally, which meant three days in a 1965 V12 Ferrari 275GTB – with Yasmin Le Bon as co-driver.

noel ebdon

In 2008, the Frenchman crossed the

Pacific in a sailing boat, so when he gets his camera out to take pictures of boats, he knows of what he snaps. To best capture the ferocious beauty of the Oracle team’s America’s Cup yacht, Grenier chartered a helicopter and buzzed the boat during its training runs in San Francisco Bay. His photos have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world, including Paris Match, Yachting World and Le Figaro.

GUilain Grenier

FranCo banFi

“i thought that neymar was the name of Ernest Hemingway’s boat” RYAN INZANA

Growing up on Lake Lugano, little did Banfi

know that the lakes of his Swiss homeland would soon prove too small for him. Since then he has become one of the world’s leading practitioners of underwater photography. Crocodiles, whales, stingrays: he approaches them all without fear. His most dangerous assignment to date was shooting a cheerful anaconda in Brazil: it was only afterwards that Banfi learnt that the giant snakes will swallow anything that comes near them, with or without a camera.

The Red BulleTiN Gulf edition, 2308-5851

The Red Bulletin is published by Red Bull Media House GmbH

General Manager Wolfgang Winter

Publisher Franz Renkin

editor-in-Chief Robert Sperl

deputy editor-in-Chief Alexander Macheck

editor Paul Wilson

Creative director Erik Turek

Art directors Kasimir Reimann, Miles English

Chief Photo editor Fritz Schuster

Production editor Marion Wildmann

Chief Sub-editor Nancy James

deputy Chief Sub-editor Joe Curran

Assistant editors Ruth Morgan, Ulrich Corazza, Werner Jessner,

Florian Obkircher, Arkadiusz Piatek, Andreas Rottenschlager, Daniel Kudernatsch (app)

Contributing editor Stefan Wagner

design Martina de Carvalho-Hutter, Silvia Druml, Kevin Goll,

Carita Najewitz, Esther Straganz

Photo editors Susie Forman (Creative Photo Editor),

Ellen Haas, Catherine Shaw, Rudi Übelhör

Repro Managers Clemens Ragotzky (manager),

Karsten Lehmann, Josef Mühlbacher

head of Production Michael Bergmeister

Production Wolfgang Stecher (manager), Walter O Sádaba,

Christian Graf-Simpson (app)

Printed by Prinovis Liverpool Ltd www.prinovis.com

Finance Siegmar Hofstetter, Simone Mihalits

Marketing & Country Management Barbara Kaiser (manager), Stefan Ebner, Stefan Hötschl, Elisabeth Salcher, Lukas Scharmbacher, Sara Varming

distribution Klaus Pleninger, Peter Schiffer

Marketing design Julia Schweikhardt, Peter Knethl

Advertising enquiries Richard Breiss +96 5 660 700 48, richard@kw.redbull.com

Advertising Placement Sabrina Schneider

O∞ce Management Manuela Gesslbauer, Anna Jankovic, Anna Schober

The Red Bulletin is published in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand,

South Africa, Switzerland, UK and USA

Website www.redbulletin.com

head office Red Bull Media House GmbH,

Oberst-Lepperdinger-Strasse 11-15, A-5071 Wals bei Salzburg, FN 297115i,

Landesgericht Salzburg, ATU63611700

Austria office Heinrich-Collin-Strasse 1, A-1140 Vienna, +43 (1) 90221 28800

uK office 155-171 Tooley Street, London SE1 2JP, +44 (0) 20 3117 2100

The Red Bulletin (Gulf region) Boushahri Group W.L.L., Ardiya Industrial Area, Block 2,

Section 107, Kuwait, +96 5 660 700 48

Write to us: letters@redbulletin.com

08 the red bulletin

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REVO TUBELESS READY REVO TUBELESS READY

W I N T E R B E RG , G E R M A N Y

MIRROR IMAGESlopestyle is the discipline mountain biking

‘borrowed’ from snowboarding: big air and intricate tricks on an obstacle-riddled course. It’s the one with the most wow factor, so photographer Lorenz Holder

knew he had to do more than just point and click to capture it correctly at the Red Bull Berg Line event.

The mirror was on a digger; Holder a tight deadline. “My window of opportunity was small because

I wanted the sun in the shot.” When Frenchman Yannick Granieri leapt from ramp to ramp, the stars aligned.

Watch video of the event: www.redbull.com Photography: Lorenz Holder

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G L A S G OW, S C OT L A N D

mind gamesFour years ago, Danny MacAskill was messing about on his bike around the village of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. Four years and one day less ago, an internet video of his cycle tricks turned his life around. A series of further films established him as the best street trials cyclist in the world. His latest project is a venue tailor-made for what he does best, inspired by what he knows best: his own mind. Devised by MacAskill to reflect his childhood passions, Imaginate is the obstacle course every kid dreams of, made real. His ‘inner me’ reached out immediately: the first video got two million hits on its first day of release. See it come alive: www.redbull.com/imaginate Photography: James North

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N A P LE S , ITA LY

PLEASURE FLIGHTThe airpseed indicator reaches 400kph. Aerobatics pilot Matthias Dolderer, in his Zivko Edge 540, makes spectators below in the Italian port city gasp in amazement. (They’re mainly there to watch the America’s Cup World Series; Dolderer, of the Flying Bulls display team, is providing extra thrills.) Knowing that the German flying ace would be passing over some choice backdrops, including Mount Vesuvius, photographer Olaf Pignataro fixed a camera to tip of the Zivko’s left wing. Pilot project: www.matthiasdolderer.comPhotography: Olaf Pignataro/Red Bull Content Pool

14

BullevardThe New Kids

They’re young, talented and hungry – and they’re

out to feed your mind. Four new bands to listen out

for on Red Bull Records

Five Knives Not the usual Nashville sound: Anna Worstell’s mesmerising

vocals over dubstep beats.

BliTz Kids British emo rockers

letting distorted guitars loose on big-time melodies.

new BeaT FundLoud and edgy California hipsters

reminiscent of a ’90s Beck. Recommended: Scare Me.

BeaRTooTh The motto of this in-your-face

metalcore ensemble from Ohio, USA, is: “Let ’em have it!”

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Sport and culture on the quick

Azores Orlando Duque heads for pastures new on the Portugal leg of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. dean Treml

Drive into the future with a modern master of concept cars

road ahead

While working for Bugatti, german designer daniel simon began sketching out futuristic cars and spaceships in his spare time. By 2007, he had enough grand designs to publish a book, Cosmic Motors, which earned him a traffic jam of fans, including racing legend Jacky ickx. then

hollywood came knocking. simon, 37, hasn’t looked back since, designing the light Cycle for TRON: Legacy. his new large-format book series, The Timeless Racer, depicts fictional cars from the years 1981 and 2027.www.danielsimon.com

TRon and on: daniel simon and, right, one of his radical roadsters

EVERY shot oN tARGEt

phototicker

every month we print a selection, with our favourite pic awarded a limited-edition sigg bottle. Tough, functional and well-suited to sport, it features The Red Bulletin logo.

have you taken a picture with aRed Bull flavour? email it to us at: phototicker@redbulletin.com

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he writes hits like other people write grocery lists – and he shops for others as much as for himself. Just this year, Pharrell Williams, 40, has been in the studio with big-name collaborators ranging from destiny’s child to daft Punk. he helped the latter write the ubiquitous hit, Get Lucky. how does he relax? Writing music for children’s animated films: Williams’ latest soundtrack is for Despicable Me 2.the red bulletin: You work across multiple genres, but there’s one thing your songs have in common – a certain sense of cheekiness.pharrell williams: Tragedy after travesty – there is so much going on. People are

becoming desensitised. I think it’s a cultural shift among the collective consciousness that people are looking to smile.Is writing for kids’ films different to writing albums?It’s kind of the same, except you have to be harmonious with the intentions of the writer and the director. It doesn’t matter how good you think the song is, it may take them to a different place – and it needs to be cohesive.What projects have you got coming up?I’m producing albums for Jay-Z, Kylie, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson. They don’t have to work with me, but they have. I’m pinching myself. I’m black and blue all over.

Will.i.ams:

Pharrell

www.pharrellwilliams.com

Wheelie good: British mountain bike star Gee Atherton in training for the World Championship

King of the hills? Last season, mountain biker gee atherton often found his way onto the podium. this season, he’s usually on top of it.

“i changed my training and i now have the best bike in the field,” says the 28-year-old, salisbury-born rider. For the imminent World championship in Pietermaritzburg, south africa, there will be even more changes. “there’s going to be a lot of pedalling, so we’re going to look at the weight, introduce a hydraulically adjustable seat post and maybe use bigger wheels,” he says. Who can win? “greg minnaar, mick hannah, aaron gwin – about five, six people.” if he had to choose: overall series winner or world champ? “the overall winner says more from a sporting perspective, but the World championship has more prestige. and that winner’s stripy tricot [jersey] is damn comfy.” Beginning on August 26: www.uci.ch

Tokyo One Red Bull Street Style entrant finds himself in limbo in Japan. Naoyuki Shibata

Potosi Stunt rider Aaron Colton takes a novel approach to cornering on the open roads of Bolivia. Patricio Crooker

Hong Kong A drummer gets proceedings underway at the Red Bull Dragon Roar boat race. Andy Jones

Be luckyThe 2020

Olympics host city will soon be revealed.

Here’s hoping for a better

mascot than…

turiN 2006 The Italians chose Neve and Gliz – a

snowball and a block of ice. They received a frosty reception.

AtlANtA 1996 It still remains a

mystery what Izzy, a blue creature in tennis shoes,

exactly was.

BeiJiNG 2008 The Fuwas were

symbolic of Feng Shui elements, but looked

like domesticated Pokemons.

We HAVe A WiNNer!

THe HiT manPop producer and trendsetter Pharrell Williams on collective consciousness and his new passion: music for children’s films

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SunboardingSlovenian superstar snowboarder Marko Grilc hosted a shredding session with a difference when he took to Dubai’s indoor slope last month. The facilities at the UAE’s ski resort meant that he could enjoy real snow while the city baked in 40ºC heat outside. “This was my first time in the UAE,” said Grilc. “I was impressed with the course, and the opportunity it offers to snowboarders here to hit the slopes. This visit will not be my last.”www.redbull.com/snowboarding

Marko Grilc: snow time in Dubai

High hopes: Team Lebanon FAST FOOTBALL

How do elite football players maintain their physical performances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan? Goran Tufegdzic, longest-serving head coach of Kuwait’s national team, explains

the red bulletin: Nutrition and hydration are key to performance. How do you keep your players in shape when they can’t eat or drink during daylight hours?goran tufegdzic: The best way is to allow the body time to adjust. It takes a week to get used to the new system, so we don’t push too hard during that time. The team sleep after breakfast, waking around midday. They then eat at sunset and train at 9.30pm.Can they eat anything or does their nutrition plan still stand?It changes, but it’s not an opportunity to eat absolutely anything. I suggest they eat a smaller meal for Iftar [dinner], which includes rice and pasta. After training they can have heavier carbs, like cake and banana.What about water? Should they drink more than usual?Of course, but often and in small amounts. Gulping down huge amounts of water is a waste of time, as it passes straight through you.How does the actual training change during Ramadan?We lower the intensity, playing small games, rather than doing gym and cardio work. A lack of sleep and disrupted biorhythms make it easier for the players to get injured and clearly that’s something we want to avoid.Does this affect game timings and tournaments?Ramadan moves every year. Currently it’s in the summer, so we’re not playing anyway, but the players still need to train. When it’s during the season, the league shifts into the evening, which helps. The bigger issue is for Muslims playing outside the region. For them it’s a lot harder.www.kfa.org.kw ph

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Onwards and upwardsSeven Lebanese mountaineering fans have put their day-jobs on hold in a bid to scale the seven highest summits on the planet. They hope to complete their mission in April 2015 with an attempt on Mount Everest. You can track Team Lebanon online as they make their way into the clouds, on their mission to “raise the Lebanese flag on top of the world”.www.teamlebanon.com

Kuwait coach Goran

Tufegdzic

Vancouver Swapping pedals for paddles at Red Bull Divide and Conquer in Canada. Bryan Ralph

New York A Treequencer – a sound tree – in the recording studio for Red Bull Creation Aaron Rogosin

Zeltweg One way to get a great view of the action at the Airpower 13 air show in Austria. Red Bull Skydive Team

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me and my body

clemens doppler

1 READY, UNSTEADY, GO I’m 2m tall and weigh about 85kg, but I can weigh 3kg less at the end of a season. It’s important to have strong trunk muscles and the best way to train them is on a Swiss ball, by doing exercises on an unsteady surface. I also have phy sio twice a week.

2 HIGHLY EXPLOSIVETake-off power is vital on deep sand. I train my leg muscles with various types of squats. When you’re building up your strength, it’s heavy weights and not too many reps – say four sets of six reps of 130kg. Then, when you want to increase your strength quickly, the same exercise with just 100kg, but done explosively.

FEEL GOOD INK 4All my tattoos remind me of

great moments in my life. I got my first when I was 17: the design was, of course, a volleybal l player.

My volleyball-mad parents wouldn’t have let me get

anything else. The model was a player from an American

volleyball magazine. Maybe I’ll soon be adding a third number – 13 – under the ace of spades on my right arm, by the figures 03

and 07, the years I won the European championships.

SCREWS LOOSE 5I’ve suffered my worst injuries

while playing. I ruptured my left cruciate ligament a month

before the 2004 Olympics, and did it again two years

later at the European championships. The screws

that were put in my knee the second time were taken out when I had an operation

on my meniscus in 2011.

OFF THE SHOULDER 3 The most injury-prone parts of

a volleyballer’s body are the shoulders. Ligaments and joints come under enormous pressure from smashes and hard serves,

which is why I work intensively with resistance bands to simulate the

ball-striking motion.

www.doppler-horst.com

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A bowman’s kit might not seem to have changed much, but advances in archery have kept deadeyes open to new technology

kit evolution

target range

ON A LIMBThe limbs are block-glued maple, planed by hand, reinforced with glass laminate. Recurve bows, with limb tips curling away from the archer, allow faster shots than straight tips.

’68 STATEIn 1968, this projectile was state-of-the-art, because it was made of aluminium. Advantage: it’s light. Disadvantage: it breaks easily and one bad shot could bend it out of shape.

RISER SHINEA bow’s handle is known

as the riser. Wooden risers live on in junior and hobby

sports; 50 years ago, hand-turned in maple,

walnut or rosewood, pros swore by them.

This wooden bow, from a venerable Austrian maker, now defunct, was the trusty companion of many a top archer in the 1960s. The riser weighs in at 1.8kg, and the Zopf X7 was very stable, but wood had its downsides: it would vibrate for some time after an arrow was shot, and was susceptible to the elements. Less reliable in hot weather, the cold made it brittle, sometimes to breaking point.

The X7 was developed with input from seven- time world champion Frantisek Hadas (above) www.archery.org

1967ZOPF X7 RECURVE BOW

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SEE & STEADYTop parts: the

mountable visor is adjusted for

the distance to the target. Beneath:

three stabilisers maintain balance

before and after loosing the arrow.

IN PIECESDetachable limbs debuted in 1963, becoming standard soon after. Pro archers today have bows designed to their body shapes using computer software.

HARD COREModern risers are precision

mechanisms, optimally balanced to retain their original position after shooting and made from

machine-milled aluminium.

STRAIGHTEN ARROWAn aluminium core wrapped in carbon fibre makes this arrow more robust and wind-resistant than an aluminium-only predecessor of the same weight.

This weatherproof bow seamlessly transfers the force generated by the archer to the arrow. Its synthetic limbs absorb vibrations better than wood and the relatively heavy riser (1.3kg) keeps recoil low and the target rate high. At London 2012, South Korea’s Im Dong-Hyun (below) notched a world-record 699 points (out of a possible 720) in the men’s team contest, using his trusty Win&Win recurve bow.

In Olympic archery, a 12.2cm target centre ring is targeted from a distance of 70m www.win-archery.com

2012W&W INNO AL1 RECURVE BOW

Where’s Your head at?

neymarTo-do list: lead Brazil to home World Cup glory; form Champions League-winning partnership

with Leo Messi at Barcelona. Fácil. Here’s the stuff Brazil’s wonder boy is made of

Country LifeIf Brazil are to win

a sixth World Cup as hosts next year, they’ll

need Neymar at his best. “I don’t think there’s pressure on

me,” he says, bending the truth like a top-

corner free kick.

Hey Neymar!Neymar da Silva

Santos Junior was born on February 5,

1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil. As

required by law for all Brazilian footballers, he played soccer in the streets as a boy.

You’d think they’d have pitches all over the country by now…

Fantasy Strike Force

“I have a contract with Santos until 2014,” he told Time magazine in February.

“I intend to honour it.” Three months later, he did the dishonourable thing

and signed for Barcelona for a transfer fee of €57m.

In the XI at 11In 2003, Neymar da Silva Santos Senior

moved his family south to Santos, on the coast. Later that year, his boy signed for Santos FC.

“The thing I miss most is playing football on

the beach with my friends,” said Neymar Jr.

Kicks And Flicks

As the national anthem played before his

225th and final game for Santos, in April,

Neymar cried. “It was emotional. The film

of my life since I was a kid came to mind.”

Tweet Heart@Njr92 is climbing

Twitter’s top 100. At last count, he had passed

seven million followers and nudged the Dalai

Lama out of 87th place. Cristiano Ronaldo is

soccer’s top tweeter, with 19 million followers.

Groundhog NeyNeymar has been nominated

for FIFA’s prestigious Puskás Award every year since it began in 2009.

Actually, no he hasn’t: in 2009, it was Nilmar on the

list. “He’s a top player,” said fellow Brazilian Nil, of Ney. The latter won in 2011 and came third last year.

Groomed For Success

Known in hairdressing circles as the ‘fauxhawk’,

Neymar’s mane has drawn plenty of admirers from

men’s mags – and that of Pelé, who says it, and

aftershave, matter more to Neymar than football.

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HELLY HANSEN CATWALK

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CREATE YOUR OWN CATWALK AT THE AWARD WINNING HELLY HANSEN KILLARNEY ADVENTURE RACESaturday 5th October 2013 – Killarney, Ireland - www.killarneyadventurerace.ie

Scandinavian Design is the cornerstone in all Helly Hansen gear. The optimal combination of purposeful design, protection and style. This is why professional athletes, patrollers and discerning enthusiasts choose Helly Hansen.

CONFIDENT WHEN IT MATTERS

29

Bullevard

perfect stormHere’s the forecast: indoor weather systems and how they’re made

in the skyA photograph at his grandparents’ home inspired Amsterdam artist Berndnaut Smilde to create an interior cloud, now a source of wonder at London’s Ronchini Gallery. But how on Earth – or just above it – does this installation work?

“Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets which float in the air,” explains Professor Thomas Schrefl of Austria’s St Pölten University of Applied Sciences. “For these droplets to form, water vapour in the air – what we refer to as humidity – must condense around small dust particles. The droplets appear when a relative humidity of 100 per cent is reached or, in other words, when the air cannot absorb any more vapour.

“The total pressure of the air, p, is the sum of the partial pressure of the dry air, pd and the partial pressure of the vapour, pv. Once the partial pressure of the vapour exceeds a certain threshold, we reach the point of oversaturation.

“This is the turning point when it comes to cloud-making. But temperature also has a role to play. Relative humidity is defined as the relationship of the partial pressure of the vapour to the saturated pressure of the vapour: f = pd/ps × 100. The latter is dependent on the temperature, T, as the solid line, ps(T), in the illustration shows.

“When a humid parcel of air meets cold ground, the air cools, the partial pressure of the vapour exceeds the saturated vapour pressure, and clouds begin to form. This part of the process is represented by the horizontal dotted line in our diagram. The point of intersection with the ps(T) curve is what we call the dew point.”

in the gallerySo how does Berndnaut Smilde get a cloud into a museum space? “With trickery,” says Schrefl. “Oversaturation occurs when additional water vapour is introduced to already saturated air. What Smilde does is intensively humidify the air in the gallery with a water spray. Then he introduces vapour from a fog machine into the space and the reaction occurs. Simple.

“To ensure it floats in the correct space, it cannot rise or fall too quickly. The vertical acceleration of the cloud particles, aC, is dependent on the difference in density between them and the surrounding air. If the density of the cloud particle, C, is the same as the density of the surrounding air A, the acceleration is nil – and the cloud floats.

“As before, temperature is vital too. Dew point and density are dependent on this variable. This means that for a cloud to form, the temperature must be under 20°C. Et voilà – a cloud-filled room.”More on the cloud artist: www.berndnaut.nl

winning formula

Guaranteed to have a good atmosphere: cloud installation Nimbus Minerva by Dutch artist

Berndnaut Smilde, Ronchini Gallery, London WO

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30 the red bulletin

lucky numbers

One-Hit WOnders Every musician hopes to have a hit, but for many, that’s where the dream ends. Here are small tales of big flashes in the pan

By Harper Lee or Capote?

Harvey Ball’s Smiley

Hey, Macarena

No no.1: Jimi Hendrix, Norah Jones,

Iggy Pop

By the book: Edelweiss

Pachelbel’s Canon in D

What do Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop, Beck and Norah Jones have in common? They’re all one-hit wonders. None of them has had more than one Top 40 hit in the US charts. Beck is the most successful of the iniquitous bunch, having made it to number 10 in 1994. The song? Loser.

1 Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty had seven Top 10 hits in the UK

charts as The KLF. In 1988, they imparted their wisdom over 160

pages of a book, The Manual: How To Have A Number One The Easy

Way. Viennese jokers Edelweiss followed the advice and enjoyed a number one in four countries

with their 1989 yodelling hit Bring Me Edel weiss.

160

Harper Lee won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 with her first novel, To Kill

A Mockingbird. The novel has sold over 30 million copies, and was

made into a film, starring Gregory Peck, which won three Oscars. The author has never written a

follow-up, which has only fuelled rumours that large parts of the novel came from the pen of her

good friend Truman Capote.

30,000,000

Spanish flamenco duo Los del Rio formed in 1962, and waited 34 years for their first, and only, hit record. But this one really made it big: Macarena is the most successful song ever by a one-hit wonder. The remix topped the US charts for 14 weeks in 1996, sold 11 million copies worldwide and unleashed a global dance trend.

14

History’s first one-hit wonder was Johann Pachelbel and his Canon and Gigue in D, which became a worldwide smash 264 years after the German composer’s death thanks to a 1970 recording by the Paillard Or chestra. It has since gone on to become a staple at weddings. Green Day, U2 and Alicia Keys have all borrowed the catchy chord sequence.

264In 1963, commercial artist Harvey

Ball was asked to design a life insurance logo. Ten minutes later, so he says, the yellow, round and

grinning smiley was born. By 1971, 50 million smiley badges had been sold. The logo may have made Ball

world-famous, but it didn’t make him rich. He never applied for a

trademark or copyright of the logo and earned US$45 for his work.

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THE PEOPLE WHO ARE

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/redbulletin

your moment.beyond the ordinary

animalinstinctPhotographing live models can be a vicious business, but Franco Banfi’s subjects actually bite back. The Swiss snapper on the dangers of a life aquaticWords: Arek Piatek Photography: Franco Banfi

32

Close up Eye to eye with a blue

shark in the mid-Atlantic, off the Azores Islands

uddenly, the leopard seal is aware of the diver. Dropping the wounded penguin it has been chasing, it turns its full attention to the man with the camera. Terrifyingly, the 300kg predator moves at lightning speed to come eye-to-eye with the photographer. If it wanted to, it could kill him with a single bite of its powerful jaw.

For Franco Banfi, life and death situations like this are just part of his everyday work. It’s made the 55-year-old from Lugano in Switzerland one of the world’s most in-demand underwater photographers.

Over a career spanning 30 years, Banfi has seen every dangerous thing the oceans have to offer and photographed them in close quarters: crocodiles, sharks, giant squids, stingrays, the list goes on. His motivation is simple. “I prefer species that are difficult to photograph. I risk my life for them,” he says.

Banfi discovered underwater photography in the early 1980s. “Some friends convinced me to dive in Lake Lugano,” he explains. “The world underneath that surface instantly fascinated me.”

Underwater photography – a means of capturing that world – became Banfi’s passion. He taught

himself the technical aspects, as well as reading up on as many species of marine life as he could.

“To get noticed as a photographer you have to do what no one else has done before,” he says. Which is exactly what he set out to do, swiftly establishing his own modus operandi.

“I don’t dash off for the lucky shot; I try to gain the trust of the animals first,” he says. “When dangerous or shy ocean-dwellers tolerate your presence, your images take on an entirely new dimension.”

Aged 25, Banfi sold his first photo to an Italian diving magazine. At 34, he won the underwater photography world championships in Cuba. Since then, his photos have become a staple of respected wildlife magazines like National Geographic, BBC Wildlife and Stern.

The art of getting close to an animal, says Banfi, is a mixture of science and experience. “Every species reacts differently, but there is one rule for survival that almost always applies: show the animal respect, but never fear.”

It was this rule which saved Banfi’s life during the encounter with the leopard seal: “I stayed where I was and held the camera out to him. He swam away.” There are always exceptions, however. “When an anaconda gets aggressive, it’s better to disappear,” he says. “They’re primitive and once they start attacking they don’t stop.” www.banfi.ch 

Wet and wild: Franco  Banfi takes a portrait  of an 8m-long anaconda 

Franco Banfi has  30 years’ experience 

as an underwater photographer 

34 the red bulletin

Dancing with a manta ray “These giant specimens off the Mexican island of Socorro accepted me after a few days. I laid my hands on them and let them pull me through the water. Their skin is as rough as sandpaper. When I let go, they came back and we set off again.”

Bite-sized image“Caimans [alligator-like reptiles] grow up to 2m long. To cool off during the day they open their mouths in the water and remain in this menacing-looking position. In Brazil I stalked one of them while swimming. Always from the front, though, because caimans like biting to the side.”

Eye of the tiger shark“It’s one of the most fearsome animals in the ocean: unpredictable, and with

a bite powerful enough to crack tortoise shells. We lured this specimen off the

coast of Africa with fish blood. It came dangerously close: you can see the

shadow of my camera on its snout.”

Ice diving with belugas“This photo won a bunch of awards. It was shot in the White Sea, off the coast of northern Russia. Beluga whales are generally scared of people, but this curious, playful guy was an exception. He got so close that I had to keep pushing him away with the camera, just so I could focus.”

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Chasing the impossible“No one has managed to photograph the birth of

stingrays in the wild. A marine biologist and I accompanied this pregnant female for a week

in the Atlantic, while taking care to avoid the deadly sting. Unfortunately it got away from us.

What remains are photos of the animal on its incredibly long search for a spawning ground.”

39

The well-fed anaconda“This photograph was taken in the Brazilian wetlands area of Pantanal. Anacondas wait for their prey on the bank – they even eat crocodiles. This specimen had already eaten and barely took any notice of us. But then it got annoyed and opened its mouth fully in the direction of the camera. That was our signal to retreat.”

Teeth marks in the camera“A saltwater crocodile in a typical lookout position near the shore off Papua New Guinea. I approached from the side, getting closer and closer and then pressed the shutter. Suddenly its head jerked in my direction and it bit into the camera. The marks are still there to this day.”

40

Picking up signals“Whales know when you’re nervous,

and it relaxes them when you radiate calm. This photograph is the result

of harmony between man and animal. With this sperm whale

I knew beforehand that it was going to submerge. I went down first and took the photo while it

glided past and looked at me.”

Camera-shy monster“Giant squids can grab divers with their tentacles and drag them down into the depths. This colossus accompanied us down to 80m, but was cautious. When the camera flashed it jerked away – and slowly snuck up again later.”

Feeding the predators“For shark shots you always need

bait that you hold out, so they can smell it, but not reach it. In our case it was pieces of fish in

cage-like boxes. You start snapping as soon as the predators approach.

This photo shows me off the coast of the Bahamas at 15m depth,

surrounded by 25 lemon sharks.”

42 the red bulletin

Marc Webber for Pepe Jeans London

44 the red bulletin

label Captured Tracks and adding bassist Miskimmin to the fold. In April 2011, Girls Names released their morbidly themed debut album, Dead To Me.

“There was no plan; it was loose and organic,” says Cully. “With [2013 album] The New Life, we took a big step forward. It was more ambitious; better melodies. We produced it ourselves, experimenting with sounds, new ideas and the result is like a different band. It deals in some serious themes. For me,

“I remember the excitement playing America for the first time,” says Cathal Cully, Girls Names’ founder and creative core. “One night we were finishing a European tour in Amsterdam and the next we’re playing to a packed crowd of New Yorkers in Willamsburg. Even now it’s kind of surreal.

“But then you get quite a few pinch-yourself moments when you do what we do. On tour, a few years back, I was standing outside a hotel with our old drummer, Neil, and he started freaking out when he saw Lee Ronaldo from Sonic Youth walk by. He nearly wet himself with excitement. Then again, he had a similar reaction when he saw Jason Donovan.”

Originally from the idyllic County Armagh village of Camlough, Cully moved to Belfast a decade ago to study at university. Music’s magnetic force would soon alter his path through life.

“I’ve worked loads of jobs; gardening, bar work, labourer, jobs that give me flexibility to focus on the band,” says Cully. “I worked in a clothes shop not so long back and some kids walked in, spotted a turntable and asked ‘What’s that?’ Music technology’s constantly evolving. The format changes, but music lives on. Most bands aren’t making shedloads of cash, but a little struggle can make for better art.”

Sipping a few sneaky lunchtime beverages at the Pavillion on Belfast’s Ormeau Road; Cully, Philip Quinn, Claire Miskimmin and Gib Cassidy are Girls Names’ latest incarnation. In 2009, songwriter Cully accepted a slot supporting Californian surf-rock band Wavves and asked novice drummer Neil Brogan to lend a hand. Within months, they were cutting an EP for American

glamour: carrying our own gear up venue stairs in Turin. It’s great, though; seeing new places, meeting cool people.”

Cassidy didn’t have long to learn the songs. “I got the call before Christmas and was blown away when I heard the album. I practised to it at home, did two rehearsals and was off to the Eurosonic festival in Holland before I knew it. To be honest, I totally winged it,” he laughs.

This August, Girls Names return to the festival trail, their formidable live

reputation growing steadily.“The next major Irish show is

Castlepolooza in August and then Green Man in Wales,” says Cassidy.

“We’ve certainly moved on as a band from the days of the first album,” says Miskimmin. “I feel a lot more comfortable with my playing now, but half-hour sets can be a bit crap. Our favourite first song is 10 minutes long, and we like to finish with one that lasts maybe 12. That doesn’t leave much time in the middle.”

Recapturing the haunting atmospherics of The New Life on stage brings its own challenges.

“We’ve rearranged the songs minus synths and added guitar sections,” says Quinn. “We really lose ourselves in the music at times, ramp up the sound. Cathal often detunes his guitar at the end of songs, getting these interesting tones. It’s a lot different to the record.”

For now, gigging takes precedence, but plans for the next chapter are emerging.

“There are a few ideas knocking around,” says Quinn. “We’ve spoken about moving abroad, to somewhere like Utrecht in Holland, even just for a short time. A change of scene mightn’t be a bad call. After all, everywhere is just a long van drive away.” www.facebook.com/GirlsNames 

Belfast’s post-punk standard bearers were once a surf pop two-piece. Now they’re 100 per cent bigger – and twice as loud

Words: Eamonn Soeige Photography: Johnny Savage

it was a cathartic process. Whatever’s happened in life comes out in the music.”

Since the record’s release earlier this year, Girls Names have toured America and Europe, wowing audiences with aural assaults of foreboding art rock.

“I love touring,” says drummer Cassidy, the band’s newest addition, who joined last December after Neil Brogan decided on a time-out. The quick-witted, sharp-dressed and impressively quiffed Dubliner splits his time between band commitments and business interests in his hometown. “We don’t have a big fancy van with reclining chairs. We’re more 10-hour, back-breaking drives and then time to magic up the energy to play. Oh the

girls names

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The line-up (from left)Philip Quinn – guitar and synths Cathal Cully – vocals and guitar Claire Miskimmin – bass Gib Cassidy – drums

DiscographyGirls Names (EP, 2010) Dead To Me (Album, 2011) The New Life (Album, 2013)

Stick Man’s StoreAside from keeping time, Cassidy is also proprietor of that increasingly rare breed, a record shop: Elastic Witch, on Dublin’s Middle Abbey Street.

Strike A PoseNikolai Fraiture, The Strokes’ bassist, is a Girls Names fan. His soundtrack to a 2012 New York fashion show included their track Lawrence.

talentWorld-class fencer Olga Kharlan gets straight to the point in the

run-up to this month’s World Championships in Budapest Words: Ruth Morgan Photography: Sergei Chyrkov

hen she was a little girl, Olga Kharlan dreamed of being a shop assistant

or a dancer. Fortunately for Ukrainian sport, both career paths were sliced to tatters the moment she picked up a sword. That epiphany was 12 years ago. Now 22, Kharlan and her sabre have won two Olympic medals – the first a gold at Beijing 2008, when she was just 17 years old – and numerous world and European titles. This month, the girl from Mykolaiv, near Odessa, is dreaming of yet more glory at the World Championships in Budapest, and counting on dried fish, self-help and Marilyn Manson to get her there.

the red bulletin: How did you get into fencing?olga kharlan: I clearly remember the day I first heard about it. I was an energetic child and used to go dancing a lot. But when I was 10, my mum said, ‘I’m sorry, but we can’t afford to pay for your dance lessons any more.’ My godfather was working as a fencing trainer at the time so he suggested I go to his club instead. When did you first realise that fencing was becoming a passion? To begin with it was just a bit of fun, but I discovered my true passion for the sport when I started getting results. I had a real thirst for winning. I love that fencing is an

unusual sport, too – you have to trick your rival if you want to win. That’s fun. There are three types of sword in fencing: épée, foil and sabre. Why did you go for the sabre? The épée and foil jab, while the sabre strikes. It’s the only weapon where you can score points with the blade’s edge. It’s a very agile weapon, and as a result the discipline is incredibly fast-paced. We fence with greater energy whereas, with the épée and foil, there’s a lot of standing around and waiting.What do you say to those who claim fencing is not a hugely physical sport?All sports are physically strenuous, and

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46 the red bulletin

Olga Kharlan first took a stab at fencing aged

10. Seven years later she won Olympic gold

sabre fencing is no exception. You need vast amounts of strength and stamina. We move around with our legs half bent, so there’s constant pressure on the knees and back – which are often injured as a result. Plus we’re constantly bruised from hits.How mentally taxing is fencing?Psychological fitness is just as important as the physical side. Everything can change in a second. So we don’t just train in the fencing hall, we train in the psychologist’s study, too. He gives me strategies to focus my thoughts.Do you miss dancing, your first love, despite all of your fencing success?Maybe I would have become a great dancer. I loved samba and cha-cha, but I’ll never know. I sometimes watch ballroom dancing competitions because it’s so beautiful, but that’s where my interest ends; my heart belongs to fencing.How did it feel winning bronze at London 2012 after gold in 2008?Before London, I thought that if I didn’t win a gold like I did in Beijing, I’d be very depressed. But I realised that once you’re on that Olympic podium, you’re a winner. I’d have liked to be a little higher up, but I’ve got still time to get there. We’ll see what happens in 2016.How strenuous is your training regime?I’m in the gym for about eight hours a day, six days a week. I do general physical training and then fencing training, where we spend a lot of time practising moves and polishing our technique.Can you eat what you like if you’re exercising that much?I don’t often go on diets. I really love savoury food, especially dried fish. That’s

the thing I can’t resist. Oddly, I don’t like chocolate, but sometimes – and this happens very rarely – I can eat a whole bar of milk chocolate in one sitting. After that, I just want dried fish again. Do you ever want to turn off your alarm, forget the gym and hang out with your friends like a regular 22-year-old? I don’t have much free time to myself, and that’s the hardest part of my profession. When I do get time off, I like to hang out with friends from outside the sport. When we meet, we don’t talk about training or competition. We just go to the cinema, catch up and have fun.Is talking shop a problem with your boyfriend, since he’s a fencer too?Yes, I’m going out with another sabre-fencer called Dima, and we often speak about our bouts and give each other advice. My coaches would prefer I was single, but Dima being around has never got in the way. If anything, it’s helped.What sort of music gets you in the mood to do battle? I love listening to music – in my car; when I’m at home; when I’m training. Sometimes I can’t prepare for a match unless I’m listening to something. I have all sorts on my iPod, from Metallica to Justin Bieber. When my boyfriend listens to my iPod, he’s always surprised by the choice of songs. He’s like, ‘You’ve got Marilyn Manson on here?!’You’ve had a lot of attention for your looks as well as your fencing prowess. Are you happy being labelled a pin-up? I’m very flattered that people appreciate my looks, but feel quite embarrassed when they give me compliments. I really

enjoyed being photographed for a Ukrainian men’s magazine – but it did have some negative consequences. My parents were fine about it, but my trainers didn’t understand why we [Olga and her two teammates] did it. Afterwards I said I wouldn’t pose for another magazine like that, but who knows? I might…You still live in the Ukranian town where you grew up: Mykolaiv, near Odessa. Are you a local celebrity?Not really, because fencing still isn’t very popular there. If I get recognised, it’s only because of my car – because I have my name and the Olympic rings on the number plates. [The car was a gift from the Ukrainian Fencing Federation for winning gold.] It’s great when I’m recognised as it means people know what fencing is.Do you think you’ll ever leave your hometown?I’ve lived in Mykolaiv all my life and I love it there. All of my relatives live there and I share a house with my parents and my dog. My mum always has something delicious waiting for me when I get back from competing – I love her borscht. I plan to live my whole long and happy life there.Do you still get nervous before a bout?I always get nervous! Confidence is a weird thing. You can have it one minute and then two seconds later it’s gone. I have to distract myself from negative thoughts. My inner voice helps me. I often talk to myself – but not out loud.How are you feeling about the upcoming World Championships? My goal is to win individual gold at both the World Championships and the next Olympics. I’ll have to work very hard to achieve that, but when I have, I’ll be the happiest person in the world. www.redbull.com 

“If I get recognised it’s only because of my

car – because I have my name and the

Olympic rings on the number plates”

On the front foot: Kharlan (left) is hoping to win her second consecutive world championship gold AD

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48 the red bulletin

Today’s essential music makerstell the stories behind their beat:Fireside Chats on rbmaradio.com

In 2004, I finished the Donauturm run just 0.695 seconds behind the winner, Markus Zahlbruckner. Markus won a flight to New York. I won a toy truck full of savoury snacks. It’s at times like those when you realise that it all boils down to details.I’m staunchly economical. Costs, time and resources are what count for me. At home, I work out the quickest way

I grew up in Steinach, a village of 3,000 people in the Black Forest. I was part of the German national mountain running team when I was 17. When I was 19, I took part in my first stair race at the Donauturm [Danube Tower] in Vienna. A lot of mountain runners don’t deal well with steps, but with me it’s always been the steeper, the better.Up to a million people can be cheering you on when you run a marathon, but when you’re in the mountains you can enjoy nature. The fascinating thing about stair running is the minimalism of it. No headwind. No rain. No heat. You can forget all those excuses. Your heart rate is high. The blood runs to your legs. By the time you reach the finish line you’re empty and have forgotten everything. It’s as if someone’s pressed a reset button in your brain.I admire Shaolin monks. They don’t wear smart clothes or drive fast cars. Only the essential things count. If you said to a Shaolin, ‘This exercise doesn’t work’, he’d say back, ‘As a matter of principle, everything works.’ People once thought it would be impossible to smash iron bars on your head, as the Shaolin do. People also say climbing stairs is too much of a strain.I know Goldman Sachs bankers in Frankfurt who work between the 50th and 60th floor of the MesseTurm [Trade Fair Tower] and walk down to the ground floor to get their pizza. That’s a good 200m of altitude. Anyone who doesn’t drink a bottle of vodka or smoke two packets of cigarettes a day can climb stairs. Make it into a game. Bet who’ll be the first to walk up 50 flights over the course of a week. Put a list up in the office and challenge your colleagues.

eat up all his winnings, and I win practically everything. Which means even when you’re the best, you’ve got to have another job on the side. [Dold works as an athlete manager.]I won the Empire State Building Run-Up seven times in a row. If Usain Bolt was to run it against me, the race would probably be up for him at the 20th floor. [There are 86 flights of stairs in

the building.] He’d either be out of breath or struggling with the stairs. Bolt has an incredibly quick stride frequency. The problem with stair running is that you can’t just put your feet anywhere. The length of your stride has to be exactly the same as the step, including when you’re completely exhausted. Before a race, I have muesli with water and bananas. After the race, I go for orange juice and honey to avoid the chesty cough you can get from the dry air. My stair formula is “two for the win”. If you take one step at a time, you’re running a staccato rhythm. If you take three, your movement is too heavy. But if you take two at a time, it’s like

you’re flying up a sloping plane.When I’m training, I listen to house music with about 130 beats per minute. Let’s say I’m not that into soft rock. During competition, I don’t expose my ears to noise. If I had an MP3 player on my arm, that’d be an extra 20g to carry.I’ve achieved everything I wanted to achieve. In 2013, I’m being more specific in the competitions I choose to take part in. In February, I won the race at the tallest building in Qatar: 1,304 steps in 6 mi nutes 32 seconds. What I definitely won’t do is travel somewhere just to come second. My motto is: “All in.” www.thomasdold.com 

“Taking two steps at a time is like

running up a sloping plane”

from the armchair to the fridge. When I’m travelling, my luggage is always one step ahead of me on the escalator so that I can get off as quickly as possible at the top.At the Taipei 101 Run-Up in Taiwan, you can win $6,649 in prize money. Minus taxes and even if the exchange rate is bad, you’re still left with $3,000. So basically, a stair runner’s travel costs

THOMAS DOLD

The Hot StepperThe world’s most successful stair runner thinks like a Shaolin monk,

swears by bananas and explains why you should never take the lift againInterview: Andreas Rottenschlager Photography: Alexander Schneider

50 the red bulletin

BornSeptember 10, 1984,

Wolfach, Baden- Württemberg, Germany

Height/Weight:1.79 m/ 71 kg

Stair WellFour-time overall

Tower Running World Cup winner; seven-time Empire

State Building Run-Up winner; seven-time Sky

Run Berlin winner

S e c o n d SM I n u t e S

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r e g u l a r f o l k d r i v e u p A m e r i c a ’ s P i k e s P e A k i n a b o u t 4 5 m i n u t e s . i n w i n n i n g t h e r a c e t o t h e C l o u d s , t h e h i l l c l i m b u p t h e m o u n t a i n , F r e n c h r a l l y l e g e n d s é b A s t i e n l o e b c u t 8 0 p e r c e n t o f f t h a t t i m e W o r d s : W e r n e r J e s s n e r

“ I w a n t t h e r e c o r d , ” s a y s s é b a s t I e n L o e b , “ b u t I k n o w t h e r e i s n o r o o m f o r e v e n t h e s m a l l e s t e r r o r ”

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with no end in sight, each of them steeper and narrower than anything the three road-trippers were familiar with in their native Kansas. Mary grips the ceiling handle nervously, but Eric has everything under control. There are hardly any guide rails on the side of the mountain road and Eric has to resist the urge to peer over the edge. Tyre marks scar the narrow curves – so narrow that Eric has to come to a halt to see around each bend.

Soon, the family becomes aware of a number of tyre marks leading straight out, over the edge of the abyss. Mary gasps for breath in the passenger seat. In the back, Mary-Jo grins in apparent delight. “Altitude euphoria,” mutters Eric as he navigates the next serpentine turn. “What have they got me into?”

An icy wind is blowing when they reach the summit of Pikes Peak; the 12.4-mile ascent has taken them 45 minutes. The three Kansans turn their gaze east, to the Great Plains from where they have come – hundreds of miles laid out before them like a vast, crumpled map.

In the souvenir shop they buy an ashtray, a sweatshirt and a few fridge magnets. Then it’s time to start their descent. Some 1,440m below, skilful mechanics are putting the finishing touches to a small fleet of high-performance cars and motorbikes. The following day, these vehicles will tackle 20 of the most legendary kilometres in American road racing, when they take

Sky rocket: Peugeot Sport built an 875hp 208 all-wheel drive prototype for the world’s best rally driver, Sébastien Loeb, to pilot up Pikes Peak

very year in late June, Eric, his wife, Mary, and her mother, Mary-Jo, leave their home in Kansas and cross the state line for an American road trip. This year, Mary-Jo wanted to see Colorado, first the small city of Pueblo, then Colorado Springs and then on to the highpoint – an assault on ‘America’s Mountain’: Pikes Peak.

It was on this mountain 120 years ago, on July 22, 1893, that the lyrics to the immortal anthem America The Beautiful came to songwriter Katharine Lee Bates, “and I probably won’t be around for the 130th anniversary,” says the elderly Mary-Jo in the backseat of the Volvo, her white ringlets bobbing in the rear-view mirror.

The road winds around the famous mountain, a beloved American holiday destination. One curve follows another

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part in the 91st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The Unsers, the Andrettis, the Millens, all of them have proved their mettle here – in the infamous mountain race to the summit.

In the late 1980s, the Europeans left their mark on this race for the first time, pulverising the course record with a succession of rally cars. With four-wheel-drive and upwards of 500hp, they tore through the 11-minute barrier on the gravel road to the summit.

The famous road was laid with asphalt in 2012. At this point an ambitious local could manage it in 11 minutes, but that was too slow to break any records. By the end of 2012, the 9 Minute Club – comprising those daring drivers who’d made the summit in less than 10 minutes – was five-strong. New Zealander Rhys Millen held the record with a time of 9:46.164, with French driver Romain Dumas 0.017 seconds behind in second. Making up the five was Japan’s Nobuhiro Tajima and the two motorbike riders, Carlin Dunne of the USA and his compatriot, Greg Tracy.

Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak, but by how much. In training, his car – 875hp strong, 875kg light – burned a few seconds per kilometre from the competition, including the two current record-holders Millen and Dumas. America loves winners and there are huge expectations of Loeb. The 39-year-old is feeling the pressure.

A break between two training runs, and the nine-time rally world champion has retreated to his trailer. His blue eyes blaze, thrown into even sharper relief by stubble now turned pepper-and-salt. He sprawls on a bench, relaxed. Although of slender build, his powerful upper arms are testament to the work he has already done, taming both mountain and car.

“First I had to establish trust in the Peugeot,” he says. “I had to find out how nervous the car was and what I could do with it. During a test in France we sorted out the major problems – transmission too long; suspension too hard; steering too direct – and on the first run in America the car did everything I wanted it to. I don’t know what the old rally cars felt like on Pike’s Peak, but this one’s insanely fast.”

Nevertheless, can he really go at 100 per cent speed here – on these miserly roads clinging desperately to the flanks of the infamous mountain?

Loeb hesitates: “Let’s say 99 per cent.”There’s another major drawback:

unlike the World Rally Championship (WRC) there is no co-driver to dictate the curves to him during the journey. How well does he know the route?

“Even before I came here, I had memorised the sequence of curves,” says Loeb. “I studied on-board videos at home, then I came here with my co-driver, Daniel Elena. We drove the route and put together a pacenotes book, just as I would in a normal rally special stage.

“In the WRC we only get to inspect the course twice: the first time you put

B y a 3 0 0 m a B y s s , L o e b t a k e s a d o u b l e 6 0 - d e g r e e b e n d a t 1 7 0 k p h

Everyone’s a winner: from souped-up single-seaters to sidecars, all

kinds of vehicles compete at Pikes Peak

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he latter pair didn’t use petrol or diesel on their way up to the summit in 2013, instead they trusted their fortunes to electric energy. Indeed, this was in many ways a race made for the electric engine:

conventional petrol-burning motors have to cope with performance loss at high altitudes. Despite large turbochargers and advanced electronics, there simply isn’t enough oxygen to burn. Anyone who makes it to these heights having surrendered a quarter of the horsepower they had in the valley has really done their homework.

Electric cars don’t have this problem, of course, but their batteries – even in a relatively short race like this – are heavier than fuel engine units. And even if big name car manufacturers like Mitsubishi are now putting their name to some of the electro-projects, this still remains pioneering work: little more than glorified tinkering.

of course, there won’t be a whisper of this when it comes to the overall victory. Not when the challenger is celebrated French rally driver Sébastien Loeb. The main topic of conversation here on the mountain is not whether Loeb can crack the record in his specially developed

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together the notes and the second time you’re checking them. Here, the third run onwards was all new for me. I was able to tell Daniel 100m before the next curve what was coming, and he checked it. I would say “120 left” and he would correct me, like “120 left plus”. We drove it together nine times, and the last three times I didn’t make a single mistake.”

Perfection is what’s required here and Loeb wouldn’t have it any other way. “I approached Pikes Peak like I do all of my projects: professionally, with a good team and to the very highest standards. I know there is no room for even the smallest error. But I have no interest in just coming here and driving with the pack. I want the record.”

There are parts of the course where the road drops 500m into nothingness, with no guide rail. At many of these curves, such as the forebodingly named Devil’s Playground at 4,000m, the cars in the fastest class reach speeds of well over 200kph.

“With a car as powerful as the Peugeot, if you steer just a fraction wide, you’re history,” says Loeb. “You have to be precise. It was actually easier before on gravel; you can work much more with the car.”

Meanwhile, clouds roll in and the weather service forecasts a 30 per cent chance of rain.

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penultimate curve; at the finish line she clings to him, sobbing. In the heat of the battle, Bruno Marlin’s passenger, his son Jérémy, leans so far out that the young frenchman scrapes his helmet visor on the asphalt. American Wade Boyd wins ahead of Japan’s Masahito Watanabe. rivals on the track, they all embrace once they get to the summit. They’re not racing against each other, but against the mountain and the clock.

That goes double for Sébastien Loeb, the first starter among the cars. If all goes to plan, he will win, that much is certain. What’s interesting is the time he does it in.

Long before you see him, you hear him. every change of gear is an explosion amplified by the rocky Mountain cliffs: a staccato of explosions coming nearer and nearer. Between Devil’s Playground and the summit, the road keeps disappearing and the eyes strain to focus. The silhouette of the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak should be appearing down there, but it’s already ahead, at a crag further on.

The ear has tricked the eye. Later the telemetry will show a peak speed of more than 240kph, the wild beast with the huge spoiler zooms, roaring, from one corner to the next, disappears, reappears, tears past at easily 170kph on a double 60-degree curve, at the end of which yawns a 300m abyss. At the exit, the inside front wheel is exactly on the white line marking the edge of the asphalt. It is an exact, clinical procedure: one of those moments which very few men on this planet can pull off in a car.

The clock at the finish line shows an unbelievable 8:13.878, one-and-a-half minutes under the existing record. Membership of the 9 Minute club is a bit less special today. In second place is last year’s victor rhys Millen, with a respectable 9:02, which might be an eternity better than his old record, but is still in a completely different league.

At 4,300m above sea level, Loeb seems happy and relieved: “I felt good in the car and I decided on all-out attack,” he says. “Pikes Peak was my season highlight, and this record means a lot to me.” He will drive his last Wrc event in his native france this autumn, and in 2014 he’ll enter the touring car world championship (WTcc) in a citroën, which will manage a mere third of the performance of the Pikes Peak Peugeot. The nine-time rally world champion has enjoyed his mad week in this unbelievably powerful, radical car, built just for him.

In the meantime, the mountain has reminded everyone why they call this

event the race to the clouds. It draws together a mighty contingent in white and grey and gives it a vigorous shake: rain, hail, snow, fog, wind – it takes the whole afternoon to get the last 24 cars up the hill. There’s no hope of a record or even a respectable time now, and how could there be: now it’s the turn of the soapbox cars, the home-built, rebuilt, the jerry-built, the family teams; the products of long winter nights’ tinkering. The spectators greet every last one of them with great respect and genuine enthusiasm, and rightly so.

Sébastien Loeb is still up there on the summit, in the middle of a sleet shower and pea-soup fog. everyone drives down together, whether hobby warrior or record holder. everyone is equal before the mountain.

In the Best Western Hotel in Manitou Springs, where eric, Mary and Mary-Jo are recovering from their previous day’s exertions, there’s a dozy calm. Mary-Jo snores lightly on the veranda, Mary browses the latest edition of the National Enquirer. With earphones in his iPad, eric is watching the race online. Bit of a hotshot, this Loeb. next year, eric decides, he’ll send the two girls up to the summit on the cog railway. He’ll master the route to the top alone and won’t slow for any curve. How hard can it be? www.redbull.com

Take a seat in Sébastien Loeb’s cockpit and join his breathtaking record drive in The Red Bulletin tablet edition. Download it now for free

On top of the world: Sébastien Loeb celebrates at 4,300m above sea level

he following day, as early as 3am, a good two-and- a-half hours before sunrise, a 1km-long colonnade is working its way up the mountain, past the herd of campervans, which were already in

place the day before. Admittedly, the ban on open fires makes hearty weekend fun difficult. colorado is suffering from severe forest fires and hoping for rain.

up at the summit, it’s bitterly cold. Along the road, yesterday’s meltwater from late-season snow is still frozen. first up are the motorbikes, the riders exposing themselves to the dangers of the mountain without roll cages or any of the protection afforded to their four-wheeled rivals. Supermotos and vintage racing bikes follow, all conquering the mountain to a great show of reverence from the fans.

A few dauntless individuals serve to remind us that sidecars still exist, with hearts bigger than anything humanoid. Johnny Wood almost dislodges his passenger, giorgina gottlieb, in the

60 the red bulletin

He’s a faceless superstar: a wall-painting nomad, artist and rebel. The Red Bulletin spoke

exclusively to ROA in what is his longest interview to date

wild sidethe

of townHe’s a faceless superstar: a wall-painting

nomad, artist and rebel. The Red Bulletin spoke exclusively to ROA in what is his

longest interview to date

wild sidethe

of townWords: Jasmin Wolfram and Andreas Rottenschlager

Photography: Philipp GreindlWords: Jasmin Wolfram and Andreas Rottenschlager

Photography: Philipp Greindl

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Long spray days: “First my shoulders ache, then my back and then the index

finger – that’s from pressing the button

of the spray can”

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the red bulletin: You spray huge motifs onto public walls, often under extreme time pressure. Which parts of your body start to hurt first?roa: i recently worked on a motif in the commercial port in linz, austria, for nine days; sometimes 12-hour shifts with no break. First my shoulders hurt, then my back, and then the index finger on my right hand, which is the one i use to press the spray-can nozzle. of course, a motif on that scale is a mental challenge, too.

ew york; london; Berlin. if you hunt around the world’s great cities, you’ll find roa’s animal murals on walls in courtyards, sprawled across the side of factories.

inspired in part by the sketches of Charles darwin, the secretive Belgian street artist paints in simple blacks, whites and reds and has, of late, become hot property. now, rather than running from the law, he is being offered gallery space by big-name art dealers. some of his works are the size of several tennis courts, while smaller pieces hang in prestigious venues such as the Museum of Contemporary art in los angeles. last year, the stolen space gallery in london gave him a solo exhibition.

although his art is publicly displayed worldwide, roa is a very private man. there are no photos of his face in the public domain. his pseudonym, he says,

“doesn’t mean anything”. his reasons for privacy are simple: “Works are more important than people.”

When The Red Bulletin meets him, hip-hop is blaring from laptop speakers on the second-floor balcony of the galerie hilger neXt in Vienna. empty spray cans are strewn across the floor. the sun will be going down any minute and he’s running out of light.

roa has to have his latest installation – an enormous kingfisher with outstretched wings – finished by the following evening. But, as night falls, he finds time to sit down with The Red Bulletin for a rare interview.

Not pictured: ROA in the Galerie Hilger

NEXT in Vienna: “I am a wall-painting nomad”

How do you go about transferring an A4 sketch onto a multi-storey building?i make my sketch directly on the wall. a wall is like any other work surface, just a little bigger. i find it boring to reproduce something you’ve already painted, so my sketches are mainly doodles. i want to create something new and fresh each time.Many of your works could be painted over. Does that bother you? of course i want my works to survive as long as possible. But when i leave a place, that’s my job done. the wall doesn’t belong to me and the world doesn’t belong to us. it’s a public place and anyone with a spray can or a tin of paint can change that at any time. Is street art modern art?it’s contemporary, not modern. it doesn’t matter if street art is defined as intellectual or underground, or how seriously it is taken. the main thing is that it happens. the term street art was created by people who had nothing to do with it, similar to a lot of general terms, it merely connects ‘street’ and ‘art’. But street artists have existed much longer. it’s not limited to painting: mime, juggling and music can all be street art, too, so it is a bad term that describes nothing.

With fines and prison sentences, not everyone accepts this as an art form.it would be better if people worried less about their privacy or property and saw these artworks as a gift, not something which adversely affects their environment.When you were young, you spray-painted the walls of derelict houses. Now you have artworks hanging in galleries. How do you reconcile those two extremes?an artist is an artist. it doesn’t matter

“Artists should only create things that inspire them”

64 the red bulletin

In June of this year ROA completed two huge

murals in Linz for the Austrian city’s Bubble

Days art festival. He spent nine days working on this sketch of a goat

where or how he works or the context in which he performs. The main thing is feeling that desire to create something. It’s not about how great people think you are, or how well you hold your place in the market. It’s nice to have bread, cheese and chocolate spread on the kitchen table every morning. How do you define the term ‘artist’? An artist can do what he wants. If someone comes in and defecates on the floor of this gallery and calls it art, it’s art. Whether the public likes it or not is another matter. A true artist should only create things that inspire him, not stuff that’s easy to sell. I did all sorts of jobs in the past, just to be able to afford spray paint. Now it’s the other way around: I make my money with paint to buy paint.Your art is all about taming wild animals. Why?I don’t actively tame them. Some people think my animals are sweet, others find them aggressive. When I paint the animals, they appear static, but they’re not necessarily dead. People give them their own meaning – that’s what’s beautiful about art.Your motifs all come from the animal kingdom. What is it that you don’t like about people?Animals reveal a great deal about the times we live in, the things that affect us and the way we live our lives as humans.

do you get to spend at your home in Belgium?It’s got to the point where my real home doesn’t feel like home any more. I’m like a wall-painting nomad. Some of your pencil drawings are reminiscent of the old masters of Belgium and Holland. As somebody raised in the Low Countries, do you see yourself as part of that tradition?We’re all influenced by the conditions we grow up in; the things we see as children. The impressions they make inspire us, even if we don’t realise it at the time. From that point of view, it’s possible that the European school influenced my painting style, yes. Your work fills walls 20m high. How do you get the proportions right?I don’t use projectors or grids. They wouldn’t be any use, because when I’m starting out, I don’t know how the artwork is going to proceed. I find that out while I am painting. I have photos of the animals I want to paint and I look at their skeletons so I can understand their anatomy and proportions.In 2011, you painted in Gambia. What did the people there make of your work?The people are open to creativity, they are not afraid of change.Is this the biggest difference to Europe?Why do Western graffiti artists paint almost exclusively in rundown or backstreets locations? Because these are the places where nobody is bothered by what we do. But they’re also the places that have the most potential for transformation. Now there are owners of properties speculating that street art could actually help house prices to rise.What gets you more excited? The freedom of a legal location or the thrill of an illegal wall?It doesn’t matter if something is legal or illegal. The only thing that matters in the end is that you create something interesting.ROA’s latest exhibition: www.inoperable.at

How did the work of Charles Darwin inspire your motifs? Darwin researched different animal species all over the world and was constantly on the move. In that sense, we’re very similar. I’m extremely interested in biology and the vast variety within the animal kingdom. But ultimately, I’m an artist, not a biologist. You keep the details of your private life closely guarded. How much time

Vital signs: ROA’s work has given the port in Linz a facelift.

Below: his intricate sketch of a mountain goat’s skull

“Street art could raise house prices”

66 the red bulletin

More Like Playtime Than Drivetime!ONE WHOLE

EXTRA HOUR

WITH THE LADS !

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 Deadly and demanding, the huge catamarans   that will slice through  San Francisco Bay in   the America’s Cup next month have created   a new type of sailor for a new kind of sailing 

W o r d s : A n d r e a s T z o r t z i s

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he wind in San Francisco Bay barrels through the golden gate Bridge like a gang of brawling longshoremen spilling through the doors of a bar. it whips the placid waters of the morning into frosted whitecaps by early afternoon, buffets the regal hills of angel island and whistles through the ghostly windows of alcatraz, blowing the baseball caps off the heads of midwestern tourists.

on the water, boats heel and the edges of their canvas sails flap sharply in the strong gusts. But on the 72ft catamaran with a 260m2 sail speeding past them, there is little sound.

the boat the america’s Cup committee hopes will give sailing a shot in the arm begins heeling as the first fingers of wind hit the wing. the 11 members of the crew tuck themselves into an area dug out of one of the two hulls. Paired up around four grinding handles attached to high-tech winches, they hold perfectly still.

it’s a game of inches as skipper Jimmy Spithill looks up at the sail and wing and then out in the direction he plans to head. the grinders, who operate the sails, move in synchronised motions for a few revolutions, trimming the sail and wing in and out. the only sound is the mechanical crank of the wing as the boat’s hulls begin to rise out of the water. First the windward hull, then the leeward, as it rises up on a 250kg slice of carbon-fibre daggerboard, a manoeuvre called foiling that enables the boats to hit speeds in excess of 39 knots (72kph). other boats pound through conditions like this, but the aC72 cuts through everything. it’s remarkably stable on top of the water as the speed ticks up and up.

Spithill gives the word and the crew spring into action. a tight choreography begins as they bound across the width of the boat, skidding down on the netting

and bracing themselves against the other hull as water whips through. the boat begins a slow tack and more bound across, including Spithill, who joins them on the other side. he steadies the wheel and heads upwind toward Fort mason. Behind him, three chase boats bearing the oracle logo swerve in and out of the aC72’s wake at top speed like a motorcade, straining to keep up.

Spithill is the skipper of oracle team uSa, current holders of the america’s Cup. the red-haired australian became the youngest skipper to win the trophy

when he steered larry ellison’s trimaran to victory in the 2010 competition. next month he and a top-flight international crew of 11 will take on the winner of a three-team selection series between boats from Sweden, new Zealand and italy in the 34th contest for a trophy awarded since 1851.

“i don’t think anyone, even pro sailors a few years ago, could ever predict or think this is where we would end up today,” says Spithill, 34. “From where we’ve come from to where we are is a vertical quantum leap. it’s not a slow

70 the red bulletin

 “I don’t think anyone,  even pro sailors a few  years ago, could ever  predict or think this is  where we would end up  today. From where we’ve  come to where we are is  a vertical quantum leap” 

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 “We’re working so  hard – we’re on the  edge, and when you get  to the end of it, you  look around and think   if you could bottle  that up, you’d do well” 

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breaking apart. it took more than seven hours to recover the boat from the water.

the dangers are set against a backdrop of the sport’s far-reaching potential. these boats are unmatched in their demands on sailors and their design innovation, and they’re set to generate the sort of buzz and tV audiences the america’s Cup, and the sport of sailing, desperately need to justify the hundreds of millions spent in investment each year.

to no one is this more apparent than Spithill, who swears he remembers the jubilation that greeted australia ii’s victory in 1983, the first time a non-american boat had won the competition since the first race in 1851. he was three years old. Seven years later, he won his first race on a wooden dinghy that he, his sister and his dad found on a scrap heap.

he’s now behind the wheel of a boat costing an estimated US$10 million. his crew hail from eight countries. the fitness levels required of the team are olympian in this category. and the rush he gets from sailing is unparalleled.

THE FEELING“it was intimidating the first time i stepped on,” says Spithill of the aC72. “We spent countless hours going through the design with the engineers, the predictions, the CaD drawings. But when you step on that and it starts moving, it’s like you’re going from a pony to a thoroughbred. as soon as that boat hits the water, it is alive and it just wants to go. all it takes is as little as 5 knots [10kph] of wind. it’s really demanding because it takes so much energy and concentration. one little slip and this boat will bite you.

“you hear the foils start to hum when you go over 40 knots [74kph], and the wind is like being in a hurricane. the guys are working so hard and you’re on the edge, and when you get to the end of it, you look around and just... yeah, if you could bottle that up, you’d do well.”

THE R ESPECT“you never ever underestimate the boat. you give it a lot of respect and don’t ever relax. you’re 100 per cent focused. With other boats, a lot of the time, it’s like, ‘hey guys we’re gonna take a break and sit down and relax.’ it doesn’t happen. that’s when an accident can happen. it’s not like you take the wing down and have lunch.

“a lot of the time you don’t have the time to say, ‘hey here’s what’s coming up.’ or, ‘get ready for this.’ you need to make

progression. We’ve just gone ‘Bang!’ it’s like we’ve broken a brick wall down.”

the aC72’s increased power also led to tragedy, however. in May of this year the Swedish artemis racing catamaran broke apart during a downwind america’s Cup training session. British olympic gold medal winner andrew Simpson died in the incident after becoming trapped under the water. his death led to a number of proposed changes in race rules, including a maximum wind speed reduction to 23 knots (43kph), down

from 33 knots (61kph).Crewmembers must also wear life vests with oxygen canisters tucked on the outside, which can give one minute of air if they go under.

in october of last year, Spithill and his crew were fortunate to survive their own brush with disaster. on the eighth day of training on the boats, Spithill’s aC72 nosedived in rough conditions as he navigated through its most dangerous manoeuvre – the sharp turn from upwind to downwind – sending the 11-man crew into the cold water of the bay before

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each and every decision in a calm way while you’re red-lining the boat. and the guys on board have to make decisions when they’re completely exhausted. it’s split-second and you need incredibly smart guys. you can have the fittest guy in the world on the boat, but if he doesn’t have a strategic mind or is not a good enough sailor to anticipate what’s coming up, he’s not going to make it. you could have the greatest tactician, and if he’s not a great athlete he’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

“We’ve had some football players, rugby players and race car drivers on board, and they’re just like, ‘i had no idea.’ now we’re getting real credibility.”

THE R ISKS“if you get on a 72ft carbon-fibre multihull with a 131ft wing and you don’t think there’s going to be some risk associated with it, there is something wrong with you.”

“We always knew there was a chance of capsizing. But at the end of the day, the sailors are on the boat because they want to be on there. they understand that it’s not risk-free. nothing is. But they do it because they’re people who like to go out of their comfort zone, they like to be pushed and ultimately learn something about themselves.

“the most dangerous manoeuvre is the point where you bear away and turn the boat from going upwind to a downwind direction with the wing out. if you didn’t do anything the boat just wants to nosedive. it requires very good co-ordination – if you get it right and if it’s done well, you’re rewarded

with an amazing sort of acceleration – from about 10 knots up to 40 knots [19-74kph]. it’s an amazing feeling.”

THE R ESPONSIBILIT Y “there’s a lot of risk. you make a wrong decision in this boat and it could be catastrophic. the time you have to make a decision a lot of times is split-second. you’re always trying to think a step or two ahead.

“no question, there is a greater sense of responsibility than in the past. that’s rare if you look at team sports. you look at MotogP and Formula one: if the driver makes a mistake, he’s going to hurt himself. there’s not that many sports where you put everyone in danger. i actually don’t know if there is a sport like that. it demands a lot of your attention, for sure.”

THE A R EN A“if you’re a sailor and you’ve sailed in the water around San Francisco, you’ll be ready to roll. you’re going to have a lot of confidence after being pushed hard, dealing with the fog, the ferries, alcatraz and the currents. the Bay’s personality changes every single day. it’s challenging. then you throw this boat in and sail it around this course. When you come into the dock, it’s like you’ve really accomplished something, you’ve pushed hard. it’s asked you for a lot, but what an awesome, rewarding experience.”

THE FUTUR E“Finally, sailing is up there with other kinds of sport. Before it bothered me. Don’t get me wrong, i love the fact that our sport is so diverse. People are saying that this is Formula one on the water, and it’s true in terms of engineering and construction, but before we didn’t have that level of athlete to pull it off – now we do.

“honestly, when i go home at night i can’t wait to get up the next day and come here. it is the coolest thing in the world. it’s a big sacrifice on time and your family, but i cannot wait to get in.

“What’s crazy is what’s going to happen in another five to 10 years. i used to do a bit of motocross, and you see travis Pastrana doing the first backflips, and then the first double backflip. it makes you wonder how far your sport can go.” www.americascup.com 

turn the page for 2013 Cup preview

 “There’s a lot of risk.  Make a wrong decision  in this boat and it could  be catastrophic. That’s  rare in sport: there’s   not that many of them   where you put everyone   involved in danger” 

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 With its consistent wind and renowned beauty, San Francisco Bay is the  perfect location for America’s Cup sailors, spectators and TV cameras 

not plain sailing

the Bay arenaSan Francisco Bay is the most intimate and reliable America’s Cup venue to date. In September the winds howling through the Golden Gate Bridge hit average speeds of 20 knots (37kph), picking up in the early afternoon of each day. The size of the boats and the course taking them close to the San Francisco peninsula guarantees fans on shore will have plenty to look at.

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76 the red bulletin

L u c A L p h A n d ( F r A n c e )The former World Cup alpine ski racer and Dakar Rally winner now spends his time trying to break sailing records

“The Oracle Team is the favourite for me. They still have a lead in the technology and tactics. Among the challengers, I see Emirates Team New Zealand imposing

its culture on the Cup. This new form of modern sailing is good, but it has moved away from its tradition. Sailing becomes more professional in these kinds of projects, which can cost a lot of money and energy. With innovative technology, every detail counts in racing. As I come from sports that are timed – skiing and rally cars – this kind of sailing speaks to me.”

M i c k e y h A r t ( u S A )The Grateful Dead drummer is head of the event’s entertainment committee and composed the music for this year’s America’s Cup

“I’m into the rhythm of the whole thing. It’s like a dance, a ballet on the water between man, ship and the ocean. These guys are at the edge, and they’re rhythm masters. Who wins? It’s a couple of guys racing across the water – the most important thing is that

they’ve created this dance. My interest is in what it sounds like sonically. What does the boat and the water sound like? I try to use that when I’m making the music for the Cup.”

e d d i e J o r d A n ( u k )Former Formula One team owner. Superyacht owner

“I know the Americans will probably try to cancel the race if the wind is too strong, but I think if it’s windy and the wind is good – and they are allowed to race in it, the Kiwis will win.”

n e v i L L e c r i c h t o n ( n e w Z e A L A n d )Yachting enthusiast and winner of the 2009 Sydney-Hobart race, an annual event over the 1,170km between Australia and Tasmania

“If the America’s Cup comes down to a race between Oracle Team USA and Team New Zealand, Oracle has a slight edge upwind, but Team New Zealand is way quicker downwind and reaching. Also, Team New Zealand’s crew and boat handling skills are far superior to all the other teams.”

e M i r At e S t e A M n e w Z e A L A n d

Royal New Zealand Yacht SquadronCEO: Grant Dalton (New Zealand) Skipper: Dean Barker (New Zealand)

“Right now the Kiwis have the strongest boat, the most practised team, the most time on the water, and they haven‘t had to deal with the hometown political distractions that surround Oracle. They’re focused, they’re having fun, and they’re of the mindset they have to win in order to stay alive. If Team New Zealand doesn’t win this time around, the government won’t refinance them. They’re the only team with government backing, and without that first $30 million guaranteed, it’ll be a steep slope.”

L u n A r o S S A c h A L L e n g e

Circolo della Vela Sicilia CEO: Patrizio Bertelli (Italy)Skipper: Max Sirena (Italy)

“Max Sirena is a veteran who was in charge of the wing for Oracle Team USA when they won in 2010. The team looks good on paper, but their boat is essentially a copy of Team New Zealand’s first boat, and the Kiwis have moved on and up. The Italians and Kiwis have been training as partners, but if Luna Rossa has the stuff to beat New Zealand, it’s been hard to detect.”

A r t e M i S r A c i n g

Royal Swedish Yacht ClubCEO: Paul Cayard (USA)Skipper: Iain Percy (UK)

“There have been a number of quiet departures since Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson was killed in a training crash, and until they launched their second boat they had no idea what they have. They’ve had less time on the water than anybody else and no time at all in a foiling AC72 until their second boat was launched this summer. It’ll be uphill all the way for them this year.”

o r A c L e t e A M u S A

Golden Gate Yacht Club, San FranciscoCEO: Russell Coutts (New Zealand) Skipper: Jimmy Spithill (Australia)

“Crashing boat number one last October cost Oracle Team USA time on the water, but you can’t count the defender out. They’re a strong organisation, with a deep bench, and they were consistent winners on the 45 circuit [last summer’s preliminary racing on 45ft versions of the current boats]. They’re the only team training with two boats and two crews. They’ll be tough when the time comes and no matter who is on the course, there has never been an America’s Cup so vulnerable to the fortunes of war.”

2The Team lowdownThe four teams have decades of America’s Cup experience between them. American sailing expert Kimball Livingston has watched every race since 1980: here’s his run-down of this year’s favourites

Celebrity sailing enthusiasts make their best guess as to who will win

The ouTcome?3

A sailor on the San Francisco Bay for much of his adult life, Kimball Livingston is a journalist, author and a three-decade veteran of covering the America’s Cup for various publications. He currently lectures on the race series at UC Berkeley.

Watch exclusive footage of Oracle Team USA on the water in The Red Bulletin tablet edition. Download the app and issues now for freePh

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L E A P A

78

F O R W A R D

‘Freedom’ is a term used carefully and hard earned in

Kuwait. It’s an expression that has become a byword

for the country’s booming population of freerunners

Words: Noel Ebdon Photography: Richie Hopson

Youssef Al Attar (far left) and Barrak

Al Qallaf look on as Mohammad Al Attar performs a backflip

Freerunners don’t stop to shop in Kuwait City’s fish market (main picture and above) or Salhiya market (above right)

80 the red bulletin

here’s a 50cm-high decorative wall on one of Kuwait City’s hot, dusty beachfront boulevards that doesn’t mean much to most people. Perhaps you could sit there, or rest one foot on it as you admire the view; either way it’s just a stone retainer, built to stop you blundering over the edge of a drop.

To a small number of locals, the wall is far more than that. It’s an apparatus, a means of fluid movement, a theatrical prop. For Kuwait’s burgeoning community of freerunners, it – and everything else around it – is a stage.

Freerunning is a cross between climbing, cross-country running and gymnastics. Requiring both physical and mental strength, it has points in common with everything from circus skills to martial arts.

The temperature is well into the 40s on the beachfront and the air is so thick you could eat it with a spoon. This doesn’t stop cousins Mohammad and Youssef Al Attar and their friend

Barrak Al Qallaf pressing on with a particularly tough backflip off the low wall. Fortunately for the three freerunners, their hometown is awash with places like this, with fountains, statues and architecture ideally suited to their art.

“There’s a lot of energy in Kuwait and very few ways to expend it,” says Mohammad, 24, who got into freerunning after watching it on television. “The lifestyle here is more about eating, shopping and expensive cars. For us, freerunning is tapping into pent-up, unused energy.”

With the backflip nailed and a crowd of curious onlookers growing, it’s time to move on through the oppressive heat, the stunning Kuwait Towers providing a postcard backdrop to the scene.

Mohammad and his friends are spreading the freerunning message among the sedentary youth of this tiny Muslim state. With a population of 3.1 million, Kuwait has grown rich off the back of oil. Oil money has built a bustling metropolis and schooled people in a hard, business-oriented outlook, breeding suspicion of any ‘alternate’ approaches to life. Yet Mohammad’s form of expression is tolerated by most, even if Kuwait’s football-mad population often overlook it.

“Freerunning for me is an art,” he says. “You can ask a group of artists to paint the same scene, and they’ll all create something different. Freerunning is exactly the same. It’s all about personal creativity and how you use your body.”

Despite its position as the key battleground in the first Gulf War, Kuwait City in 2013 is a cosmopolitan, vibrant urban hub. With a growing population of young thrillseekers, it has become an unexpected freerunning hotspot. Estimates show a 400 per cent

“There’s a lot of energy in Kuwait and few ways to expend it. For us, freerunning is tapping into pent-up energy”M o h a M M a d a l at ta r

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“The sport is slowly becoming more acceptable, but I did have a security guard ask me if we were pretending to be monkeys”B a r r a k a l q a l l a f

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to rise, so does the need for organisation. But would the existence of such a body negate freerunners’ cherished freedom of expression in any way?

“Any federation would need to be operated by actual freerunners,” says Youssef. “There would also have to be a direct benefit to the art, as we want to have the independence to carry on doing what we do – and in the way that we do it.”

The informality of the freerunning scene is reflected in the runners’ relaxed approach to authority.

“We often practise on the grass in the middle of roundabouts,” laughs Mohammad. “The police don’t seem to care until we take off our shirts. Then they soon appear and ask us to cover up. Kuwait is a very conservative society in some ways, but not others.”

They don’t always understand what we’re doing and think we’re up to no good,” says Barrak, 19. “We don’t run; we try to explain about the sport instead. We do get moved on, but it’s slowly becoming more acceptable. Mind you, I did once have a security guard ask me if we were

pretending to be monkeys.”After backflipping the wall, Barrak

and crew tackle a spiked metal gate and then a higher prize: a beachfront fort. They perform tricks and take time out, sitting on its turrets like summitting mountaineers.

“What I love about this sport is that I can express my personality through my movements,” says Youssef. “The style is an important part of it. When you freerun, it’s not you against other runners. You’re competing against the course: against the obstacles in your path.”

“What we need next is a proper freerunning gym with a foam pit, so people can practise their skills in comfort and safety,” says Youssef, 22. “Something like that would progress the levels of Kuwaiti freerunners far more quickly and really benefit the sport. But we’ll need money to do that.”

The sport has no federation or governing body, but as numbers continue

increase in practitioners over the last three years – from 40 in 2010 to an estimated 200 agile sportsmen and women, leaping and twisting across the city’s man-made obstacles.

This doesn’t seem to be a passing fad. The quality of freerunners in Kuwait is high, with a number of international-level competitors already based here.

„Die Red Bull Music Academy ist ein Ort der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten.“ L o u i s B A k e r

No barriers: Mohammad takes every opportunity

to practise his art, in the Souq Al-Mubarakiya

and Salhiya market (above)

the red bulletin 83

Physical and cultural obstacles are not the only things these guys must confront. They need to promote what they do to the right people in the right way.

“My link with Red Bull really helps to get the sport taken seriously and it’s definitely becoming more popular,” says Mohammad. “Although it’s an individual sponsorship, I’m using it to try and raise the profile of the sport for everyone.

“We’ve done shows in Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Jordan, but my dream is to visit Los Angeles, as it’s by far the best place to freerun. I’m also hoping

to check out the Airborne Academy in Liverpool [which holds advanced Parkour and freerunning workshops] later this year.”

Now that the fort has been stormed, the guys are eager to check out a spot near some warehouses they noticed a few days ago. When they arrive, it looks like a war scene. The unrelenting heat has crumbled the concrete loading bays. Rusty metal bars curl out of the broken bays like stubble on a chin.

Despite the danger of possible impalement, the gap between two of the bays is far too tempting. Barrak

Street life: if it’s public property and made of concrete you can freerun it

“You freerun for yourself, not to show off to others. It’s about understanding and improving your own capabilities”M o h a M M a d a l at ta r

84 the red bulletin

clears the space in a leap that can only be described as ‘flying squirrel’.

“In the beginning, my wife was afraid of me getting injured, says Youssef, “but once she saw me perform at a few shows and take part in some media interviews, she started to understand and to accept that I’m not crazy.”

Mohammad’s parents have also been supportive, especially since he started to win competitions. His father used to race cars and his mother was a gymnast – but even they took a little convincing about the career path their son had chosen.

“My mother used to see me climbing up high and thought I was trying to commit suicide,” says Mohammad. “I pointed out that if I was trying to kill myself, I’d land on my head, rather than on my feet.”

Mohammad’s passion for freerunning has already significantly shifted the student’s future career plans.

“I can’t imagine being behind a desk after I graduate, instead of running

outside,” says Mohammad. “I’d rather face the consequences of my choices. You freerun for yourself, not to show off to others. You decide your route according to your own limitations: it’s about understanding and improving your own capabilities.”

Even with a vast, obstacle-strewn urban playground, all three are in agreement over the best place to freerun in Kuwait City. Failaka Island, they say, is a freerunners’ paradise.

This place sits precariously between Kuwait and its volatile neighbour, Iraq, in the estuary of the Tigris

river. Abandoned after the war, the area is littered with derelict homes and bullet-riddled buildings.

“There are loads of places to explore and very few people to chase us away when we come here,” says Barrak.

Perhaps the most compelling thing about the Kuwaiti freerunners is that they are still free. In a country where freedom came at such a heavy price, it’s fitting that the few remaining monuments to that conflict provide the perfect freerunning apparatus.

When you consider that they’ve managed to grow an anti-establishment sport in a tightly regulated country and avoid the restrictive rules of an official body, and you can really appreciate what they have achieved – and continue to achieve.

Mohammad, Youssef, Barrak and all the other Kuwaiti freerunners are part of a rapidly growing sport, which doesn’t need equipment, a pitch or even a set of rules. They might be the freest people in Kuwait. As long as they keep their shirts on.www.redbullmea.com

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the red bulletin 87

Deep bass: diver-friendly waterproof MP3 player

MUSIC, page 94

a c t i o n !T r a v e l   /   G e a r   /   T r a i n i n G   /   n i G h T l i f e   /   M U S i C    /   p a r T i e S /   C i T i e S   /   C l U b S   /   e v e n T S

Where to go and what to do

Dune bashing

on t h e e x pa n s e of gi a n t du n e s ou t s ide a b u dh a b i t h r il l s eek er s e x p er ience t h e r ide of a l if e t im e

Travel, page 90

It’s a buggy’s life: speeding over sand at 100kph

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H i -TEC H savi o u rs

In case of emergency

Action !PRO TOOLS

airbag“In a fall, this will reduce the force of impact on your upper body by up to 85 per cent.”

compressed-air system“When a fall is detected, the airbag

is completely filled to its 4-litre capacity in 30 milliseconds. It knows

a rider’s falling before he does.”

neck Brace“It takes a lot of imagination to

come up with an excuse for not wearing a neck

brace. Leatt make some of the best.” www.leatt-brace.com

spIne Vest“full protection

while still allowing maximum freedom of movement. this spine-protecting gilet fits under

any jacket.” www.pocsports.com

araI VX-3“the face piece can be detached from the exterior, reducing the risk of injury during

first aid.”www.araihelmet.com

We all know life in the fast lane can be tough. But when you race 1000cc motorbikes for a living, it can be life-threatening, too. Stefan Bradl – the 2011 Moto2 world champ – helped develop the Dainese D-air Racing protection system, a cross between an inflatable backpack and a life vest. He claims it has already saved him from injury many times over.

“Last season in Indianapolis, I flew off the bike and smashed my shoulder,” says Bradl. “Without the D-Air, I would have broken my collarbone, at least. But I came away with barely a scratch.” Here, the 23-year-old describes the system that gives him the confidence to push his speed – and his boundaries.www.dainese.com

Integration“The compressed

air system fits into a hump under

the leather, for increased comfort.

The whole thing weighs just 650g.”

stefan Bradl: rides for the Lcr Honda team Intelligence

“Data is collected from three motion detectors, three turn ratio sensors and a GPS.”

telemetry“Statistics are picked up by sensors, which provide information about a rider’s driving – and how to improve it.”

the perfect back-up M o t o G P G e r M a n b i k e r S t e fa n b r a d l c r e d i t S t h e d a i n e S e d -a i r w i t h k e e P i n G h i M i n t h e c h a S e f o r h o n o u r S – a n d o u t o f h o S P i ta l

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Are you ready for the big time? Close to the centre of sprawling, 20 million-strong Mexico City you’ll find its beating heart: Joy Room. The queues for this vaunted super club regularly stretch several blocks, and each night the venue is packed with more than 800 people.

Joy Room has been setting the nightlife agenda in this country’s capital for five years now, and shows no sign of relinquishing that hold. A regular haunt of footballers, world-class DJs and musicians (recent revellers include The Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay and the entire Mexican national football team), the party usually goes on until dawn, matching anything that New York or Miami has to offer.

Happy place: Joy Room, complete with fountain

House beats are the music of choice

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Intimate concert hall for 80 people, with acoustic

performances.

RAGGALarge disco with a younger

crowd and a sushi bar.

VOILÀPlays host to some of the best international bands,

including Ratatat.

JOY ROOMAntara Fashion HallMexico City, MX, 11520www.joyroomantara.com

Action !party

Joy Provision m e x i c o c i t y W i t h c e l e b r i t y g u e s t s , f o u n ta i n s a n d h o u s e b e at s , J oy r o o m i s t h e h o t s p o t f o r t h e r i c h a n d b e a u t i f u l o f m e x i c o

C l u b h o p p i n gQueue TOO LOnG

AT JOY ROOM? HeRe ARe neARbY neARLY-As-GOOd

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MeXICO’s besT dAnCe MusIC

LOs MAsTeR pLusThey recently

took their mix of authentic Mexican

sounds and dance to europe,

with sold-out showcases in Germany and

spain. For them, the party has just started.

MeXICAn InsTITuTe OF

sOundVeterans on the

dance club scene in Mexico, they’ve taken their brand of Mexican techno

(tech Mex?) all over the planet. Greece, France and Canada are the most recent

destinations .

sOnIdO GALLO neGRO

The members of sGn look like

wizards – and they conjure up magic on the dancefloor. The 11-piece band plays a Mexican-

peruvian surf music mix that always

gets the audience in a trance.

the red bulletin 89

Action !travel

90 the red bulletin

Anyone for desert? Dune bashing With climbs anD Drops of 400m, tackling the WorlD’s biggest sanD expanse on four Wheels is a rollercoaster riDe like no other

Advice from the insideit’s not A mirAge

“surprisingly, i found a beautiful five-star resort in the empty Quarter,” says Welmers. “it’s truly in the middle of nowhere. Pretty amazing to stay there during your

trip. real luxury after hours of wind and sand.”qasralsarab.anantara.com

A n d A n o t h e r

t h i n gAbu dhAbi dos

Rough guide“there are no warning signs in the desert,” says maurits Knopjes of xtremedesert.com. “nothing to tell you about a sudden steep drop or change in terrain, so it’s good to have someone experienced with you. never drive out to the empty Quarter alone.”

It doesn’t take a genius to work out why the barren dunes outside Abu Dhabi are known as The Empty Quarter, but a lack of population is exactly what makes this part of the world’s largest sand desert the perfect place for dune bashing. This is the sport of driving over huge sand drifts, and while some tour companies offer a quick chauffeured 4x4 ride in the dunes, true petrolheads get behind the wheel of a buggy capable of speeds up to 100kph for two days of unforgettable driving. “I’ve been to deserts before, but nothing like the Empty Quarter,” says Joost Welmers, 29, a digital marketing executive from the Netherlands. “It’s like being on the moon. The terrain is indescribable – and the driving was so exciting. I love adrenalin and this was completely different to what I’ve done before. These dunes are up to 400m high, and very steep, so you get up them at full speed up then drop over the other side – it’s like a rollercoaster. We got faster and faster as the guide worked out what we could handle, and the rushes got bigger. It was so much more than I expected.” Joost Welmers rode with www.xtremedesert.comPrices start from €829 for a two-day tour

Arabian sights: Abu dhabi’s desert

is best explored on four wheels

Action !travel

rAreAbu dhabi is great for steak. the blue grill at Yas island

rotana serves some of the

capital’s best cuts in opulent

surroundings. www.rotana.com

Whizznot sick of

the sand? try blokarting, or land

sailing, as it’s also known. find a windswept stretch

of beach, stick a sail onto a three-

wheel buggy and you’re away. www.dreamdays.ae

rAceWith dunes

bashed, drivers with spare energy

can get back to tarmac with a high-octane

track experience at the f1 Yasmarina

circuit.www.yasmarina

circuit.com

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Action !workout

If you cover over 4,000km a year on your skates and your racing bike, just as Cecilia Baena does as part of her training, then the other elements of your athletic life must support that. In her case, she complements the wheeled activity with three weekly weight-training sessions, which include squats with 100kg, deadlifts of 80kg and 100 crunches. She also regulates her nutrition, never eating when she feels like it and sticking to a schedule. “You have to load up on carbs before long sessions,” she says, “otherwise you’ll lose weight. During competition I mostly eat chicken or fish. Red meat gives me cramps.” The current world champion also has one crucial piece of advice for those who inline. “Never break a fall with your hands, or you risk serious wrist and finger injuries.” Land on your knees and elbows, which should be padded for protection.  twitter.com/ChechyBaena 

D O T R Y T H I S A T H O M E“These two simple exercises, for just a couple of minutes every day, will improve your technique  

and develop the explosive strength and stamina your legs need for inline,” says Baena.

“I recommend that you clean the wheel bearings on your skates with petrol at least once every two weeks,” says Baena. “If the metal’s too dry, grease up the bearings with a bit of oil. It’s also vital you choose the right set-up: that depends on the surface you’re skating on. Beginners tend to need slower wheels and bearings, but ask for advice in a specialist shop.”

Want to boost power? Get inline  s K AT I N G   T h e r e I G N I N G w o m e N ’ s I N l I N e w o r l d c h A m p I o N s e e s r e d f o r d A N G e r , G e T s l o A d e d A N d I s A l l K N e e s A N d e l b o w s

Cecilia Baena, 26,  from Columbia, is a six-time inline skating world champion

Bend your leg about 100 degrees, with your upper body leaning forward.

Slowly bend your  left knee.

Keep your right foot off the floor, swinging your arms for momentum.

Repeat the exercise five times, then do the same 

with the other leg.

Start in the same position as for the exercise above.

Sidestep explosively to the right, with your left hand in front of you.

Using the momentum from your arms, take  

a big jump to the right.

Land on one foot; repeat in the opposite direction, for a total of five each.

Best foot forward: Baena hones her 

skating technique with biomechanical 

exercises

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rKilmainhan Gaolinchicore Road

This 18th-century prison inspires me anew every time. The film In the Name of the Father was shot here and 300 years ago, Irish national hero Anne Devlin was imprisoned inside. I painted a portrait of her in Dublin 8.

4The BeRnaRd Shaw South Richmond Street

This old pub was taken over by music promoters and turned into a crazy place. My first studio was here. It hosts great art exhibitions, and you can get pizza from a blue double-decker bus in the garden.

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all CiTy ReCoRdSTemple Bar

This is where I get all my supplies. It’s a great hangout: a record shop that sells graffiti paraphernalia. You can also get a great cup of coffee or your hair cut. There’s a street art gallery there, too.

2

viCo Road BeaCh vico Road

This swimming spot is just next to Bono’s house. It’s an old-school bathing area: you jump off rocks into the sea. It’s 20 minutes from the city centre and when the days are long it’s lovely. I’ve never seen Bono diving in, though.

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3 duBlin 8 area around Kevin Street

This is old Dublin. There’s a real

sense of community. I paint here a lot and people chat to me, there’s good banter. My art isn’t just about the finished piece, it’s the experience, too.

KIlMAINhAM

ST KevIN’S

stoneybatter

mount joy

hybreasal

ushers

goldenbridge

portobello

temple bar

rialto

maryland

warrenmount

the coombe

merchants quay

arbour hill

SMIThFIelD

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Capetown, South Africa

duBlin, iReland

Action !city Guide

thanks to his occupational camera shyness, you won’t know if you brush past maser on a dublin street. yet he’s a constant in the city. “i was born and raised in south dublin,” he says. “it’s where my studio is now. it has a great sense of community – even tourists are greeted like family. through graffiti i’ve travelled a lot, and the more i am away from dublin, the more i realise what a great place it is. it’s been a huge influence on my work, which is all based on what i encounter in my day-to-day life. in a way, my work is dublin.” www.maserart.com

Graffiti artist maser, who keeps his real name and age secret, is dublin born and bred

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victoria Quay

Conyngham Road

St John’s Road west

James’s Street

old Kilmainhamemmet Road

Thomas Street

Kevin Street

Con Colbert Road

dolphin Road

Parnell Road

Grove Road Canal Road dartmouth walk

South Circular Road

donore ave

South Circular Road

inchicore Road

Cork Street

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King Street north

Prussia Street

new

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new

Bride S

treet

Jerv

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St lukes ave

Irish National War Memorial Park

Iveagh Grounds

St Patrick’s Park

St Stevens Green

Trinity College

Garden of Remembrance

Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park

Marley Park

North Bull Island

FRinGe FeSTival

For 16 days in September, this

festival turns dublin into a stage

for international comedians,

musicians and dancers, with 500 events at

over 30 venues. www.fringefest.com

eleCTRiC PiCniC

held on a huge estate just outside dublin, ‘The irish Glastonbury’ has

top acts like Fatboy Slim, Björk,

arctic monkeys. The Knife and eels

lined up for the last weekend

in august. www.electricpicnic.ie

“ tourists here are greeted like family” D u b l i n F o r g r a F F i t i a r t i s t M a s e r , s p e n D i n g t i M e i n h i s h o M e t o w n M e a n s a s t i n t i n p r i s o n , h a i r c u t s i n u n e x p e c t e D p l a c e s a n D a l M o s t h a n g i n g o u t w i t h b o n o

Samhain This pagan festival, held on halloween, heralds the end of the Celtic summer.

Thousands join a huge fancy-dress parade winding its

way through dublin before a huge fireworks

display. www.visitireland.com

F e s t i v a l c i t y

TheRe’S moRe To duBlin Than

ST PaTRiCK’S day

d u b s t a r smaSeR’S CiTy liGhTS

92 the red bulletin

ALL WORLD CUP RACES LIVE ON

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empire of the sun were hard to miss when their space-age debut album Walking On A Dream landed in 2008, particularly the catchy single We Are The

People. now frontman luke steele and producer nick littlemore have released Ice On The Dune, a high-energy symphony of disney disco. their influences are as colourful as they are diverse: littlemore recently reworked elton John’s back catalogue at his request, and became musical director for cirque de soleil’s Zarkana show. these are the songs that get him through those long studio nights.www.empireofthesun.com

Nick Littlemore: one half of Australian band Empire Of The Sun

FiNiS NEpTuNEperfect for the music-loving diver:

a waterproof Mp3 player with headphones that attach directly to the cheek rather than the ear. This transmits vibrations

into the inner ear. Deep house just got a whole lot deeper…

www.finisinc.com

1 Dr John I Walk On Gilded Splinters

This is a wonderful song from Dr John’s 1968 debut Lp, Gris-Gris. i first heard it when i was 21. There’s one

incredible section where he and five vocalists each sing the same phrase into a mic positioned between them. The voices keep resonating and create a human echo. i’ve tried to replicate this many times, but never manage it so well.

4 5The Korgis Everybody’s Got To Learn…

Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime has been covered a lot, but nobody has matched the beauty of the original. There

was a remix i’d hear when i was sneaking out to raves in the ’90s, and it wasn’t until years later that i heard the 1980 original. it’s so simple, but that’s all it needs to be. You should put less in the way of the song when it’s this strong.

2 Brian Eno By This River

This is a beautiful, still, quiet song from Eno’s Before And After Science. What i love about him is that he makes

things that are so simple and delicate. it’s a style i respond to a lot: things that are very quiet. i always find that the simplest songs are the hardest to write, so have so much respect when they’re done perfectly like this.

Soak Sea Creatures

Soak is a wonderfully talented young artist from Derry i’ve been listening to a lot. Sea Creatures is a mature work,

but she wrote it when she was just 13 years old. This is her coming-of-age song. You get the sense that it’s written from a child’s perspective, but it’s amazingly insightful – the things she’s discovered things about herself and other people.”

3 Ruth Polaroïd/Romans/Photo

paris has the coolest heartbeat of any city in the world. i grew up in Australia, but there was always an overt French

connection in our house. Ruth are a little-known electronic group from paris, and this track has the coolest vibe. The way the vocal is delivered is amazing. i don’t know what he’s saying and i don’t care; i’m always grooving to this.

www.redbullmusic academy.com/

lectures/seth-troxler

An empire state of mind p l ay l i s t n i c k l i t t l e m o r e o f f l a m b oya n t au s t r a l i a n d u o e m p i r e o f t h e s u n s e e s b e au t y i n m u s i ca l s i m p l i c i t y

if you’re serious about making

music, you have to give up everything else. No side jobs,

no distractions.

1

Always be friendly. if you’re an

arsehole, everyone in the industry

will know about it in no time at all.

2

Meet a lot of people and make contacts.

Most record labels choose to only work with

artists they know personally.

3

When you send out a demo, put it together as a

package yourself. You need more

than a link to your SoundCloud page.

4

Don’t put out more than four singles a year;

that’s when press interest starts to disappear.

5

AcTion !music

*Seth Troxler was named DJ of the

Year 2012 by electronic music

magazine Resident Advisor

s u p e r s t a r D JDJ OF ThE YEAR* SETh TROxLER’S

GOLDEN RuLES FOR MuSiC Biz SuRvivAL

w e t w e t w e tMuSiC TO WATCh FiSh GO BY

94 the red bulletin

d o n ’ t m i s s

ink these dates in your

summer diary

dance fans of Lebanon are the latest cats to get the Cream

september 7

Banging BeirutWorld-renowned dance music festival Creamfields is bringing its thumping beats to Beirut for the very first time. Big-name DJs including Richie Hawtin, Steve Angello and Seth Troxler will take over the recently regenerated Beirut Waterfront along with 20 other international and local acts, across three packed arenas. Glow stick sales in the region are expected to soar.www.creamfields.com

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Action !save the date

until august 26

Write stuff

august 2

Hot-foot it

dubai celebrates the art of calligraphy with a month-long exhibition at al Badia Golf Club, focusing on the work of four rising artists. www.artcoutureuae.com

the dubai desert road run is back, proffering a serious test of stamina for those with slightly masochistic inclinations. it’s a 10km slog through the Gulf’s intense desert heat. runners will be pleased to note that roads are closed to traffic and there are numerous water points available. www.dubairunning.com

on staGemarianne Faithful

is part of an eclectic line-up at one of the middle

east’s oldest cultural events,

the Baalbeck music Festival, which was first

held in 1956. www.baalbeck.

org.lb

9August

on Forma collection

of seven master magicians,

known as the illusionists, are bringing their mind-bending stage show to

the dubai World trade Centre.

www.the illusionists dubai.com

28August

on trendthe annual night market returns to the dubai World trade Centre for one week during the holy month

of ramadan, bringing a chance to bag a bargain away from the summer heat. www.ramadan

nightmarket.com

1August

at7addak, a middle east and asia gaming company, is launching a new website that will have tech geeks across the region quivering with excitement. as if a flood of competitions and special giveaways wasn’t enough, the twist is that the new website will be entirely user generated. so gamers post articles and videos for millions to see. expect a glut of bedroom-based zombie culls and Call of duty montages.www.at7addak.com

now

Game on

the red bulletin 95

DAVID BECKHAM CLASSICDavid Beckham introduces David BeckhamClassic, capturing his unique and iconic style,which blends traditional tailoring with modernflair. With an initial burst of fizzy gin and tonic,this woody spicy scent is the perfect expressionof contemporary elegance. Talking about DavidBeckham Classic, David Beckham says, “I like tothink that I’ve got my own distinct look, whichreflects who I am. My new fragrance, Classic, isan expression of my style – it’s a modern,masculine scent which I hope will appeal toeverybody.” Available from August 5, 2013.

EDT 40ml €23.95 / £19.95EDT 60ml €29.95 / £24.95

HELLY HANSEN KILLARNEY ADVENTURE RACE

Whether an accomplished athlete, weekendwarrior or simply looking for a new challenge,the Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure Race,which takes place on Saturday, October 5,features the perfect combination of breathtakingscenery, adrenalin-packed adventure and Irishcharm, to provide a memorable day out for thewhole family. A multi-sport event, comprisingrunning, hiking, cycling and kayaking, the HellyHansen Killarney Adventure Race offers threedifferent route options – 25km, 57km or 67km –to suit all levels of fitness. You can also enter inteams. killarneyadventurerace.ie

HYDRA ENERGETIC QUENCHING GELL’Oréal Paris Men Expert has created newHydra Energetic Quenching Gel, with Air-Geltechnology that leaves skin hydrated for 24hours without shine. Air-Gel technology is aninnovative formula that combines sea water withrefreshing oil-controlling active ingredients. Theultra-fresh, moisturising gel formula contains amenthol peppermint leaf extract to help leaveskin feeling fresher, as if more awake. HydraEnergetic Quenching Gel is invisible on skin,super-light and fast penetrating with a non-sticky,non-greasy feel.

INDIAN HIMALAYAS TREKJoin Concern in India for the experience of alifetime and help support some of the world’spoorest people. Each day offers a new andexciting route taking in some beautiful hamlets,flower-filled pastures, waterfalls and streams. Aswell as taking part in the trek, participants willalso have the opportunity go white-water raftingand explore Delhi. The challenge also coincideswith the colourful Holi festival, one of the majorfestivals of India.

You can register your interest or find out more byvisiting www.showyourconcern.net or emailingSiobhan at Siobhan.oconnor@concern.net.

NEW MERCEDES-BENZ CLA, E-CLASSCOUPÉ AND E-CLASS CABRIOLET

With summer making its appearance, the arrivalof the new Mercedez-Benz models could nothave been better timed.

New CLASeen as a little brother to the CLS, the new CLAhas an elegantly sporty roofline and powerdomes embedded in the bonnet that give it anextra-energetic look.

E-Class Coupé and CabrioletBoth the Coupé and Cariolet have a redesignedfront end, and are equipped with acomprehensive range of high-quality equipmentas standard, including state-of-the-artinfotainment and the full range of intelligentdriver-assistance systems.

MUST-HAVES!PROMOT ION

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E-Class Coupé

E-Class Cabriolet

LOWA RENEGADE 90 GORE-TEX MIDTreat yourself to a pair of Lowa’s limited-editionRenegade 90 GTX boots. Renegade 90 GTXsare eye-catching and packed with moderntechnology. The super-soft Nappa leather-linedcuff makes them luxuriously comfortable, whilethe Gore-Tex breathable and waterproofmembrane keeps feet dry at all times. Hit thetrails, scramble over rocks, jump on yourmountain bike, or take off to a farawaydestination in incredible comfort, right out of thebox. RRP: €175.

OAKLEY RACING JACKET SUNGLASSESClarity, convenience and comfort are standardfeatures of these stylish Racing Jacket sunglasses.Adapt and conquer with Switchlock technologyfor fast and easy lens changing, so you canoptimise your vision for the environment. Theyalso have icons you can change whenever themood takes you, and when G-forces strike, theretaining strap makes sure the frame stays put.This is eyewear that craves the chaos of actionsports. RRP: €219.

OAKLEY RADARLOCK PATH SUNGLASSESSwitchlock technology makes lens changing fastand hassle-free by letting you adapt your visionfor any environment and keep up with changinglight. All lenses are optimised with the unrivalledclarity and impact resistance of high-definitionoptics. Oakley’s Plutonite lens material filters outevery eye-searing ray of UV. You will not feelany uneven pressure points with this framebecause the three-point fit holds the framecomfortably in place while keeping the lens inprecise optical alignment. RRP: €239.

HEIMPLANET ‘THE CAVE’The inflatable geodesic frame of the Caveweekend tent from Heimplanet offers an efficientand stable structure, which some call the IDG –the Inflatable Diamond Grid. The IDG offers anemergency stability thanks to the patented MultiChamber Safety System. Pitching takes less thana minute – just take it out of the bag, pump it upand you are ready to feel at home. There are noparts to put together and it is not even necessaryto use guy lines to stabilise the structure, which istested up to winds of 120kph. RRP: €790. Member’s price: €350.

ASICS GEL-FUJI TRABUCO 2 A long-standing off-road favourite, the Asics Gel-Fuji Trabuco 2 delivers comfort and protection.This edition introduces a new upper that iscleaner and more comfortable. This all-roundtrail shoe has a full ground contact midsole andfeatures a DuoMax Support System to create avery stable ride. The forefoot and rearfoot Gelcushioning ensure superb comfort and protectionfor rugged and rocky surfaces. RRP: €125.

DAKINE FACTORThe Dakine Factor 20-litre pack is made from100 per cent recycled plastic bottles. Whetheryou are out running errands or on yourskateboard at the park, this pack is perfect foryou. It even has a fleece-lined sunglass pocketand an adjustable sternum strap for apersonalised fit. With mesh side pockets and apadded laptop sleeve, this backpack will keepyou organised throughout the day. RRP: €50. Member’s price: €47.50.

All items available from 53 Degrees North inBlanchardstown, Carrickmines, Cork and onlinewww.53degreesnorth.ie

MUST-HAVES!PROMOT ION

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The nexT ediTion of The red bulleTin is ouT on sepTember 14

Time warped: can iT be True?

It was the day the world (of competitive hair growing) stood still. On July 31, 1968, above an unseasonably grey Stockholm, Sigrid ‘Wiggy Siggy’ Andersson, home favourite in the world championships, reached down to her left ankle, removed a concealed pair of binoculars and looked down at the judges below. By making – some say mocking – the same pose as the judges looking up at her, she was first disqualified and later reinstated, with a set of perfect 10 scores that won her the title. ‘Shock socks binox rock locks finals’ ran the headline in Svenska Dagbladet.

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98 the red bulletin

Peugeot wins the highest hill climb course in the world with the 208 t16 Pikes Peak, and scores a new record with sebastien loeb.

peugeot.ie

To go This high,beTTer To send a rockeT.