EOFT Magazine 2022

Discover more about the films in

program in this EOFT magazine. Get to know our adventurers and

and take a look behind the scenes with the filmmakers.

Are you ready for adventure on the big screen?

6 10 16 20

WILD WATERS

Portrait of whitewater kayaker

THE MIRAGE

Timothy Olson aims to set a new FKT (fastest known time) on the Pacific Crest Trail. The legendary long-distance route stretches over 2,650 miles (4,265 km) along the United States west coast. Supported by his wife Krista, eight months pregnant, and their two sons, the ultrarunner must cover more than 50 miles (80 km) per day for 50 consecutive days. His journey is one of human endeavour, endurance, and epic suffering.

USA 2022, 26 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: KEITH LAD ZINSKI

Nouria Newman

Nouria Newman has stood on the podium of many international canoe slalom competitions and extreme river races. More recently, the kayaker has taken on some of the most audacious whitewater expeditions ever, sometimes solo. On the world’s most remote, untamed rivers, she is confronted by her greatest fears but also experiences her deepest moments of happiness.

Sonya Wilson

Deaf climber and outdoor advocate Sonya Wilson works to promote inclusion and access for the Deaf community. “Nature doesn’t make demands,” Sonya says. “She simply accepts us as we are.” Sonya is conveying that sense of freedom to her community—to Deaf children in particular—through her climbing retreats in Joshua Tree.

ELEVATED

Among bears and walruses: A freeride adventure on Spitzbergen

SKISICK

On board a sailboat dubbed Sofie, Nikolai Schirmer and Celeste Pomerantz set a course for an epic wonderland of snow and ice—Spitzbergen. The Nor wegian archipelago has always been considered especially cold and snow-sure, but when the freeriders arrive, it’s actually too warm for skiing, with tempera tures around 13 degrees Celsius. Nikolai and Celeste coursecorrect, continuing north in search of better conditions...

FRANCE 2022, 25 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: DAVID ARNAUD

USA 2022, 14 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: PALMER MORSE

NORWAY 2022, 10 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: NIKOLAI SCHIRMER

“Whenever I was frustrated or having a hard time, I would meditate.”

Timothy Olson

“Venturing out in nature helped me adjust to life’s changes.”

Photos (from left to right): © adidas TERREX, © Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool, © Spruce Tone Films, © Schirmer Film

Here's an overview of all the films at EOFT 2022:

26 32 36 38

GIFT OF THE BIKE

BRIDGE BOYS

In the midst of the pandemic, Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker embark on one of the most bizarre projects of their careers. Lockdown and travel restric tions force the UK climbers to look for new challenges in their immediate surroundings, where they happen upon an 763meter horizontal roof crack located on the underside of a huge concrete motorway bridge.

Sometimes a single object can change an entire life. For Gift Puteho, it was his father’s bicy cle. After his first wobbly laps, it was clear to him that there is no better sport! In one of his first races, he finished ten minutes ahead of everyone else—on a bike with broken brakes. He has been unstoppable ever since.

It's every freerider's dream to have a ski area all to oneself. Sam Favret has been given this once-in-a-lifetime opportuni ty—better still, in his hometown of Chamonix. In the winter of 2020/21, he can finally realize the descents he has long envi sioned. In “Flow” we experience what feels like a moment paused in time. Spectacular shots with an extraordinary backdrop plus an intoxicating soundtrack equals freeriding in cinematic perfection.

FLOW

The ultimate air show: 360° madness

HELIX

Faster, higher, farther: Paraglider Carl Weiseth and drone pilot Ian Rinefort bring adrenaline-pump ing action to the EOFT 2022. Ian's drone is the only thing Carl cannot outpace as he flies at breakneck speeds down the val ley. When this duo takes off, the world turns upside down—along with our perspective.

USA/UK 2022, 28 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: NICK ROSEN & PETER MORTIMER

USA/ZAMBIA 2022, 8 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: JEREMY GRANT

FRANCE 2021, 5 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: MAXIME MOULIN

USA 2022, 4 MINUTES, DIRECTOR: IAN RINE FORT

“This is almost better than real climbing.”

Tom Randall

“A lot of people here don't think you can make it in life as a mountain biker.” Gift Puteho

“We were all alone. It was strange yet beautiful.”

Maxime Moulin

THE MIRAGE Deserts, forests, mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail takes Timothy Olson through a variety of landscapes in California, Oregon, and Washington.

Outdoor Film Tour 2022 Alle Infos zur Tour: WWW.EOFT.EU

THE MINDFUL RUNNER

Ultrarunner Timothy Olson has his own approach to covering long distances at record speed—he trains both his body and his mind. For him, running is not just about being the fastest.

“There were definitely moments when the project was so overwhelming to me that it seemed almost impossible.”

Timothy Olson

TIMOTHY OLSON

How do you take on a task that's bigger than anything you've ever done before? A challenge for which you don't yet have any benchmarks, just this feeling of—I could do it, theoretically. And practically? How do you manage to run 2650 miles in under 52 days and set a new speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail? Timothy Olson successfully accomplished this task, as evidenced by his FKT of 51 days, 16 hours, and 55 minutes.

For him, the key to success lies in thorough prepa ration. He has been an ultrarunner for more than ten years now, and during that time, he has always trained his body as well as his mind. This dual strategy bene fits him on the Pacific Crest Trail, especially on the days when his support team can't help him and particularly in situations where his biggest adversary is not the trail, the weather, or wild animals, but his own mind.

“I train my muscles to run long distances, and through mindfulness meditation, I train my mind to be in the moment,” Timothy says. For him, running and

meditating are two sides of the same coin. Running provides the rhythm; meditation the calm, and thus an opportunity for him to completely immerse himself in the here and now. This is of vital importance, espe cially with such a mammoth project that is fraught with opportunities to become dis tracted by one’s thoughts.

“A lot of things come up when you run 15 hours a day. At times I was in a lot of pain; sometimes I really tired and hurting,” Tim othy recalls of the particularly tough sec tions of the trail. “I was kind of riding that red line, wondering if my body was going to break down. I was sleeping way too lit tle, and I couldn't afford to take any breaks. There just wasn't enough time. There were definitely times when I was going after the FKT and trying to push myself, but some times I just had to let go of that thought and not worry about how many miles I was covering that day.”

THE CURRENT BEST TIME ON THE PCT

The fact is, not a single mile comes easily on the Pa cific Crest Trail. The desert, the forests, and the moun tains each hold a variety of challenges for Timothy, and

Timothy Olson won the prestigious Western States Endurance Run in 2012 and 2013 and was named Male Runner of the Year in 2014. He is a “mindful runner” who combines extreme sports with mindfulness practices.

“I train my muscles to be able to run long distances, and through mindfulness meditation, I train my mind to be in the moment.”

Timothy Olson

Photos: (from left to right) © Keith Ladzinski, © adidas TERREX, © Robin Munshaw, © adidas TERREX

Exhausted and relieved, Timothy Olson is finally able to rest at the end of the PCT. He could not have done this without the support of his family.

he has had limited preparation for them. A surprise thunderstorm in the middle of the night at over 3,600 meters can be life-threatening—especially if, like Timo thy, you only have the bare essentials. Still, he wouldn't want to miss any of these experiences.

He could have pursued his love of running via a com pletely different discipline, say as a track and field athlete or a marathon runner, but then he would have missed a very important component—nature. He feels a special connection to the natural environment on the Pacific Crest Trail. It is the place where he finds the answers that other people cannot provide him, a place where he can find peace and accept himself as the person he is in that moment. So, the many hours he spent alone on the trail during his record-breaking run didn't exclusively drain his strength and energy. There was and always is something to be gained.

Timothy remembers one particularly powerful moment in Oregon, near the end of the trail, where a glimpse of the oft-touted trail magic tran spired before him in the inky black forest.

A soft rustling in a nearby bush grabs hold of Tim othy's attention. He turns in the direction of the sound and catches sight of the glowing eyes of a mountain lion in the beam of his headlamp. The animal stands motionless at the edge of the path, taking its time to scrutinize this odd representative of the human spe cies—a sweaty, disheveled Timothy Olson, trembling with fear—only to gently nod its head and disappear into the depths of the forest on its quiet paws.

It was one of those rare moments that can only be perceived as a gift. “I've never felt so connected to nature,” Timothy says, “and in that moment, I knew I was on the right path.” The record he set a few days after the experience can be described in three numbers. It's an accomplishment that can be measured and yet doesn't do justice to the actual experience.

What the trail truly means to Timothy and the many people who undertake it year after year can most likely only be understood by experiencing it oneself.

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“I've never felt so connected to nature, and in that moment, I knew I was on the right path.”

Timothy Olson

EVERYTHING

Whitewater has many facets. On her Ladakh expedition, Nouria paddles on a glacial river in the Nubra Valley (above) and between the gigantic waves of the lower Indus.

EVERYTHING FLOWS

French whitewater kayaker Nouria Newman feels most at home in the wildest places. On remote expeditions, she consistently pushes her kayak to its limits—despite knowing the potential consequences.

Ladakh, India. A small red kayak bobbles on the silty brown waves of the Zanskar River. Nouria Newman steers it downstream with calculat ed paddle strokes. Ahead of her lies a wide valley and a full seven days on the Tsarap, Zanskar, and Indus rivers, a total of 375 kilometers—on her own.

She has meticulously memorized her route on Google Earth. Even so, she can never truly be sure what awaits her around the next bend. Will she find a place to sleep that night? Will she be able to master all the rapids? And what happens if her kayak gets caught in a whirlpool or stuck in a siphon?

Nouria paddles on. It's pointless to worry about things you can't control. But fear is always in the boat, despite her extensive experience—or perhaps because of it. “It's different each time; things always happen. If there are tough times, you need to put your head down, not think too much, not stop even if it hurts because nobody is going to come and rescue you.”

NOURIA NEWMAN

Nouria Newman has been kayaking since an early age. She was a member of the French national canoe slalom team for many years, winning a gold medal at the 2014 World Championships. In 2015, she ended her career in canoe slalom and has since pursued her true passion—whitewater kayaking and kayak expeditions.

On this trip, Nouria has to rely a hundred percent on herself alone. All the thoughts spinning in her head don’t make it easy and sometimes feel like they weigh more than her equipment.

It started with a call in the middle of the night and a mes sage that pulled the rug out from under her. “Listen, Nouria, Louise and a few other people went kayaking, and now she's missing.”

Louise Jull was one of Nou ria’s best friends, with whom she’d long wanted to go on a whitewater expedition, but something had always come up. The refrain was always, “No problem, we'll just do it next year.” But sometimes there is no next time. Louise, a profes sional extreme kayaker with an international reputation, drown while paddling a river in New Zealand.

As a member of the French national canoe slalom team, Nouria's schedule had been packed solid since 2007. She had put everything else in her life second to training, com petitions, and other sport-re lated commitments. Her total focus—throughout her school years and later during her uni versity studies—was on winning a medal at the World Champi onships or the Olympic Games.

HER MOST IMPORTANT EXPEDITIONS

2014 STIKINE RIVER CANADA

By running the mighty Stikine River, including the extremely wild Site Z rapid, Nouria succeeds in conquering a whitewater classic with her first big kayaking expedition and is able to gain instant respect in the wild-water scene.

2018 SOLO IN LADAKH INDIA

In the summer of 2018, Nouria embarks on a seven-day solo expedition in northern India. Entirely reliant on herself alone, she covers 375 river kilometers on the Tsarap, Zanskar, and Indus rivers, keeping a cool head even in sketchy situations.

2019 PATAGONIA SOUTH AMERICA

Nouria explores uncharted terrain in Chile along with accomplished American expedition kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Erik Boomer. The team kayaked nine rivers, completing the Patagonia Triple Crown and garnering four first descents.

When she finally held the longed-for gold medal in her hand in 2014 after many years of hard work, she didn't feel the euphoria she had expected. In stead, she asked herself, What now? “Yes, I was happy and also a little proud, but basically nothing had changed. This medal just made me ask myself more questions, like does it all make sense? Do I really want to do this?”

There had to be more to it than maneuvering a kayak through assorted gates in a man-made current channel. What about natural whitewater? Nouria wanted to see

Photos: page 12/13 & page 14 © Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool (both), page 15 © Ian Avery-Leaf / Red Bull Content Pool

“You cannot stop even if it hurts because nobody is going to come and rescue you.”

Nouria Newman

It takes a lot of mental courage to give up control for that still, silent moment just before you let yourself spill over a waterfall—every single time. The feeling of having made it is indescribable.

WILD WATERS

more of the world and com pete in actual rapids, so she headed to Canada to a white water classic—running the Stikine River. It was the first step into a whole new world.

The whitewater kayak ing scene was different than anything she’d experienced in canoe slalom. While there were competitions, the rivalry was less fierce and there was greater camaraderie among the kayakers. Her years of training now benefited her in whitewater as well. She was able to compete effortlessly for the top spots and earn the respect of her primarily male colleagues in a very short time. Nouria felt that she had arrived.

Then came the tragic loss of her friend Louise. Nouria knew accidents could happen, but never had one hit so close to home. The reality of the inherent dangers asso ciated with whitewater kayaking had caught up with her and posed an uncomfortable question—where should she go from here?

It took a while for Nouria to figure it out. Then came a radical change of course. In 2015, she ended her career in canoe slalom and embarked on a journey, with her kayak. Instead of avoiding whitewater and its dangers, she purposefully sought out the challenge. Hence the solo paddle through Ladakh.

Even those traveling to the farthest reaches of India cannot hide from the pain of their past experiences. It’s maybe easier to access one’s authentic thoughts and feelings there, and perhaps find a way to work through them. Today, Nouria knows that she is not the type of person who can play it safe. “What I do—my profession, my passion—it's all the result of several moments when I decided not to meet the demands placed on me.” That's why she'll continue to sit in her kayak, navigating through wild rivers and her thoughts, and maybe one day find the answers to her questions that no one else can provide.

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No easy access: That's where adventure awaits...

“It's different each time; things always happen. When there are tough times, you need to put your head down, not think too much.”

Nouria Newman

Photo: © Esteban Barrera / Red Bull Content Pool

SUMMITS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. WHAT´S IMPORTANT IS, THAT YOU FIND YOURS.

With United by Summits we want to make the outdoors more in clusive by celebrating every achievement in the outdoors, no mat ter how big or small. To help people do this, adidas TERREX and the EOFT are inviting adventurers – individuals or groups – to ap ply with their very own EOFT-outdoor summit dream.

DO YOU DREAM ABOUT YOUR OWN EOFT-UNITED BY SUMMITS PROJECT? APPLY HERE

Sonya Wilson's climbing retreats are in Joshua Tree National Park. Located in southeastern California, at the junction of the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert, it holds a special place in her heart.

As a Deaf child among hearing adults, Sonya Wilson didn't have an easy start in life. Only outdoor activities—rock climb ing in particular—allowed her to be herself. Today, she provides Deaf people access to and inclusion in the outdoors.

SONYA WILSON

Deaf climber Sonya Wilson has proven that climbing doesn't have to be a privilege reserved for the hearing. With her retreats, she demonstrates how inclusion can be achieved, but it was a long way to get there.

How did you discover Joshua Tree, and what makes it so important to you?

At 11 years old, I lost all that I had ever known. My mother died, and I was leaving my home to enter a new world so different from my own. It was a culture shock for me, going from Nevada to Southern Cali fornia to live with relatives and start a new life. While I felt blessed to have people in my life, I struggled to find my place. I was lonely and longed to meet other Deaf kids like me. My family knew I had a deep love for the outdoors, so they would have me join camps and participate in group hikes with other kids from their church. We camped and hiked at different loca tions, and one was at Joshua Tree. I fell in love! It re minded me of home—my beloved Red Rocks Canyon that my Deaf childhood friends and I would spend hours exploring. I was less homesick, and venturing out in nature helped me adjust to life’s changes. The outdoors was a place I could gain balance, calm, wis dom, and strength and just be me and have a blast. Joshua Tree has a magic unlike anywhere else. How did you establish your Deaf climbing community in the first place?

The outdoor industry (in-person and online con tent) wasn’t very accessible nor inclusive for Deaf and Deafblind people who love the outdoors. In 2012, I started an online Facebook group called ASL Climbing Network. My friends and I hosted ASL climb days at the climbing gym for my friends and the local community. I learned about the Red Rock Rendez vous, a festival event hosted by the company Moun tain Gear. I had never attended a recreational festival before, and I was curious. The coordinators of the event and I worked together to find the best ways to provide the access and inclusion I needed. A group of Deaf friends soon joined me. We recruited wonderful ASL interpreters that I called “Outdoor Adventure Inter preters” (OAI)! Every year the group got bigger, growing into a close community of Deaf people who share a pas sion for the outdoors! When Red Rock Rendezvous stopped happening, we took our group to Joshua Tree. Once a year, my group and a local nonprofit, Southern California Mountaineers Association, col laborate to host the ASL camp and climb weekend. This November will be our fourth year.

Climbing is a sport that challenges both mind and muscles, and communication is also a big part of it. What does communication mean to you?

Language and communica tion are not always about what you hear or voice. Expression and commu nication are transcendent on so many levels. As far back as I can remember, I was always visual centric; I was an expressive child who had a preference for hands-on learning. For me, communication was via facial expressions, body lan guage, art (I loved drawing!), and home signs and some ASL all mixed together. At home and in the classroom, there was no access to language, so I grew up experiencing language deprivation for part of my life. My mother never learned sign language. It is sad that she never got to know her own daugh ter, never truly connected. She did not see that I was actually a blessing and perfect already. The relatives I lived with were busy trying to help me get caught up in many things that I was very delayed in. Educa tion had failed me in Nevada because the teachers and education setting were horrible for Deaf children in that area. My family, like many others, struggled to understand and accept that there was nothing wrong with being Deaf at all and that I thrived in a visually accessible environment which was the Deaf community.

According to Deafchildren.org, over 90% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents, and only about 20% of those parents learn to sign and engage in the Deaf community.

Today, you’re working as a teacher. Why did you choose this career?

Education has never been an easy, enjoyable path for me. I love to learn, but I often got tired of having to fight, advocate, and educate when all I wanted to do was go to college and learn. I thought education was for hearing people because I couldn’t get the full re liable quality access and accommodations in college. In times like that, I wished I had the opportunity to attend a school with Deaf services or a school for the Deaf. Today, I have the privilege to be a teacher for both Deaf and hearing students. I became the kind of teacher that I never had but always wanted. It is so important for Deaf kids to have adult role models and others who they can relate to and communicate with in ASL. I never had that as a little kid, and I wish I would have. It would have changed my world and made my path so much better much earlier. Deaf role models for Deaf kids are magic and life changing!

FILM?

NOW!

Photo: © Spruce Tone Films

“Venturing out in nature helped me adjust to life’s changes.”

Sonya Wilson

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Dark patches in the white landscape announce the end of winter in Spitzber gen, even though winter should never end here. The more these areas appear, the faster the remaining snow melts.

A WARM WELCOME

A freeride adventure via sailboat. In search of untracked slopes, freeriders Nikolai Schirmer and Celeste Pomerantz set sail for Spitzbergen. The Norwegian archipelago and its inhabitants give them a warm welcome, but not everything goes as planned...

The team sets a course for Spitzbergen on Sofie the sailboat. This way of traveling is not only climate friendly but also offers the best access to a multitude of descents. At least in theory...

Celeste, you were the only woman on this trip! How was it?

It was actually better than I expected. Honestly, I was a little bit nervous because I didn't know anybody, and they all already knew each other. Plus, they were all Norwegian, and I don't speak Norwegian… but my mom is Norwegian! And because of that, it had been a dream of mine for a long time—to do a sail-to-ski trip somewhere in Scandinavia.

Did the situation with the weather make you regret taking this trip?

Not at all. I was just really excited. It was the first film that I've ever been in. It was just so beautiful that the views and experiences all outweighed the quality of the snow—although it was deteriorating fast!

Have you ever experienced the effects of climate change like this?

I've definitely experienced it a lot on the west coast here in Canada, and it is something that we are start ing to deal with, like having either really extreme cold snaps or really extreme heat. Every year is different. Before it was more consistent. We have also been watching a lot of the glaciers recede over the years and chairlifts actually pull out of the ski hill because they can't sit in the glacier anymore. But this was the first time I got to experience it on such a raw level.

It's not an adventure until at least three people sit around a camp fire, enjoying a good meal and deep conversations.

CELESTE

A former ski racer from Canada, Celeste first discovered her true passion when she started freeriding in the Canadian Rockies. She lives in Squamish, BC, and in addition to her freeriding career, she is pursuing a degree focused on sustainability. “Skisick” is her first ski film.

Photos: © Schirmer Film

What was it like being the ski film rookie on this expedition? What would you do differently the next time?

A couple times there were areas I really wanted to ski, and I just didn't speak up. I should have done that more, letting my voice be heard. I also felt that I was pretty hard on myself. I had high expectations going into this because it was my first ski movie. I should have been a lot less hard on myself.

working more with friends, and I try not to fly as much as before. Now, I like to go on adventures in Europe and explore the areas that are a little bit closer to home.

But this does not necessarily mean that the adventures are less exciting. Compared to Alaska, Spitzbergen is relatively close to your hometown, Tromsø—only about 900 kilometers—yet it seems otherworldly.

Yes, it’s a hostile environment. You have no connec tion to civilization while you’re out there, and there are lots of things that could go wrong all the time— both on the boat and in the mountains. You’re dealing with the ice and polar bears and all the dangers of the mountains!

Celeste Pomerantz

Nikolai, for your film “Skisick” you sailed from Tromsø to Spitzbergen and spent three weeks on a small boat with the whole ski and film crew. How did it go?

It was a little chaotic. With six people in such a small space, it definitely takes some effort to make everybody feel happy. It’s like a big family; you have to talk about things and make sure things are going okay. We were struggling a lot, especially with this heat wave. It was so warm—abnormally warm. How warm ?

It was twelve or thirteen degrees Celsius. The warmest temperature ever recorded on Spitzbergen. In May, temperatures normally stay around zero degrees. Spitzbergen is technically a desert, which means there is not a lot of snow coming in. And with weather like this, you lose a lot of it very fast. So, the whole trip turned out to be quite different than expected?

It was pretty crazy, and interesting, too. I didn’t think that this would be a film about climate issues, but that is what happened. Global warming is inevitable and inescapable, and as skiers, it really affects us. The sad thing is that we all know that this effect is nature’s reaction to human behavior. Travelling is a big issue. Did this trip make you rethink your own habits as a skier?

I’ve been skiing my whole life, and as a skier, I’ve been travelling the world—Patagonia, Greenland, Japan, Alaska—all of these places. But since 2018, I’ve been

Did you have any serious bear encounters? We were always able to keep our distance. We never even had to fire a warning shot or anything. There are only 3,500 polar bears on Spitzbergen; that’s not that many. You wouldn’t want to shoot one. Absolutely. When we come to wild places like Spitzbergen, we have to treat them with respect, don’t you think?

NIKOLAI SCHIRMER

The Norwegian is a filmmaker, freeskier, and surfer, and he even has a law degree. He used to travel the world as a freeski pro until he realized that he actually feels quite com fortable behind the camera as well. Today, he combines his two passions and also makes sure in all his pursuits to keep his carbon footprint as low as possible.

“It was so beautiful that the views and experiences all outweighed the quality of the snow.”

I guess most people don’t re alize how much of the earth [has been touched in some way by] civilization. We think of the wild places and forests and everything, but there is almost nowhere on earth that humans haven’t been and left some sort of trace. I even felt bad after going to Spitzbergen. We actually shouldn’t go there and disturb this environment and the polar bears and all that. But, at the same time, we’re doing it. And if a polar bear shows up, we’re going to come out of it alive; the bear is not. It happens every year. We were not the only boat there; there were a lot of tourists. While facing all these serious environmental issues, it’s surprising that the movie you made is quite lighthearted. Was this important to you? Everyone is living through global warming right now. So, yes, we have to reduce emissions, push political ly, and engage in the activism. But even if there are disasters and crises, I think most humans still want to have a good time and try to make the best of it. This is how I wanted the film to be.

Is it a challenge for you as a filmmaker to find the right tone?

When I’m on the adventure I always think, ‘Okay, how can I convey this adventure to an audience?’ There are some people in the outdoor world who say that they are only doing it for themselves and that they don’t care what other people think, but I kind of disagree. Why?

For me, sharing the experience makes it bigger and greater. When I get to show it to an audience, it’s not just my adventure anymore—it’s everyone’s adven ture. And isn’t it nicer that a thousand people get to have a good time instead of just one? Absolutely. That’s why we do the European Outdoor Film Tour! Thank you very much for the interview!

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LIVE TO

“For me, sharing the experience makes it bigger and greater.”

Nikolai Schirmer

The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is a charity organisation working in partner ship with brands and companies from the outdoor industry. Together, it funds and supports a growing number of much-needed conservation, protection, and regeneration projects around the world.

EUROPEAN OUTDOOR CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

EOCA is funded by membership and other fundraising activities, with 100% of membership fees going directly to supporting conservation projects. Projects mitigate against climate change and tackle the loss of biodiver sity. In addition, they must have a link to the outdoor enthusiast, leave a positive legacy, and be beneficial to local communities within these landscapes.

PROJECTS HAVE INCLUDED

Establishing walking and biking routes to enhance the protection of lands capes by keeping people off fragile habitats.

Cleaning plastic pollution from wild environments with paddle boarders, kayakers, hikers, bikers, surfers, divers, and skiers from beaches, mountains, canals, and rivers.

Restoring, replanting, and protecting forests, pea tland, moorland, mea dowland, mangroves, mountains, and wetlands, conserving the habitats of many different wild spe cies across the world.

SINCE 2006

EOCA has raised nearly €5 milli on and invested in 167 projects in 65 countries. Last year, EOCA’s funded projects had a direct impact on 470,000 hecta res of landscape.

The projects EOCA has funded are varied in location and conservation focus. One of EOCA’s most recently funded projects is in partnership with Rewilding Apen nines and its ‘Improving the Circle of Life in the Central Apennines’ project. The high alpine mountains, grasslands, and valleys of the Sirente Ve lino Regional Park are home to one of the largest griffon vulture populations in Italy, in

addition to other important bird species. The vultures in particular play a crucial role in the health of the park’s ecosystem but are under threat from collisions with ski lifts, power lines, and wind turbines, disturbance by climbers when nesting, and indiscriminate poisoning.

The team at Rewilding Apennines will increase the population of griffon vultures to 70 breeding pairs by investigating and addressing the main threats for this species, in particular poisoning, as well as restoring po pulations of other birds. Tours will be organised to help educate people and allow them to safely visit and learn about the area, including its birds and other wildlife.

In spring and autumn, EOCA holds a public vote to give people the chance to get involved in conservation and help choose the next projects to receive funding. If you are interested in supporting the work of EOCA, take a look at its website eocaconservation.org.

CONCRETE

“Since the Century Crack, we had been looking for the next big crack climb. We thought we'd find it in Yosemite or the desert. We never thought we’d find it in the UK—under a motorway bridge!”

Tom Randall & Pete Whittaker

BRIDGE BOYS

DREAM

At 763 meters , the Exminster viaduct is about the length of El Cap in Yosemite National Park, only here the climbing challenge is horizontal instead of vertical.

Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker have a particular penchant for difficult crack climbing.

Under a motorway bridge in Devon, they find their biggest challenge yet. We talked to the two Brits about their outlandish climbing project.

WIDE/BRIDGE BOYS

It’s been almost ten years since you climbed Century Crack in the Utah desert. Now you climbed another roof crack—under a motorway bridge. Which one was more difficult?

Tom: The bridge crack was a lot harder than Century Crack. The suffering was pretty bad, actually. It was one of the very hardest things that Pete and I have done in our careers. We couldn't have done this ten years ago! We have needed a decade of subsequent experience and training and becoming slightly better climbers overall to be able to do that project. But it is mainly hard because of things like the total length, the consistency, the setting, and the pressure. Would you have been interested in doing it ten years ago?

Tom: No! But I'm always up for new experiences. I think something was always going to happen or come from that COVID experience in some manner. I don't regret it in any way. It was just the thing that happened.

What was the most irritating part of the whole experience?

Pete: The moving nature of the bridge! When big vehicles were going over the top, the crack was ex panding and contracting. It's a very odd sensation. When you're jamming and it gets tighter, it feels quite good. And then it gets looser again, and it gets really bad. I've never experienced this before. But even when the bridge was moving, the cams never came out!

Tom: That element was never explained enough in the film. It definitely is something that you have to be careful with. Most climb ers have never experienced this phenomenon. They can’t really relate to it, so they don't see how much of a problem it is. And when we came down from the bridge at the end, it just felt like everything was moving all the time. It's like a weird seasickness.

It was also probably the first time you have had to deal with the police on one of your climbs.

Reel

Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker demonstrated their talent for crack climbing for the first time on the big screen in “Wide Boyz” (EOFT 12/13). They not only repeated a series of notorious off-width routes in a very short time, they also achieved the first ascent of the legen dary Century Crack in Utah, USA. The secret to their success was Tom and Pete's extraordinary training methods on an artificial offwidth crack in Tom's basement.

Tom: On our first attempt, the police were called and we had to come down. At that moment, it seemed like it was going to be a massive legal issue, and we were going to get fined or in a lot of trouble with a criminal record or whatever.

Ray Wood, page

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Photos: page

“We could not have done this ten years ago.”

Tom Randall

Pete: But in the end, we were able to have an open conversation with them about doing it. When they realized that we weren't trying to climb onto the road, then they were happy.

Did you try to get permission beforehand?

Tom: We basically confused just enough authorities that no one quite knew who was doing what and who had given permission or provided the legal paperwork. It was a very difficult compromise, be cause if you ask too many questions, they will say no for sure.

Everything on this project seems to be way out of the ordinary. Was this your intention from the beginning?

Tom: The project was always very, very weird right from the outset. And because it was born out of the COVID years, there were a lot of bizarre things go ing on, so we thought, why does the approach have to be normal? We needed to do things [during this time] that would just make us laugh. We thought it would be hilarious to order pizza while hanging un der a bridge. We totally could have done something else like taken some sandwiches, but it just seemed funnier. And we didn't really want to come back down to the ground. We wanted to feel like we were on an expedition.

The bridge is not situated in the most iconic place in the world, but it has its challenges, right?

Pete: Yes. On the third and fourth day, it was a bit

more logistically difficult to bring in supplies be cause of the river. It is at the opening of where the sea is, so it's actually tidal and people can get to you only at a certain time of the day. I think it was the third night; it was really close—not being able to get to us with all the stuff because of the tides—but they did manage.

Adventure can be found in the most unusual places. Any other learnings that you took from this experience?

EXMINSTER VIADUCT DEVON

METER S

Tom: The challenge is always in your mind. It's your own level of creativity. Be creative and then work with whatever conditions you've got.

WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE NEXT 21ST CENTURY ADVENTURER?

LOR SABOURIN CLIMBER & COACH

At just 12 years old, Lor was drawn to the climbing gym in their home town of Detroit, Michigan, but rock climbing is where Lor found their true passion. As the first-ever nonbinary climber, Lor has succeeded in ascending a trad climbing route at 10+ difficulty. As a climbing coach, Lor helps others overcome challenges— both athletic and mental.

JADE HAMEISTER POLAR ADVENTURER

At a very young age, Australian Jade Hameister had already set several world records. She was 16 when she became the youngest person in history to achieve the ‘polar hat trick’, crossing Greenland and reaching both the North and South Poles on skis. Currently a university student, she is also a public speaker committed to inspiring young women in particular to venture outside their comfort zones.

JONAS DEICHMANN ADVENTURER & EXTREME ATHLETE

From manager to adventurer. A few years ago, Jonas swapped his office chair for a bike saddle and rode across Europe and South America, among other places. Most recently, he set a new world record in the disciplines of swimming, cycling, and running. During his triathlon around the world, he covered the distance of 120 Ironmans.

VOTE NOW & WIN

In the saddle of a touring bike, clicked into backcountry skis, or sending a line up a rock face—the nominees of this year's award find their own way into adventure. They confront physical and mental challenges and experience unforgettable moments. Whether setting new records on a bike, on foot, or in the water, these adventurers of the 21st century are characterized by their curiosity, their courage, and their gift for sharing their unique journeys with us. These touching stories inspire us to seek and find our own adventures!

The 21st Century Adventurer Award is sponsored by Land Rover and comes with a prize of 10,000 euros, which can be used to fund the next expedition.

PASANG LHAMU SHERPA AKITA ALPINIST AND MOUNTAIN GUIDE

As Nepal’s first woman mountaineering instructor, Pasang has set new standards in her home country. After successfully completing expeditions to various 8,000-meter peaks around the world—including K2 as part of the first all-female team—she continues to pursue her passion as an alpinist as well as a young mother, thus inspiring other young women in her home country and beyond.

DANNY MACASKILL STREET TRIALS & MOUNTAIN BIKE PRO

This Scotsman has an extraordinary aptitude for bike stunts. On a mountain or trials bike, Danny has showcased his unparalleled skills in films and videos that have amassed millions of clicks. From rooftops to scree fields, Danny continues to astound fans with new bike tricks on spectacular terrain.

Go to next.eoft.eu/ adventurer-award and vote.

Vote via our app and have the chance to win your own adventure with Land Rover: an unforgettable driving training in the Land Rover Experience Center. Find more information on our app and on landrover-experience.de

With this award, we celebrate the most inspiring adventurers of our time, and you help decide which nominee wins!

SHIFTING

GEARS

Mountain biking has become well-known as a sport in Zambia only in the last ten years. The scene is small but thriving.

Sometimes a single object can change an entire life. For Gift Puteho, it was a bicycle. When he rode his first few wobbly laps, he never imagined where it would take him.

GIFT PUTEHO

Gift Puteho from Livingstone, Zambia, taught himself to ride a bike; it was his father's and way too big for him. He now rides a real mountain bike for the Zambian National Team and dreams of owning his own bike store.

The Zambian National Team is the only one in Zam bia that supports its riders financially. For Gift Puteho, this is a huge opportunity to experience life as a profes sional mountain biker. The possibility of earning money in this sport has yet to arrive in Zambia. It is still largely unknown there. “Many peop le don't believe that you can be successful with a career in mountain biking,” says Gift. “They use bikes only as a means of transportation. If the sport was a little bet ter known, people might be more likely to say you can make it as a mountain biker.”

Success, jobs, careers—none of that was on Gift's mind when he first got on a bike. It was his father's and way too big for him. He had to ride standing up and was constantly tipping over, but he was the only per son around who was interested in it. This meant more pedal-practice time for him; he didn't care what others thought about his shaky training laps.

He eventually got the hang of it and hit the trails around his hometown. There aren't any big mountains in Livingstone, but there are a few rolling hills. These were enough for him to come to a realization that uni tes mountain bikers around the world—there's nothing better than riding downhill on a mountain bike—fast!

Challenge: You have the opportunity to participate in a mountain bike race, but your bike’s got a mechani cal; it has no brakes. Would you still ride it? Most of us would probably decline; not Gift Puteho. He got on that broken bike, rode the race, and finished first—with a ten-minute lead!

Gift didn't give a second thought to what could have happened during this race. “I was convinced that I could do it. When going downhill, I didn't think about braking. I just wanted to race and see what happened.” If you can’t trust your equipment, you have to believe in yourself; this is a perspective that potentially applies to everyday life.

Because of his talent for mountain biking, Gift made it onto the Zambian National Team. For the past year and a half, he has been living in Solwezi, Zambia, a thousand kilometers from his hometown of Livingstone. In Solwezi, he can train every day as well as attend school. The sixteen-year-old will graduate in two years; what comes after that is yet to be determined. For now. it's all about the MTB.

Gift dreams of one day opening his own mountain bike shop, and we’re rooting for him. For now, he is well-pre pared for his upcoming races and has let go of anything that is not in his control. He has no regrets about his move to Sol wezi and the other steps he has taken to get him to this point. “I just had to come here. I have a lot more opportunities here than at home.”

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“I was convinced that I could do it. When going down hill, I didn't think about braking. I just wanted to race and see what happened.” Gift Puteho

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIFT PUTEHO AND HIS STORY, VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

@timwendrichphoto

Ashlee Hendy, Elizabeth Chong

Simon Carte

Chamonix is anything but a secret spot in the freeride scene. Every year, countless winter sports enthusiasts cavort here on and off the ski hill. Not so in the 2020/2021 season. The resorts have been closed all winter and now entice skiers with an array of untracked slopes. Freerider Sam Favret from Chamonix starts to dream, visualizing descents that are impossible during a normal winter because there are simply too many people in the mountains.

TIME TRAVEL

The team faces five to seven hours of walking for two, maximum three, shots. But that does not deter them. During the ascent, Sam explains to his friends in detail which line he wants to ski. He can already see it in his mind. The only question is how best to get it into the frame.

“We were all alone. It was strange yet beautiful.”

Maxime Moulin

Photos:

Maxime Moulin (both),

©

Fabian Bodet (both above), © Maxime Moulin (below)

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Drone pilot Hensli Sage probably had the most stressful assignment of all involved. He could not let the drone crash under any circumstances; it most likely would not have been possible to recover it because of the potential for an avalanche. Moreover, the shots had to be as steady as possible and without sudden changes in direction. This required meticulous planning and preparation.

It's every freerider's dream to have a ski resort all to oneself. Sam Favret has been given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and in his hometown of Chamonix to boot. In the winter of 2020/21, he can finally realize the descents he has long envisaged.

On the very first day of shooting, it becomes abundantly clear that the danger of avalanche is extremely high. The disadvantage to the resort closure is that no one is carrying out precaution ary safety measures, like avalanche control blasting. For Maxime, this means it’s impossible to find a secure location for him and his camera. That leaves only Hensli's drone.

In December 2020, Sam, filmmaker Maxime Moulin, and drone pilot Hensli Sage decide to seize the moment, hoping to capture some extraordinary descents. Along with photographer Fabian Bodet, they set out for the mountains.

“We had never seen Chamonix like this before.”

Maxime Moulin

WING

Carl Weiseth and Ian Rinefort. A speedflyer and a drone pilot provide maximum adrenaline on the big screen with minimal effort. We asked drone pilot Ian Rinefort a few questions about working together on this project.

How did your collaboration come about?

It all started when two peo ple with very specific skills met. I had the drone and Carl could fly. He was about to open a flight school but didn't have anything to show people what speed flying was all about. Even I had never heard of this sport before. So, we went out and produced videos together. In the beginning it was tedious. I crashed a few drones. But for the last two years, we've been getting the hang of it.

For speedflyer Carl Weiseth, there is nothing better than to seemingly defy the laws of gravity, when up and down become relative terms.

Photo: © Ian Rinefort

How do you work as a team?

I've flown the drone be hind Carl so many times now that I know exactly what he's thinking. I know what movement he's about to make when his head turns a certain way. I can't make that kind of prediction with other speedflyers.

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Where are you actually standing when you're controlling the drone?

That was the biggest challenge for us to figure out. It took us a year. The problem is the distance. With an FPV drone, I see what the drone sees in the display of my VR glasses. But for that to work, the goggles and drone need a constant line of sight. If I lose the line of sight, then no more images show in my VR goggles and I lose the drone as well. So, it depends a lot on the terrain. It's most comfortable and safe for me to control the drone from the valley, but for some flights, that doesn't work, and then I'm standing on the edge of a cliff with my VR goggles as a 600-meter abyss opens up in front of me.

What’s your fascination with drone flying?

It's just fun to fly a drone. I don't play video games anymore, except for the drone simulator. With the drone, you can go any where you want and still have absolute control. You can play with the landscape in a way that you couldn't with your body. I've tried various extreme sports, including cliff jumping, and of course the risk of an accident was very high. As a drone pilot, I can experi ence the world in a much safer and even more excit ing way.

GO WITH THE FLOW?

For Nouria Newman , there's nothing like exploring a river she's never paddled before, a river that challen ges but doesn't overpower her. An adventure in which, in addition to the physical challenges, she can ideally also experience some type of connection with the local culture. It was because of these moments that she gave up her canoe slalom career, and she has not regretted it to this day. As a kayaker and simply as a human, you can't always allow yourself to be swept along by the current. There are moments when it's better to do just the opposite, to disregard other people's expectations and follow your own dreams and desires. It may not be the safest path, but it’s often the more interesting one.

Kayakers spend a lot of time studying the river they want to paddle, including Nouria Newman, shown here on the Baker River in Chile.

Photo: © Erik Boomer / Red Bull Content Pool

SKISICK

IF NATURE COULD TALK, IT’D TELL US ALL TO GET OUT MORE. It’d say whoever you are, wherever you’re from, you belong out here. It’d say you’re all welcome so come adventure, destress, feel better. It’d ask us to please be kinder. To have its back like it has ours. It’d say protect me, be conscious and work together because we owe it all to the great outdoors. It’d say bring your friends, your community and bring your family, let’s all connect. Let’s come together and tell the world what we believe nature wants them to hear. Let’s go, unite and keep pushing what’s possible.

Let’s inspire every human being to find their own individual summits. Let’s enable all humans to live a more connected, conscious and adventurous life.

ARE ADIDAS TERREX WE ARE #UNITEDBYSUMMITS