SOUTH AFRICA
BEYOND THE ORDINARY
SPINNING FORWARD
LEAP OF FAITH
The sport leaving its gangster past in the dust
SIENNA MILLER
Capturing the hedonism of the 1920s
GO WILD IN LA-LA LAND
Insider secrets of the best parties in Los Angeles
MICHAEL FASSBENDER on levelling up for
Assassin’s Creed R40 INCL VAT (R5.60) FEBRUARY 2017
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THE WORLD OF RED BULL
22 WILD RIDES
How the thrilling sport of spinning is shaking off its gangster past and gaining a whole new fan club
Achievement is rarely a solo pursuit and while there’s often a single name in the spotlight, the glow is generally reflected onto a team who’ve been instrumental in getting the job done. Like when your head is mere millimetres from the ground while you’re hanging out a car that’s spinning donuts on some tarmac. We go behind the scenes on the set of a Hollywood blockbuster to see how a group of freeskiing pioneers helped Vin Diesel to scale new heights of stunt mayhem. Elsewhere, we dive into the heart of the LA underground for the perfect West Coast night out, and reveal World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier’s tips on becoming a better driver. Enjoy. 06
“Live in the here and now because everything else is fiction” DR JULIA SHAW, PAGE 62
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JOHN RUSSO/2016 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX (COVER), TYRONE BRADLEY, TOM OLDHAM
WELCOME
FEBRUARY 2017
38 X FACTOR
From Hunger to X-Men to Assassin’s Creed: Hollywood heavyweight Michael Fassbender talks risk, reality and reward
AT A GLANCE GALLERY 10
GOOD SHOTS! Photos of the month
BULLEVARD 17
INSPIRATIONS Unique talents
FEATURES 22 Kings of spin
The daredevil sport moving out of the South African townships
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34 Sienna Miller
From gossip girl to Hollywood screen queen with her new movie
38 Michael Fassbender
How a teenage rock-star wannabe became Hollywood hot property
LE ROUX, TOM CRAIG/TRUNK ARCHIVES, @WORLD/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, TAL ROBERTS
44 World rallying
The cars, the costs and how to be part of the greatest show on Earth
73 SAIL AWAY
Spice up your holiday with a 500-mile boat race across the Indian Ocean in a canoe made from a mango tree
52 Lords of the jungle BALANCING ACT
For British actress Sienna Miller, the key success in 1920s crime drama Live By Night is in the detail
Skiing through the forest with no snow
60 Heroes of the month Racing driver Sébastien Buemi, motorcyclist Eva Håkansson, and psychologist Dr Julia Shaw
66 LA after dark
Why the city’s nightlife is so electrifying right now
ACTION! 73
44 RALLYING CALL
Everything you need to know about the World Rally Championship to become the next Andreas Mikkelsen (above) THE RED BULLETIN
52 FOREST JUMP
How the skiers who made Vin Diesel fly through the trees created a stunt that no one believed was real
SEE IT. GET IT. DO IT. The best travel,
gadgets, films, games, music, wheels, watches and events. Plus what’s on Red Bull TV this month, and how to be a successful inventor 91 INNOVATIONS SPECIAL New tech 98 FLASHBACK Going underground
07
CONTRIBUTORS INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEBRUARY 2017
WHO’S ON BOARD
MIKO LIM
The xXx team, including director Mike Brown (centre)
Welcome to the jungle Photographer Tal Roberts got his start creating still images from mid-’90s skateboard videos by hitting the pause button, and translated that into a career behind the lens of a real camera, shooting in the mountains of his Idaho birthplace. This month, we sent him back to the hills – this time, near his new home of Portland, Oregon – to capture the making of one of the wildest Hollywood stunts ever. Join us on the set of the new xXx movie as a group of fearless freeskiers fly across the forest floor and through the tree canopy. Page 52.
As a man who has photographed Jay Z, the US snapper knows how to deal with the cultural elite – but we decided to send him to shoot some newcomers. See his portraits of LA’s rising nightlife pioneers on page 66.
RÜDIGER STURM
The German film journalist has interviewed many of Hollywood’s top celebrities. This issue, he talks to British actor Sienna Miller about her new movie, Live By Night, a gangster epic set in the 1920s. Page 34.
THE RED BULLETIN AROUND THE WORLD The Red Bulletin is available in eight countries. This cover, featuring Olympic handball star Nikola Karabatic, is from the French edition. Read more: redbulletin.com
IN FOCUS BEHIND THE LENS
“Spinning has a rawness that is infectious” TYRONE BRADLEY, PHOTOGRAPHER The South African-based photojournalist and former freestyle BMX rider is at his happiest shooting images that capture a strong sense of narrative, so he was in his element when he discovered the township motorsport of spinning. Page 22.
08
Tyre-less work: Bradley shoots the spinners
THE RED BULLETIN
GALLERY
JUMP START
FORT LAUDERDALE, USA PHOTOGRAPHY: IAN WITLEN
Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale has been one of Florida’s top music venues since the 1970s. As well as hosting gigs by established acts from the worlds of punk (such as Rancid), hip-hop (Aesop Rock) and dance (Steve Aoki), its two stages have given underground artists the opportunity to step into the spotlight. A good example of this was the recent concert (pictured) by New York indie-rock band Hunters, fronted by Isabel “Izzy” Almeida. For upcoming gigs: jointherevolution.net
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RAPID FIRE
CLENDINNING CREEK, CANADA PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC PARKER “This place is without doubt the most beautiful I’ve ever paddled on,” says French whitewater kayaker Nouria Newman of this glacier-strewn area of British Columbia, Canada. “It takes some effort to get here – you have to take a hydroplane, paddle across a lake, and hike up with your kayak – but it’s totally worth it.” The 25-year-old, who took up the sport at the age of five, is a silver and gold medallist in kayaking, having triumphed at the 2013 and 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships respectively. For more on Nouria Newman: redbull.com
13
RACE DAY
TAXCO DE ALARCÓN, MEXICO PHOTOGRAPHY: JULIO ARELLANO
Taxco de Alarcón in Guerrero, Mexico, attracts two very different kinds of pilgrim. For 364 days a year, most visitors to the small town come to marvel at the picturesque Church of Santa Prisca. But when the City Downhill World Tour makes its annual stop in Taxco, sports fans flock to watch mountain bikers from all over the globe race along its steep, cobbled streets. Here, Mexican elite rider Memo Cervantes enters a fast, banked corner of almost 180°. For more info: citydownhill.com
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C H I P PA W I L S O N
Ultra-Rugged 100 Meter / 10 ATM Water Resistant Smartwatch
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BULLEVARD THE HOME OF PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE, ENTERTAIN, EDUCATE, INNOVATE
WISE CHOICES
ART STREIBER/AUGUST
EWAN MCGREGOR PROVES HIS FORCE IS STRONG AS HE COMES FULL CIRCLE TO STAR IN T2: TRAINSPOTTING “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career,” said Ewan McGregor, in voiceover, in the explosive first moments of Trainspotting. His junkie character, Renton, was mocking those choices, but the Scottish actor himself took the words to heart and ran with them. Three years after Trainspotting, in 1999, he starred in Star Wars Episode I as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi and thus became nerd-worldfamous forever. He’s since done musicals, comedy, thrillers, drama, action movies and rom-coms. Since 2004, he has been an ambassador for Unicef and, after the first of two globetrotting motorbike journeys he has made to visit the children’s charity’s projects (and make TV documentaries), he and his wife adopted a young Mongolian girl. Now aged 45, he’s back where it all kicked off, in the Trainspotting sequel. Choosing life, it seems, is the way to go.
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17
BULLEVARD
THE DUEL TWO MUSICAL MAESTROS FROM DIFFERENT CENTURIES TAKE EACH OTHER ON, BUT WHO WILL BE TOP OF THE POPS?
vs CALVIN HARRIS
MOZART
Scottish. 33rd birthday, January 17, 2017
Earns £400,000 per time on the Las Vegas decks .Since 2103, Forbes has ranked him as the world’s highestearning DJ, with a total income during that time of $241m.
Alpha on Amiga
Aged, he says, “about 13 or 14”, began making music with an Amiga 500 Plus computer, samples of Fatboy Slim CDs and the “speakers from the secondhand TV in my bedroom”.
Nine out of 10
He’s in the 1bn Spotify stream club. His 2012 album 18 Months spawned nine UK top 10 singles. Nearest rivals are Jess Glynne, David Guetta and Michael Jackson.
THE MONEY
1:0 PRODIGY-NESS
1 :1 ADORING FANS
2:2
#Harriswift
From March 2015 to June 2016, was in a millennial dream couple with Taylor Swift. Previously dated singer Rita Ora; #harrisora sounds like an anthropomorphic prehistoric character from a children’s book.
Big online
With 9.1m Twitter fans, he’s 238th on the most-followed rankings (Swift is third, with 82.4m). Plus: 7.5m Instagram pals (Swift, 94.9m) and 14.2m likes for his official Facebook page (Swift, 74.7m).
Calvin model
No, not Mr Klein’s tighty whiteys: CH was a model for Emporio Armani underpants. When fully dressed, he favours T-shirts – often dark and plain, sometimes with a design – and stubble.
Stream of tracks
Since 2002, when two 12-inch singles under the name Stouffer marked his debut, there have been four studio albums and more than 80 singles as main artist, featured artist, producer or remixer.
He said…
“The rise of dance music has been astronomical… and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I made that decision completely by accident.”
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Big spender
Mozart died in 1791 in debt, but his only problem with cash was spending it all. An academic paper on his finances suggests he earned around $330k a year in 2017 money.
Young genius
Got a tune out of a harpsichord at three, played full pieces aged four and finished his first symphony before he was 10 years old. No surprise: his father Leopold was also a composer and musician.
Euro zone
Aged seven, he toured Europe performing with his father and sister. Spent almost two years in Italy while a teenager. Then spent time in France, Germany and, mainly, Austria.
Sister act ADORING WOMEN
3:3 SOCIAL CLOUT
4:4 STYLE
5:4 MUSICAL OUTPUT
5:5 WISEST WORDS
6:6
Aged 20, fell in love with a soprano in Mannheim, Germany, but they split when he moved to Paris for work. Five years later, he returned to lodge with her parents, fell for her sister and married her.
Big in person
From a gig before the Bavarian court in Munich before he turned six, to conducting the premiere of his opera The Magic Flute two months before he died aged 35, Mozart was a favourite of the moneyed and noble.
Notorious W.I.G
The film Amadeus and a poor grasp of history has meant Mozart, in our minds, always wore an elaborate hairpiece – in reality he wore them when performing and for official engagements.
Ultra-prolific
Produced over 600 works, most of which survive, including 68 symphonies (41 are numbered), 27 piano concertos, 36 violin sonatas, 23 string quartets, 21 operas and 10 pieces for the Freemasons (he was one).
He said…
“It is a mistake to think the practice of my art has become easy to me… There’s scarcely a famous master… whose works I have not frequently and diligently studied.”
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ARMANI, GETTY IMAGES (4)
Calvin grosser
Austrian. 261st birthday, January 27, 2017
BULLEVARD “I’M COMFORTABLE WITH MY BODY AND I THINK MORE WOMEN SHOULD BE MORE CONFIDENT”
GREY MATTERS DAKOTA JOHNSON TOOK ON THE LEAD IN AN EROTIC DRAMA AND PROVED SHE’S MADE OF STEELE
AUSTIN HARGRAVE/AUGUST
Did Dakota Johnson have any choice but to be a leading lady? Both her grandmother, Tippi Hedren, and her mother, Melanie Griffith, have enjoyed long careers in Hollywood, but neither of them has starred, as Dakota did, in a global blockbuster like Fifty Shades Of Grey. The adaptation of the best-selling novel brought erotic drama back to the big screen, and made a star of Johnson, playing Anastasia Steele, a college graduate drawn into the world of BDSM sex. She did not use a body double in filming. “It’s true that I’m not ashamed of my body,” says the 27-year-old. “I’m comfortable and I think more women should be more confident. I think nudity and sexual scenes in movies are beautiful when tastefully done.” There will be two more chances to see such scenes, in Fifty Shades Darker, out in February, and next year’s Fifty Shades Freed. And for Dakota, three Fifties adds up to the jackpot.
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19
BULLEVARD
EXPAND YOUR NETWORK
SAY WHAT?
FOLLOW, LIKE AND RETWEET YOUR WAY TO A SMARTER MONTH
CAN YOU THINK STRAIGHT AND SEAL THE DEAL WHEN THE PRESSURE KICKS IN? LEARN FROM THESE WISE HEADS WHO’VE DEALT WITH HIGH-STAKES MOMENTS MORE OFTEN THAN MOST “Don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions. Go ‘Over! Under! Through!’ and opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares? Do your thing and don’t care if they like it”
BLEEDING COOL
TINA FEY, COMEDIAN AND WRITER
“I’ve never been afraid of big moments. I get butterflies, don’t get me wrong. I get nervous and anxious, but I think those are all good signs that I’m ready for the moment”
“Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work” JACK NICKLAUS, GOLFING GREAT
STEPHEN CURRY, BASKETBALL PLAYER
“Turning on the charm without being fake is really important” MILEY CYRUS, MUSICIAN AND POP CULTURE PHENOM
JESSICA ALBA, ACTRESS AND ENTREPRENEUR
instagram.com/ emilia_clarke Several cast members of Game of Thrones have solid social media presence, but the best is Emilia ‘Daenerys Targaryen’ Clarke. She has an excellent, deadpan sense of humour – which she often turns on her GoT colleagues – and only posts when she’s got something interesting or funny to say/show.
NEW ATLAS
“When people are putting pressure on me, I just completely ignore it” ZAYN MALIK, MUSICIAN
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EMILIA CLARKE
facebook.com/ nwtls Newspapers give yesterday’s news today; this round-up of cuttingedge info is tomorrow’s news right now. Consistently wowinducing tales from the worlds of tech, science, gadgets and innovation. If you like to follow a story about the next Ducati bike with one about a Brazilian bat flying at 160kph, this is for you. THE RED BULLETIN
GETTY IMAGES (6)
“My theory is that if you look confident you can pull off anything – even if you have no clue what you’re doing”
twitter.com/ bleedingcool Desperate to know whether Superman still matters? Can’t live without a daily Guardians of the Galaxy update? Then comic book rumours feed @bleedingcool is the place to go. Its insider links to the Marvel universe are particularly strong.
BULLEVARD
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
TOBI TRITSCHER
THE AUSTRIAN SKIER SPENDS HIS TIME IN THE BACKCOUNTRY, SEEKING OUT MONSTROUS LINES. HERE’S HOW HE FORGES LEGS OF STEEL
50 SQUATS ON A SWISS BALL IN EVERY WORKOUT “An upper body like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s isn't necessary for skiing, but you do need a very strong and stable core. At first, squats on a Swiss ball felt super-shaky, but I’ve built up to doing them in a weight vest. If you want to try, remember to put down mats first, because the fall is super-fast. I tried a 180 on the ball once and thought I’d broken my hand!”
100 ADIDAS SPORT EYEWEAR/BREY-PHOTOGRAPHY.DE
KILOMETRES PER HOUR WHILE FREERIDING “Sometimes, freeriding gets so steep that you're literally flying down; it definitely feels 100kph fast. I think you’re actually limited by the air drag on your clothes, because you’re not dressed like a downhill racer. Sometimes it’s so fast and smooth that time actually stands still.”
4
WORKOUTS A WEEK DURING THE SUMMER “You won’t get strong enough just from skiing, so when I’m training hard in the summer, I’ll go to the gym four times a week – it gets a bit addictive! During the winter, I’ll ski almost every day. But I need to keep building my strength when there’s no snow, so I can hike and ride the backcountry.”
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50
PER CENT OF LOWER BODY WORKOUTS DONE ON ONE LEG “In skiing, it’s really important to have good single-leg strength, so I do a lot of one-legged lifts and core exercises like single-leg deadlifts. I felt the benefit when I was riding one of the spines in Alaska and all this sluff [powdery snow] fell around me. I thought, ‘I have to get out of here.’ I pointed my skis out, but one of them popped off. The one-legged exercises really paid off. But I got such a big muscle tear in my groin that it took 10 days before I was able to ski again.”
8
FLYING DAYS DURING SIX WEEKS IN ALASKA “I rode in Alaska for the first time recently, while filming Legs Of Steel: Passenger as an adidas Sport eyewear athlete. You go from zero – hanging in your room, going fishing, playing pool, getting bored – to waking at 4am and boarding the heli at 5:30am; 20 minutes later, you’re on top of the craziest line you’ve ever seen and you just have to do it. It’s 600m of vertical drop in under a minute. At the top, you’re like, ‘What am I doing up here?’ Then you drop in and you’re totally in the moment. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
VITAL STATISTICS
Discipline: Freeride skiing Age: 26 Height: 1.74m Weight: 74kg Achievements: Appeared in freeski film Legs Of Steel: Passenger; winner, Freeride Festival 2012; winner, Grandvalira Total Fight 2009; second, Red Bull PlayStreets, Bad Gastein, 2009
FITNESS TRACKER WHAT’S HOT IN HEALTH THIS MONTH
THE APP ZOMBIES, RUN!
Don’t Fear The Walking Dead – outrun the zombie hordes in this app, completing missions with the aid of sound clips and aural cues. ‘Storifying’ your exercise can be a great motivator. For iOS and Android. zombiesrungame.com
THE TECH OAKLEY RADAR PACE SMARTGLASSES
Live, in-ear coaching and performance analysis from the smartest-ever pair of sports glasses. Using the removable earphones and built-in microphones, you can talk to Radar Pace and get real-time stats from a linked smartphone. For iOS and Android. oakley.com
THE FUEL EGGS
Everyone knows about the protein benefits of eggs, but a new study published in the US Journal of Nutrition found that eating them in a salad increases the absorption of vitamin E from the veg. This, in turn, will aid postworkout recovery, so get cracking. jn.nutrition.org
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Westside Crew get up close and personal with fans at Wheelz N Smoke
KINGS OF
SPIN The daredevil sport of spinning has its roots in the gangster culture of South African townships. But now it’s shaking off the stigma of the past and giving rise to a whole new form of self-expression Words: Louis Raubenheimer  Photography: Tyrone Bradley 22
Smoke fills the air as another BMW 3-Series spins its tyres to smithereens
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Squealing rubber, locked in a violent battle with tarmac, sends thick plumes of potent, throatburning smoke into the cool Highveld air. At first, it’s nigh-on impossible to see what’s causing the ferocious noise. The growling V8 – an engine upgrade – beneath the hood is accompanied by wolf-whistles and loud cheers, adding to the raw energy of the moment. It’s a visceral, pungent, dizzying explosion of speed and sound. Welcome to South Africa’s spinning scene, bra… As the smoke lifts, the spinning BMW 3-Series – the box-shaped kind, as made in the ’80s and early ’90s – becomes visible again. In and around
the car are four occupants: Bradleigh “Skopas” McGregor is behind the wheel, and Mckeenan “Troubles” du Plessis hangs out of the rear window, while Riaaz “Rizzo” Davies hangs out the back window, his fist clenched and pumping the air, psyching the crowd. The fourth member of this motley crew, Anele “Muzi” Mbuqe, sits on the roof of the car, his long dreadlocks matching the vehicle’s movements. Next thing, three of them, including Skopas, are hanging out of the windows on the driver’s side by their legs, the tops of their heads mere centimetres from the ground. In fact, they’re so close that the thick gold chain Skopas wears around his neck is throwing bright yellow sparks as it drags along the tarmac. This trick is known as a “suicide slide” – a fitting name, for sure.
“The crowd don’t know what’s going to happen next – it’s just amazing”
Risk-taking tricksters hanging out of cars are a common sight in spinning – the scene is all about selfexpression and innovation
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Spinning crew Bad Company hang out with Kiwi drift sensation Mad Mike Whiddett (in T-shirt and shorts)
“Spinning isn’t about gangsterism; it’s just a sport”
Bad Company in full flight: (right) up on the car roof, Anele “Muzi” Mbuqe’s dreads dance in the Jozi night air
“I learned how to spin on street corners, being chased by cops�
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Female spinner Stacey-Lee May says the sport has helped her to find her voice and stand up for herself
“Spinning gives me a different feeling. It’s an adrenalin rush” 30
THE RED BULLETIN
S
kopas, Troubles, Rizzo and Muzi are members of a spinning crew named Bad Company, who show their skills at events all over the country. Tonight, they’re burning rubber at Wheelz N Smoke, a bespoke spinning arena in the south of Johannesburg. The crew, who – quite rightly – consider themselves athletes, are fighting a stigma against their sport that has endured for more than 30 years. “In the ’80s and ’90s, thugs would steal these cars and take them into the townships,” explains Skopas. “From ’83 onwards, that’s when the boxshaped BMW came out. They would spin, spin, spin. And if someone died, they would line these cars up and burn them all. As time went on, people would say, ‘Hey, man, we like this thing, this spinning.’ It was primarily out of Soweto, especially in the early days. It was a trend.” In the townships of South Africa, pre1993 3-Series BMWs became known as gusheshes, and those who drove and spun them were celebrity heroes. Gusheshes became notorious over the decades, having been used as the getaway car of choice in many a heist and robbery. Often, before these illegally used vehicles got destroyed, they would first be spun to within an inch of their lives on the dusty streets, with people streaming out of their homes to cheer on the commotion. “Even today, if you go to the township and start spinning, within minutes there will be hundreds, even thousands of people coming out to see what’s happening,” says Skopas. The cult of the gusheshe has infiltrated all aspects of South African popular culture and featured in movies, TV shows and music videos; rappers AKA, Cassper Nyovest and Sheen Skaiz have all had hit tunes referencing the sport. Today, this cultural phenomenon is so much more than a gangster’s pastime, and venues like Wheelz N Smoke are fighting for spinning to be recognised, sponsored and regulated. Its owner is Monde Hashe, a land surveyor by profession, and a spinner himself. He’s not here at Wheelz N Smoke tonight; instead, marketing man Nduzo Ngwenya is keeping an eye on things. “This is just the beginning,” he explains. “We want to develop the sport, bring in sponsors, have bigger events. We don’t always get the exposure we deserve, especially from the local media. The foreign guys come here and are amazed – they’re out there, telling our stories.” Wheelz N Smoke is one of around a dozen spinning arenas in Gauteng, South Africa’s most densely populated province. Speaking to those involved with the sport, one gets the impression that currently
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there’s more jostling for domination than any kind of co-operation. “It’s true,” says Ngwenya. “But it’s so small, still a fringe sport. That’s just the way it often is with these kinds of things in the beginning.” While it’s now recognised by Motorsport South Africa, spinning is still battling for a proper, unified identity. “But I don’t see us all coming together and having a governing body,” muses Skopas. “There’s just too much politics,” Rizzo adds. As the sun sets over the Highveld, the crowd rock up in their thousands; some arrived hours earlier to ensure they got a good viewing spot. The excitement is palpable: there hasn’t been any spinning for a few weeks, due to flash floods. The smell of dagga fills the air. A kid of around three years old plays with his draadkar (wire car) on the arena tarmac, his dad egging him on. A guy is doing a dance as the crowd eagerly clap along to the beat of the music. The DJ drops a fat bassline as another BMW, bearing the name “Sparky” and filled with its own bunch of tricksters, starts tearing it up – literally – on the tarmac. The pile of totally shredded tyres grows ever bigger – over a hundred, easily. Wheelz N Smoke provides the spinners with free fuel and second-hand tyres that they can drive to absolute ruin – and they do. Tyres get completely burnt out, and no car leaves the tarmac without its back wheels spinning on their rims. And the whole thing is lapped up by the crowd, which comprises a huge cross-section of South African society. Black, white, coloured and Indian, young and old, male and female: they’re all here, getting into a frenzy; all unmistakably petrolheads. There are close to 15 cars on display tonight; some only make the occasional appearance on the tarmac, while others perform numerous runs. Informal pit crews are scattered around the open car park, peering under hoods and hoping their magic touch will bring the engine back to life for another dizzying run. Earlier in the day, at his suburban home in Edenvale in the east of Johannesburg, Skopas changes his shirt, revealing some nasty scarring on his back. “This is what spinning does,” he says. “I landed under the car five years ago.” He started spinning with a Golf in 2007 and then began “properly”, as he puts it, with BMWs in 2010. His is a tale of finding your identity in this madcap sport. “I learned how to spin on street corners, being chased by cops,” Skopas explains. “Getting arrested by cops. 31
It’s about doing the wildest tricks at the highest speed
A “suicide slide” involves hanging out of a rapidly spinning car, your head dangling centimetres from the tarmac
I learned to spin in a place called Vosloorus [a large township in the south-east of Johannesburg],” he explains. He moved to Joburg from the small coastal city of East London in the Eastern Cape to live with his father. He didn’t know anyone up in the big city and didn’t have any friends. Unusually for a white kid, he started hanging out at the minibus taxi ranks and making friends there. “Because of that, I grew up in Soweto. I was driving taxis as a teenager. I speak Zulu, I speak Sotho, I speak everything. I grew up in the townships and made it my decision to learn the language.” More than 20 years after the end of apartheid and South Africa’s subsequent transition into a multiracial democracy, it’s still relatively unusual for whites to speak the indigenous African languages: English is the lingua franca; the language in which virtually all business is conducted. Skopas’ heroes were people like the late Sibusiso “Terminator” Mthimunye – known as the “King of Spin” – who he cites as his role model, and fellow spinning pioneer Eric Maswaya. These guys, along with others like them, are household names in these communities, where the sport has long reached cult status. Skopas vividly remembers the first time he saw them spin on street corners in the townships. Terminator passed away in 2012. “He taught me everything I know; he’s the reason that I got a grip on spinning,” says Skopas. “He died in an accident on the way back from a spinning event in Nelspruit. We were coming back when he had a blowout, went onto the grass and got flung 100m from the car. “He’s a legend, the greatest spinner ever,” continues Skopas, pointing to the poster of his fallen friend that hangs on his wall. “To this day, his is the biggest funeral I’ve ever seen. Townships were shut down, and there was 15 kays of traffic heading into Kwa-Temba, which is where he was from.” Behind the bar at Wheelz N Smoke later that day, I spot a guy whose shirt pays homage to another spinner who has passed away. It seems that this sport has had its share of fallen heroes. “I’ve been to Swaziland for at least a hundred shows so far,” Skopas reveals. “I’ve been to Botswana, Namibia, Dundee, Madadeni, Vryheid, Durban, Kimberley, Kuruman, Bloemfontein…” The ultimate goal for Skopas and his fellow spinners is to be able to do these kinds of exhibitions all over the world. But, to do that, the sport will first have to decide exactly what it is. There’s no THE RED BULLETIN
Another one bites the dust: more than a hundred tyres were left shredded at the end of a night’s spinning delight at Wheelz N Smoke
scoring system and no race against the clock: this is freestyle drifting, plain and simple, although it actually pre-dates drifting. It’s about doing the wildest tricks at the highest possible speed. There are distinct types of drivers, too. On one side, there are the guys who get out there purely to spin and drift the car; those who are trying to get as tight to the safety barricades as is humanely possible with their out-of-control tails. These guys aren’t satisfied unless the spectators, who are sitting with their legs dangling over those barricades, have to rapidly lift them out of the way in order for the back end of the Beemer to sear past without them losing a limb. On the other side are those who are more into doing their tricks outside the confines of the car. These are the drivers, co-pilots and tricksters who, like Bad Company, leap out of and onto the car while it’s spinning. In Skopas’ opinion, these are the entertainers. “There are forms of what we do all over the world – there are burnouts in America and various forms of drifting all over – but nothing is quite like we do it. What person in their right mind is going to jump out of a car window and do tricks while it’s spinning?”
This sport has had its share of fallen heroes
Another of these entertainers is Stacey-Lee May, a seemingly timid 20-year-old student in corporate law and finance from Eldorado Park, near Soweto. She’s one of the very few women in spinning – the only one at Wheelz N Smoke this evening – and her pink Beemer stands out from the other cars. Her support crew are her family: mum, dad, brother, brother’s friend, sister, sister’s boyfriend and her own boyfriend – they’re all here. They run around getting and changing tyres, and loading the vehicle on and off her trailer. “They swear a lot here,” May giggles innocently. “It’s my hobby and my sport, and there aren’t a lot of females involved. I want to be involved in something that’s unique, and spinning is unique. “About two years ago, my dad’s friend asked him if they could borrow me to come and spin,” May recalls. Luckily for the young girl, her father said yes. “It was like a bug that bit me, and I’ve been spinning ever since,” she adds. “I love it – it’s different, it gives me a different feeling, it’s an adrenalin rush.” Like Skopas, May considers the stunts to be a big part of the sport, helping to keep up the interest level. “It keeps the crowd on their toes,” she says. “They don’t know what’s going to happen next – it’s just amazing. “I enjoy interacting with the crowd,” she adds, “though I’m also a very shy person and I don’t really see the crowd when I’m spinning; I’m just being myself. But when I get out of the car and people are coming up to me and taking pictures, I actually enjoy that. I’m definitely becoming more open as a person.” The sport has had a more profound effect on her confidence, too, she says. “When I was in high school, I was a nerd, and people used to walk all over me and push me around. Now people don’t get that chance. If you tell me something wrong, I’m going to tell you back. That’s how I am now.” There’s a theme among all these young daredevils: the need for acceptance. Spinning has become an outlet for these youngsters – kids who have lived tough lives, who couldn’t make friends, or who were previously too meek to stand up for themselves. “This sport used to be associated with gangsterism,” says May, “and people would say that spinners steal people’s cars, but look at me: I’m not even capable of stealing a car. I’m here to help people see that spinning isn’t about gangsterism; it’s just a sport, and we’re trying to make a name for ourselves.” 33
Sienna Miller, 35: from London ‘It Girl’ to Hollywood screen sensation
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Lover&
Fighter
Live in the moment!
Sienna Miller lets loose on the decadence of the roaring ’20s and reveals why capturing its hedonism requires remorseless precision
Words: RĂźdiger Sturm Photography: Tom Craig/Trunk Archive
S
“Everything changed in the 1920s.
Everyone had seen death and destruction, so they were living in the moment. There was a sense of survival that empowered the youth”
ienna Miller has no reason to dwell on the past: her present is spectacular enough. In just the last couple of years, the 35-yearold actress has starred in an Oscar-nominated movie ((American American Sniper), mastered one of Broadway’s most iconic roles (Sally Bowles in Cabaret), and is now a lead in Ben Affleck’s gangster epic, Live By Night. But while the accolades no doubt give her a sense of accomplishment, there’s surely added satisfaction in defying her detractors. After putting her stunning looks to good use in movies about two notorious womanisers – Alfie (2004) and Casanova (2005) – Miller began to earn her stripes as a serious actress in dramas such as 2006’s Factory Girl. But, throughout, her off-screen relationships and ‘It Girl’ status saw her hounded by the paparazzi and even wiretapped by the British tabloids. However, Miller fought back, taking her media stalkers to court – and winning. She then conquered Hollywood the hard way by exposing herself to gruelling auditions, which led to prestigious parts on stage and screen, such as her role in 2014’s Foxcatcher. These days, she ascribes her newfound balance to the fact that she’s the mother of a four-year-old. But her astounding trajectory can be explained otherwise: Miller has no qualms about enjoying life, but has always kept her eye fixed on the bigger picture…
the red bulletin: You’ve worked with some great filmmakers. What qualities did you find in Ben Affleck? sienna miller: Ben makes movies that are entertaining but also have soul, and as a director he made me feel he believed in me. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a happier set [than Live By Night]. I also respect him hugely as an actor. He has incredible charisma, and he can bring subtlety and nuance to any role. The sets are wonderfully authentic-looking. How much did they aid your performance? You totally suspend your disbelief, because [production designer] Jess Gonchor leaves no stone unturned. In the scene at the beginning where Joe and his crew rob the poker game, I was standing by this desk and as I opened some drawers I saw old pens and cards and original matches from the 1920s! I’ve never felt so immersed in a world so subtly built. How was it working with set designer Jacqueline West? She’s a true artist. When I went to my first fitting, she showed me about 50 different photographs of inspiration for [my character] Emma’s wardrobe. She builds a wardrobe all the way up from the underwear, because she knows costume informs the character. For instance, my shoes were too small, but they were original – I became attached to them. How did the spirit of the 1920s inspire you? It was an era in which everything changed. Everyone had seen death and destruction and lost somebody [in WWI], so they were living in the moment. I love the decadence, the architecture, the music and the chaos of the Jazz Age. There was a sense of survival that empowered the youth; what that galvanises in culture is something that resonated for me. livebynight.movie
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“The underwear you wear in a film – even if it remains unseen – helps shape your character, making it enormously important to the role”
“ YO U
BECOME A VICTIM
M i c h a e l Fa s s b e n d e r r e f l e c t s on how perseverance, passion and just a little bit of the luck of the Irish helped in putting him on the path to Hollywood success P h o t o g r a p h y: J o h n R u s s o Wo r d s : R ü d i g e r S t u r m
O R YO U TA K E
JOHN RUSSO/2016 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
RESPONSIBILITY”
39
TO START AT THE END. As his interview with The Red Bulletin comes to a close, Michael Fassbender leans back in his chair at London’s Claridges Hotel and groans, “I’m starving!” He’s also shivering in an air-conditioning stream set to sub-arctic blast mode. For many Hollywood stars, these deprivations would have been the beginning of the conversation, with assistants peremptorily dispatched to source a club sandwich or to have the hotel’s climate control globally reset. Fassbender, though, is not that kind of star. Instead, he’s content to knuckle down and get the job done, fully engaged to the end. As an analogue, its perhaps an odd one, but in a small way it’s emblematic of the resilience and perseverance the 39-year-old has shown on his journey from smalltown Ireland to marquee billing in some of Hollywood’s most successful endeavours, from the X-Men franchise to the return of the iconic Alien series. Now he’s about to embark on another major project, translating the Assassin’s Creed video game from digital phenomenon to live-action blockbuster. 40
“ I ’ M AWA R E T H AT I ’ M G E T T I N G C L O S E R T O D E AT H , B U T W H E N the red bulletin: The character you play in Assassin’s Creed has a neardeath experience. Do you know what that feels like? michael fassbender: Well, I had this weird dream where I was cycling up a mountain in the Irish countryside where I grew up, and then I flew off the edge of a cliff to certain death. That felt so familiar, like it had already happened to me.
But you haven’t faced actual life or death situations? There were a couple of close calls. Once when I was riding my motorbike, I was sandwiched between two cars that were driving between 210 and 225kph. I could feel the rush of wind as one went by me. That was quite dangerous. Another time I was swimming in the ocean, the waves were pretty rough and I thought I was going to drown. Or when I was up in the mountains and the weather would change. THE RED BULLETIN
YO U S TA R T T O T H I N K A B O U T I T, YO U B E G I N T H E P R O C E S S O F DY I N G ” How did you react to those situations: wild panic or stiff upper lip stoicism? This is it! A large part of me thinks when your card is drawn, it is drawn. There is nothing you can do about it. I am aware that I’m getting closer to middle age – hopefully it is middle age – and therefore death, but when you start to really think about it, you begin the process of dying. THE RED BULLETIN
You’re comfortable with risk, then? Of course. In the film there is a scene where my character takes a so-called ‘leap of faith’ and jumps down 38m. And I have done that [metaphorically] in many respects. Going into certain relationships or jumping from a cliff into water is a leap of faith. Or in work when we are going for something that seems daunting.
And if the risk doesn’t result in reward? How do you get back on the horse? I tell myself: ‘Life goes on – with or without you.’ You get re-engaged; you get back into life. I experienced many, many years of disappointment. Going to auditions, getting rejected, getting rejected, getting rejected. Either you become a victim or you take responsibility and get engaged. Life is not fair all the time. It’s not fair a lot of the time. I learned that lesson very young. 41
“ W H E R E I ’ M AT T O D AY W O U L D N ’ T H AV E H A P P E N E D W I T H O U T P E O P L E H E L P I N G M E A L O N G T H E WAY ”
Michael Fassbender is half-German and half-Irish, and grew up in Killarney, where his parents ran a restaurant
A STA R I S B O R N Th ese th re e f i l m s b l a ste d M i c h a e l Fa ss b e n d e r i nto th e H o l l y wo o d st ratos p h e re When was the first time that reality became apparent to you? In my teens. Certain kids get certain things and you can’t get those things. So you go to work early. I started working jobs when I was 12, 13 – in the summer, on the weekends. When I was washing pots in the kitchen of a five-star hotel at 15 or 16, I met a lot of adults who were working there. That’s an intense environment; you get to become part of that world. You embrace it and learn from it. You start to understand what life can throw your way and the various hardships it presents. And then I moved to London at 19. I didn’t have a lot of money, hardly anything. To survive in such an expensive city without any means is very hard. Was that early awareness of the hard knock life a key to your success? Yeah, in a way, maybe. But you also have to keep faith. Or rather I’d say passion. That’s how I fell into acting. When I was 18, I directed a stage version of Reservoir Dogs with my friends – it was all out of love and naivety and passion.
PICTUREDESK.COM (3)
When did that passion translate into pursuit of acting as a career? How did you know you had what it takes? My original plan was to play guitar in a heavy metal band. I practised two hours a day, every day when I came home from school. And then my friend came around with his guitar one day and he blew me out of the room. I was like: ‘He’s got what it takes, I don’t.’ But around that same time I did some acting classes. Most of the things I was participating in at school, including sports, I was average at. But with this, I had an affinity with it. I felt I could express myself. Did you feel it was something preordained? I do believe that our lives are kind of set from the womb. But I don’t live my life thinking that. I don’t sit back, thinking everything is taken care of. I do engage very much in what I am doing. And I work very hard in terms of my profession. I am not saying it is hard work, but I put the hours in!
THE RED BULLETIN
HUNGER (2008) Fassbender lost 21kg to play Bobby Sands, the IRA prisoner who led a hunger strike in 1981. It gave him his first acting award as well as critical acclaim for his portrayal.
SHAME (2011) Although he starred in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and X-Men: First Class, he gained more column inches as a sex addict in this film by Hunger director Steve McQueen.
STEVE JOBS (2015) He was scandalously overlooked at the Oscars for Shame, but was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role as the founder of Apple. He even sacrificed his holiday to make the movie.
You had to put in the hard yards as well. Your breakthrough role, in Hunger, came when you were 31. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. Ninety-five per cent is luck – meeting the right people. As actors we are very dependant on others to help us get to where we are. Where I’m at today wouldn’t have happened without a series of people who helped me along the way. You have to be awake to these encounters, too. With Hunger I was very aware that I was getting an opportunity that might not come about again for maybe another seven years, 10 years, if at all. So I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and went for it. I focused and worked hard.
Now that the hard work has paid off, how do you keep your eye on the prize? I just stick to the principles my parents gave me: if you are going to do a job, do it properly. Treat others as you would have yourself treated. Treat people with respect. Be honest. Keep things pretty simple, and don’t take yourself too seriously. That’s why I always like to go back to Killarney and reconnect with my roots. Also, some of my childhood friends still live there. The last time I was there was only four days ago. You’re also a keen motorcyclist. Is that another way of keeping things simple, of stripping things back? Unfortunately, I haven’t done any motorcycling for a year. But there is something cathartic, something cleansing about travelling on the road as opposed to jumping on an aeroplane. It’s like you are washing away all stress. I enjoy the grind of doing mile after mile and seeing a country properly. When you’re in a car, you’re closed off to the outside space, whereas on a motorcycle, you’re part of it. All the elements are there, the road, the wind; it’s much more of an experience. It’s a really good way to centre yourself. Also, it gives you a sense of persistence. As well as being into bikes, you’re a big Formula One fan and narrated the F1 film 1: Life on the Limit. Are you a total speed freak? I like speed. I find it relaxing. That’s why I also like to go on the German autobahn, where there is no limit. What’s the fastest you have ever gone? In a car, 260kph, and around 225kph on my motorcycle. But I must say I was a bit wobbly in the knees after I got off the bike. I’m half-German, half-Irish. You can see my German side in my discipline in terms of work, and the Irish side of me wants to be a bit crazy. And what would you have said, if, God forbid, your card had been drawn on those rides? OK, this is it. foxmovies.com/movies/assassins-creed
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1 5
THE TECH The makings of a World Rally car
IDEAL PROFILE How to become a rally driver
2 6
THE COST What the spare parts cost
IN THE HOT SEAT How to become a co-driver
3 7
INTERVIEW What we can learn from four-time world champion SĂŠbastien Ogier
4
FOR SALE Second-hand rally cars in every price range
ON TV Watch the live broadcast on Red Bull TV
Faster, fatter and more full-on, new cars and new technical challenges are ushering in a radically different era in the World Rally Championship. But at what price does the fun come? What does it take to win? And how do you get into it? We have the answers Words: Werner Jessner
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
JAANUS REE/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Hyundai on the approach. The new favourites for this year’s title after VW’s withdrawal
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2
THE COST
WINNING IS EXPENSIVE! Body framework €50,000 Strengthened and optimised over 200 man-hours
€80,000 Custom-made by external suppliers
Engine €200,000 Strictly regulated. Only fine-tuning will optimise performance, and that costs money
Spectacular: the Toyota Yaris as a World Rally car
The basic model costs €15,000 and can be found in every supermarket car-park. The WRC equivalent costs more than 300 times that. Why? The €5-million price tag comes from converting the production model into a car capable of tackling rally’s most demanding stages. The prototypes go through at least three phases of conception, design and manufacture before they can take up their position at the start of the first special stage. Each manufacturer builds around 10 fully functional WRC cars – plus spare
Chassis €120,000 parts for the same number – per season. A 2017 WRC car costs anywhere between €600,000 and €900,000, but that’s just to get it to the service area – it’s not going anywhere for that price. Factor in another €400/km for checks, wear and tear. Factories only pass used WRC cars on to trusted teams after a minimum of a year, at which point they are entered in the world championship by private drivers. That costs at least €500,000. After that, they go to national championships or collectors’ garages.
WRC 2017
THE TECH
BEHIND THIS CAR COSTS €5 MILLION 46
Custom-made and subject to constant redesign
Tyres and wheel-rims
€5,000 per set Different sets required for every surface
Body kit €30,000 Aerodynamics are increasingly important for this generation of WRC cars
Interior fittings
€14,000 Steering wheel, seats, seatbelts, fire extinguisher
Electronics €70,000 Special cable harness and control units
Brakes €16,000 Custom-made according to surface
Man-hours up to €100,000 Assembly, paintwork, calibration, etc THE RED BULLETIN
TOYOTA (2), BASTIEN BAUDIN/DPPI
1
Transmission and drivetrain
3
THE WORLD CHAMPION “STAY COOL, EVEN WHEN THINGS GET REALLY NASTY” Rally drivers are the best drivers in the world. Four-time champion Sébastien Ogier reveals what we can learn from him to apply to our everyday driving
the red bulletin: How do you recognise a good driver on the road? sébastien ogier: They don’t stand out. OK, let’s put it another way. How do you spot a bad driver? They go too hard on the brakes. They don’t take bends in an arc, but in lots of little jerky movements. On ordinary roads they drive below the speed limit and on the motorway they’re always in the outside lane. They don’t indicate when they’re turning and that endangers the life of any motorcyclists behind them. There are so many things... Are you a good co-driver? My wife says I’m the worst one ever
right! – on the steering wheel at two o’clock, then your shoulder should still be touching the backrest. Nobody drives with both hands on the steering wheel for long periods at a time. Not for everyday driving. That’s true. But on a beautiful mountain road you just have more control that way and more fun, too. And you don’t need to keep your hand clamped to the gear knob when you’re driving. In most cars it’s screwed on. So it’s about correct steering. Is that really so complicated? Anyone can take a corner, but it’s good to know how to do it right in
Sébastien Ogier, 32, has swapped his VW Polo for a Ford Fiesta in 2017
because I’m always sticking my oar in. Teach us how to become better drivers then, just in case you ever get into a car with us. The first thing is to sit in the right position. The rule of thumb is that if you have your left hand – not your THE RED BULLETIN
critical situations. Your thumbs have no business being on the inside of the steering wheel. They should be on the outside. It can also really hurt if you have an accident. You have noticeably more control if you push the steering wheel with the hand on the outside
of the turn rather than pull it with the hand on the inside. If you can internalise that, your movements will automatically become rounder and more confident, and I’m not talking about rallying now. It applies to everyday driving, too. How does one learn to multitask in the car? Rally drivers seem to be doing 10 things at once. That’s basically true, but everything I do in a rally car is purely for the sake of driving fast. I’m not checking e-mails when I drive. I’m checking split times or the car’s temperature. I’m not listening to a business partner on the hands-free. I’m listening to my co-driver telling me what to do on the next turn. It takes time to manage that slew of information. Do you never make phone calls when you’re driving? Yes, but let me say here and now that I’m pretty good at processing a lot of information all at once when I drive. There are experienced and inexperienced drivers. Inexperienced drivers can get by at low speeds, too, but when they speed up, the quality of their driving gets worse. That’s why everyone should practise driving and voluntarily deal with stressful situations in a safe setting to learn how to stay cool if things ever get serious. What does losing control feel like? It happens all the time in rallying, but only for fractions of a second. As a rule, if you’re out of control for any longer than that it’s going to be loud and painful. What do you recommend regular drivers do once they realise they’ve lost control? Fight. Do something. Steer. Look away from the obstacle. Release the brakes. Avoid the moment of impact for as long as possible. You also have to overcome your innate reflex to play dead in dangerous situations. You can only rely on your reflexes if you’re relaxed. 47
JAANUS REE/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
WRC 2017 consists of every kind of terrain – from snow, tarmac and mud to gravel stages, such as those in Mexico, here tackled by Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah
“IF YOU WANT TO BE WORLD CHAMPION, YOU HAVE TO SHINE ON EVERY SURFACE”
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4
Ford Focus WRC €100,000 300hp, all-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 2000 IN ITS FAVOUR: Second place for Carlos Sainz, then third in the World Championship, on the Monte Carlo Rally
RALLY FOR ALL
Well worn in: eight rally cars for you and me, from super-budget to the historically valuable and the unbeatably quick
Lada 2106 €6,799 140hp, rear-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 1980 IN ITS FAVOUR: Simple, cheap technology, Eastern Bloc charm.
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Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX €45,900 280hp, all-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 2006 IN ITS FAVOUR: A good, dependable machine. Practically the Swiss Army Knife of rallying.
Subaru Impreza WRC €147,000
Lancia Delta Integrale Group A €295,000
320hp, all-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 2004 IN ITS FAVOUR: Legendary design, the dream of a whole generation of rally hopefuls. Plus, gold rims!
400hp, all-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 1992 IN ITS FAVOUR: The former works car of Didier Auriol, an icon of the sport with potential for an increase in value.
MG Metro 6R4 €150,000
Ford Fiesta WRC €450,000
500hp, all-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 1986 IN ITS FAVOUR: Forget the weird look. This is your cheapest opportunity to drive a car from the legendarily brutal Group B era.
300hp, all-wheel drive YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 2011 IN ITS FAVOUR: Absolute winner for national championships.
THE RED BULLETIN
STAND: 15. NOV. 2016. QUELLEN: MOBILE.DE, RALLYCARS4SALE.NET, WILLHABEN.AT, RACINGBAZAR.COM
SECOND LIFE
5
IDEAL PROFILE
HOW TO BECOME A DRIVER
Even the greats had to start somewhere. This is your route to the cockpit of a works car Until you’re 16:
When you’re 21:
Be sporty! Do a range of different sports. A bit of karting won’t hurt either. COST: €18 for 10 minutes.
Win the one-make cup and make an international name for yourself.
When you’re 17:
Do whatever you can to get a couple of run-outs in a WRC car, whatever the cost. Some financial outlay is inevitable. COST: Between €100,000 and €150,000 per run-out.
Play around with normal cars on closed roads. Your neighbour’s field will do at a push. COST: Could be zero, depending on the car.
When you’re 18:
Do your driving test and get a racing licence, for which you’ll need a doctor’s certificate. An international C-licence is €284. Buy a cheap but reliable rally car and get together with a couple of friends. Participate in every rally you can afford to. When you’re not competing, spend time getting the car back in good condition. CAR COST: Starting from €5,000. COST PER RALLY: Starting from €2,500.
When you’re 19:
Cobble together the money to take part in international events. It’s the only way you’re going to improve. COST PER RALLY: €5,000 (hopefully your car’s still going strong).
When you’re 22:
When you’re 23:
THE RED BULLETIN
GETTY IMAGES (8), ATTILA GIMESI
HOW TO BECOME A CO-DRIVER
No one is closer to the action. Here are 11 tips for a successful career Be fit and light! Every kilo counts. Look for a driver you trust and like. You’re going to be spending a lot of time together in a confined space. Have basic mechanical skills.
With any luck you’ve now got hold of a regular drive in a WRC car. Show how quick you are. You can allow yourself to roll the car a couple of times, no problem.
Have a good stomach and do without that coffee in the morning. (Everyone still throws up at some point.)
When you’re 24:
Become an early bird. Rallies begin at the crack of dawn.
Show what you can do and set your first personal best times.
When you’re 25:
You’re now ready for your first WRC victory.
Annual earnings:
Depending on how good a negotiator you are and how successful you are, anywhere up to €7 million.
Get organised. You’re the brains in the car. The driver is just the driver. Any late-comers will be penalised. Together with the driver, compile and hone your pacenotes – your playbook – until you have a precise code for every type of turn. Learn to keep one eye on the course and the other on the pacenotes.
When you’re 20:
You should now be quick enough to attract the attention of your first sponsors. Enter a one-make cup or a WRC support category. COST PER SEASON: €30,000 for national and €200,000 for international series.
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USE YOUR BRAIN, NOT THE GAS
PRODIGY ANDREAS MIKKELSEN, 27 At 19, this talented Norwegian skier and motocross rider became the youngest driver to score world championship points.
Create a network for yourself: any information you can get on the courses, etc, is worth invaluable seconds. Be fearless: you’re going to have accidents and there’s not always something you can do to avoid them. Be modest: the driver is always going to be the hero, not you.
CALMING INFLUENCE JULIEN INGRASSIA, 37 The Frenchman used calm and vision to guide Sébastien Ogier to four successive WRC titles.
WRC ON YOUR SCREENS
Good news for petrolheads: you can watch every rally on Red Bull TV FRIDAY: The day’s highlights SATURDAY: Highlights plus super stage live SUNDAY: Rally round-up 51
LORDS OF THE
JUNGLE
xXx: Return of Xander Cage opens with a scene so ridiculous, instinct tells you it’s created by a computer. But the stunt is 100 per cent real. Here’s how the world’s only jungle skiers pulled it off WORDS: TOM GUISE PHOTOGRAPHY: TAL ROBERTS
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“The reason to ski through a jungle is because you’re so obsessed with skiing you just want to not stop skiing, but there’s no snow so you just strap on skis and keep trying,”says Cody Townsend (top, chasing LJ Strenio)
A
n hour’s drive from Seattle lies a skier’s paradise. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has more snowfields than any other US national forest outside Alaska, and some of the highest annual snowfall of any resort on Earth. In winter, the slopes of its mountains are carpeted in perfect, fresh powder. Yet the greatest skiing Mount Baker ever witnessed took place over two hot summers. During the dog days of 2012 and 2013, freeskiers tore through the lush emerald woods, skimming over the shagpile of forest ferns, carving between perilous rocks and roots, boosting over collapsed timbers and stalling on the moss-covered trunks of giant evergreens. They captured it in a film called Valhalla – a dreamlike sequence glimpsed through 54
leaves and drenched in balmy sunlight, all without a snowflake in sight. “The segment got nominated for best special effects at one of the ski film festivals, even though there are no special effects,” says Karl Fostvedt, one of the skiers in the film. “Because nobody believed it was possible.” One person did believe, however. Hollywood star Vin Diesel saw the film and wanted to recreate the sequence for his return to the role of Xander Cage, the extreme-sports super-spy in the xXx movies. Like Valhalla, he wanted it done for real, only bigger. And hotter – this time in the jungles of the Dominican Republic. “We got a call,” says Mike Brown, one of Valhalla’s directors. “The producers at Paramount had done some research and realised they needed the people involved in the original piece. So we got on a plane.” Last July, the first trailer for xXx: Return of Xander Cage debuted. Twenty seconds in, Diesel’s eponymous hero climbs a transmission tower, straps skis to his feet, and free-falls into the jungle below. What follows are fast edits of him leaping and bounding off the trees, exactly like Valhalla only bigger and hotter. The internet went into overdrive. “The skiing through the jungle bit is sort of dumb,” remarked traileraddict.com. “Way too exaggerated,” whined someone on YouTube. “Because that’s entirely
feasible,” mocked the Radio Times. Nobody believed it was possible. So xXx’s producers decided to stage the scene again, only this time with witnesses. “There are five people in the world that do this, and four of them are here,” says Fostvedt of himself and the skiers flanking him in the dense arboreal surrounds. If you’re into freeskiing, you’ll know them as LJ Strenio, Cody Townsend and Thayne Rich. It’s October 2016, it’s raining, and they’re in Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon filming what’s been dubbed Jungle Ski Shoot 3.0. “It started out as mogul skiing – an Olympic sport. A group of skiers didn’t like the rules and branched off, doing their own thing. That’s how freeskiing started,” says Strenio as he climbs the slippery forest slope, eyeing the soil for deathtraps – stones, stumps, roots. “It was about doing things as differently as possible,” he adds. “That meant skiing outside of ski resorts, off trails, and then the whole skateboarding influence, going into cities and trying to grind rails. Now this is the cutting edge of that evolutionary process. We’re in the forest and there’s no snow. We’re seeing how far we can push that limit.” There’s even a word for it: jibbing. “It came up in regard to doing wild things on skis,” says Brown. “It’s not necessarily the real name – it evolved.” In the tropical THE RED BULLETIN
TAL ROBERTS/JOSHUA BLANCHARD/PARAMOUNT
Left to right: Thayne Rich, xXx ski sequence stunt co-ordinator Todd Schneider and director Mike Brown
Thayne Rich gets big air off a log: “Skiing on snow is a lot more fun, you can go off really big cliffs and be fine, even if you don’t land it. Whereas even if you were to go over a 5ft drop here and fall, you’re much more likely to get hurt”
LJ STRENIO SHOOTS FROM THE FOLIAGE, KNIFING THROUGH THE LEAF-BED 56
Boxing clever: “It’s the way you do this with Hollywood movies, run into the boxes,” says Mike Brown
Mike Brown: “It’s a compromise between finding the landscape to bend into the script and bending the script to match what you find”
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THE RED BULLETIN
“WE DO THINGS THAT LOOK CRAZY, BUT WITHIN OUR ABILITIES. WHEN THINGS ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL, WE ASSESS THE RISK AND IF WE GET RED FLAGS WE WON’T GO NEAR THAT SLOPE” Brown and his camera crew at the base of the hill. “Good to go?” he says into his radio. “Cable is set,” confirms a voice to the other end. “Riders ready? Roll camera: 3… 2… 1… drop!” The swooshing of skis reverberates around the trees, and on the crest of the hill Strenio shoots from the foliage, knifing through the leaf-bed as three black-clad figures emerge in pursuit. They zig-zag gracefully between the trees, one even leaping a log, as a camera on a zipline whirs over their heads. The skiers carve to a perfect halt right before the end zone. Boxes damaged: zero. “Cut. Did we get that?” Brown asks his radio. “It was a little late,” says the zip-line camera operator. “Let’s go again.”
C verdure of the Dominican Republic it evolved again, into jungle jibbing. “We spent two years on our original film and built on that in the xXx movie. We had more resources, so we could put the guys higher in the air, let them go faster while making it safer. On this shoot we’re continuing that amplitude.” Going faster while making it safer, crucially, involves cardboard boxes, lots of them. At the bottom of the hill, film crew and skiers alike furiously stack them into a huge wall. “It’s where they’re going to stop,” says Brown. “It’s low-tech but super-effective at keeping people safe.” On Valhalla, he didn’t even have boxes. “We were running super-limited resources. Some people took a 40ft air into a ramp and smashed through the wood. Luckily, no trips to the hospital.” The forest goes silent. Everyone seems to vanish into the scenery. There’s just THE RED BULLETIN
ody Townsend grew up in the beach town of Santa Cruz, but weekend family trips to Lake Tahoe gave him the skiing bug. By age 20, he was a sponsored ski-racer, but his heart lay in a different place. “Freeskiing was exploding. The feeling of jumping off cliffs and skiing lines was unparalleled. So I asked my sponsor, ‘You mind if I switch over to this?’ and they said, ‘Please do,’ and gave me a cheque for $2,000. I felt like I’d won the lottery.” Townsend never imagined he’d one day get paid to impersonate Vin Diesel on skis in a jungle. “I had to shave my head and put on a muscle suit,” he recalls. “The stunt guys were saying: ‘Get into character – if he’s being aggressive, ski aggressive.’” He also probably never imagined freeskiing could be so laborious. “We were tasked with adding a jump or a drop. I dug out runs, chopped trees, removed rocks – we had to do it ourselves, because a construction guy that’s never skied in their life isn’t going to know what you need, especially on dirt.” Perhaps the biggest stunt was the opening shot of lead character Cage dropping from the transmission tower into the jungle. “That would be physically impossible in real-life,” says Brown, “And that’s where the stunt crew took over.” But for one of the skiers, it proved too much. “They had this cable-rigged system that can drop you hundreds of feet and stop before you hit the ground, so you land in that perfect crouch,” says Fostvedt. “But land straight-legged and you break your limbs. I heard that the term for it is a ‘meat puppet’. “LJ was the meat puppet. When I heard he was going, I said prayers. We
do things that look crazy, but within our abilities. When things are out of our control, like avalanche danger, we assess the risk and if we get red flags we won’t go near that slope. With the meat puppet, I was getting red flags left and right.” Fostvedt departed before the shoot began. “I totally understand why Karl dived out,” says Townsend. “It made me question it – maybe this is more dangerous than I thought. And it was dangerous. But the hard part was that as a pro skier you only get four months of winter to film. You don’t want to get hurt and put your season in jeopardy. Karl had other stuff to do. “These are the biggest jumps so far,” says Townsend, standing with a shovel at the lip of a 10m drop. He and the other skiers are busy packing homemade snow onto a wooden in-run that can launch them over 8m. But the biggest revelation is that jungle jibbing does use snow. “On Valhalla, we had snow,” confesses Brown. “We took our minivan up to the glacier, shovelled snow in up to the ceiling, drove it down and unloaded it. We devised structures and camera angles so the snow was hidden.” But in the Dominican Republic, such deviousness wasn’t an option – there’s simply was no snow. “We were hoping to get these artificial sliding surfaces, but they never came through,” says Brown. “We were burning time until we got a truck filled with thousands of bags of ice cubes and an industrial woodchipper. Dump the ice in and out shot snow. We had enough to put on the jump approach, but not the landing, so it was a big step getting these guys to do massive flips and spins onto astroturf.” In Oregon, there’s a different challenge – torrential rain is fast melting the snow. Stunt co-ordinator Todd Schneider climbs up onto the in-run and sprinkles salt onto the surface. “It’s different from the salt you put on roads,” he explains. “This is table salt, it hardens the ice.” With the window of opportunity rapidly shrinking, Strenio climbs onto the in-run. “There’s the potential for you to go too big on this one,” Schneider cautions. “I’d rather too much speed than too little,” counters Strenio. “LJ, you ready?” barks a voice over a megaphone. “Sending rider in 3… 2… 1… drop!” Strenio pushes off. With the shrill scrape of skis on table salt and wood, he flies off into the pouring rain. If you didn’t see it yourself, you wouldn’t think it possible. xXx: Return of Xander Cage: in cinemas Jan 17
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“MY SECRET: STAY COOL, EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE HARD” SÉBASTIEN BUEMI The Swiss driver’s
dream of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended dramatically just five minutes from the finish. A fortnight later, mellowed by his disappointment, he took the Formula E title
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t was the most dramatic finish in the 84-year history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With less than two laps to go, the dominant Toyota being driven by Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima broke down. Even their rivals came to hug the devastated team after the race. A fortnight later, Buemi bounced back to take the Formula E title in another incredible finish. “I probably wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been for the drama of Le Mans,” he explains now.
Red Bull driver Sébastien Buemi, 28, learned to enjoy the moment again after his most painful defeat
LUKAS MAEDER
the red bulletin: Do you think good and bad luck balance out in the end? sébastien buemi: How can you balance out what happened in Le Mans? Even if I end up winning the race five times in the future, that wound will still be there. What was the most painful thing about it? Knowing that all the time and effort we had put in since January – the 17,000km we had done in testing, the 1,000 tyres we’d used – had been for nothing. Knowing what it takes just to be in a position to win Le Mans: the car, the team, luck, the right race strategy… And then the dream goes up in smoke a lap and a half from the finish. What were you thinking when you went to sleep that night after Le Mans? That I couldn’t care less about motorsport. I’d never cared less in my whole life. I even told my family not to talk about the race. How did you get over your disappointment? I have a son [Jules] who’s not even a year old yet. He looked at me when I got home. That’s when I caught sight of real life again. Before that, I’d been thinking purely as a racing driver: the pits, the track, the race… that’s your life, and you think that’s what it’s all about. But it isn’t. I realised that when I looked into Jules’ eyes. So, is distance the secret of success? The most difficult thing for a sportsperson is giving your all, but still being able to smile if it doesn’t work out; seeing the bigger picture even when things don’t go your way. The culmination of the Formula E season provided unparalleled drama: Buemi’s last remaining rival, the Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, collided with him at the start of the race, which almost cost the Swiss driver the title. His THE RED BULLETIN
car remained intact, however, and he realised that his only chance was to record the fastest lap and thus win overall thanks to the extra points on offer. Di Grassi knew it, too, and held up Buemi as best he could. So the latter driver deliberately held back until he was in last place and had a clear run, then blitzed the fastest lap time he needed. It must have been so difficult staying cool with all those emotions swirling around and still being able to deliver at the right time... The fastest lap was my last chance. I couldn’t afford to focus on anything else. When we collided, I thought I was destined to blow it again. But straight after that I realised that nothing could be as bad as what had happened at Le Mans. What was your frame of mind as you went into the race? I was completely relaxed. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t win the title. I’d just give it my best, and if that worked, great; if not, the sun would still come up the next morning. That was the good thing about the week or so after Le Mans. The fact that you became more relaxed? Yes. Otherwise I don’t know if I’d have been able to cope with the pressure. Before the race, team principal Alain Prost, who lost the 1984 Formula One title to Niki Lauda by half a point, took me to one side and told me to enjoy the moment. He said I was one of only two drivers who still had a chance to become the champion at this, the last race of the season, and that was what we did the sport for, after all. Before Le Mans, I would have shaken my head if someone said something like that to me. Now I understood it and felt the positive energy. Werner Jessner fiaformulae.com
Eva Håkansson, 35: “It’s boring until you hit 250mph”
“ECO-WARRIORS CAN DO 300MPH” EVA HÅKANSSON The world’s fastest female
motorcyclist is breaking barriers of all kinds the red bulletin: Your motorbike is named KillaJoule and yet you call yourself an eco-warrior. What motivates you? eva håkansson: I enjoy racing, but really I’m a tree-hugger. Some of my college friends decided to be Greenpeace activists, but you just end up getting arrested. Electric racing is a lawful way to show that speed and power don’t have to be polluting. Are electric vehicles the future? They’re the present! The problem is they’re perceived as boring and nerdy, particularly in the US. I’m doing my part to change that by building something powerful, cool and insanely fast. Your record stands at 248.746mph [400.2kph] for a flying mile. How exciting is firing up for a record attempt? I wish I could say it’s a big rush, but it’s not. It’s a two-minute mix of horror, boredom and magic. I find myself having trouble staying focused. Hit 250mph, then it feels fast. What next for you and KillaJoule? I’m certain we can do 300mph [483kph]. We don’t need good luck for that, just an absence of bad luck. Matt Youson evahakanssonracing.com
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THIS WOMAN CAN HACK INTO YOUR MEMORY DR JULIA SHAW The psychologist and senior lecturer in criminology can implant in our
minds memories of events we’ve never actually experienced. A spooky proposition? Of course it is. But it’s also a very effective means of breaking bad habits
the red bulletin: We know that memories aren’t always totally reliable. But you go one step further and suggest that we shouldn’t trust them at all. What makes you say that? dr julia shaw: Because every single memory of ours is false. The question isn’t whether it’s true or false; the question is whether it’s very false or not that false. So you’re trying to tell us that if we described what we had for dinner last night... If you wanted, you could close your eyes right now and tell me what you saw just before you closed them. Believe me, you would leave 62
some things out and invent other things. OK, we can believe that we might leave things out, but inventing stuff? Yes. Our brains aren’t capable of fully recording and memorising reality. If our memory is patchy, we invent things, unconsciously, to create as complete a picture as possible; a conclusive overall view. But we have a friend with a photographic memory. He could probably remember… Sorry, but there’s no such thing as a photographic
Now you’re giving us an identity crisis. What do we do if we can’t even trust our memories? It’s an important realisation to make; the fallibility of our memory demonstrates the flexibility of our brain and shows how inventive it is at filling in any gaps. And it’s precisely this flexibility that makes us human. If it weren’t for this, we wouldn’t be able to be creative, solve problems, or make new links when we’re given information. A hard drive, on the other hand, is only able to store data.
remember that Toronto is the most heavily populated city in Canada, you could visualise a big red maple leaf with a ‘T’ hopping around on it. Link facts to bizarre images. We call this multisensory mnemonics. It helps larger networks form in the brain, and you’ll be able to fall back on them more easily further down the line. Can we also make ourselves forget something? Yes, you can. You have to imagine your brain is like a Wikipedia page – you edit the page, but so do other people.
“EVERY SINGLE MEMORY OF OURS IS FALSE. THE QUESTION IS JUST HOW FALSE?” memory. Of course there are people who, like the friend you mentioned, have a good memory. But, scientifically speaking, it’s impossible to remember in precise detail something that happened years ago. So are you saying that we’re lying when we talk about our own lives? Basically, yes. Maybe not with any malign intent, but yes, you are.
We’d still like to forget fewer things, though. Is there any way of achieving this? The brain is a network of neurons. So if you want to improve your memory, you have to broaden the network, and you achieve that by creating as many different connections as possible. Make facts come to life! How does that work? Here’s a very simple example: if, for instance, you want to
In The Memory Illusion, you describe how shockingly easy it is to get innocent people to confess to crimes they never committed. How can we use these methods in a positive way? Do you like ice cream? Yes, we like ice cream very much. But what does that have to do with memory? In our research, we are currently looking at ways of planting false memories THE RED BULLETIN
TOM OLDHAM
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r Julia Shaw wants to drive us all out of our minds, albeit in a good way. In her 2016 best-selling debut book, The Memory Illusion: Remembering, Forgetting And The Science Of False Memory, the Canadian behavioural psychologist shows us how malleable our memories can be, right down to making us remember things that never really happened.
Dr Julia Shaw, 29, plants thoughts. “When our memory is patchy, we invent things,” she says
In one study, Dr Shaw managed to convince 70 per cent of her subjects that they had committed a crime in their youth
HOW TO CREATE FALSE MEMORIES Research shows you should start with trust, then move on to encouragement. Dr Julia Shaw explains the process of brain-hacking in five easy steps…
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RUMMAGE AROUND IN THE PAST
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SPEAK TO THE PERSON
Find out what you can about the person in whom you want to plant a false memory. Ask relatives for details of the person’s past, such as the name of their best childhood friend, a shop near the house where they grew up, or what their favourite restaurant used to be. The more details you have, the better.
Confront the person with the memory you want to plant. Present it as fact; as a secret that their parents have entrusted you with, like, “You stole things when you were a kid, didn’t you?”
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able to remember anything at all due to sensory overload from mobile phones, the internet and social media? These days, young people are often accused of suffering from digital amnesia because they’re constantly staring at their mobile phones. But what is frequently overlooked is the fact that we no longer have to remember every single detail – everything is there online! I don’t think technology is making our memory worse; it’s just changing it. Do the results of your research ever frighten you? On the contrary, I find them liberating. When I give talks on the subject, I always advise attendees to “live in the here and now, because everything else is fiction”. Florian Obkircher
The person will deny your claim. This is where you roll out all the information you gained from step one. For example: “Your friend ‘X’ told me that after a pizza at your favourite restaurant ‘Y’, you helped yourself to sweets from shop ‘Z’.” Affect to know more than you possibly could, in order to garner the person’s trust. Your aim is to get them to consider that perhaps they can’t remember the incident you claim took place.
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HELP THEM REMEMBER
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REPEAT AND ENCOURAGE
Exploit the person’s insecurity by proposing you can assist in their recollection. Embellish the event in a multisensory way. Say what time of year the alleged theft took place, what the shop smelled like and what sweets they stole. The more senses you can trigger in the person’s brain, the truer the false memory will seem.
Go over the event with the person again and again until they start adding details to the account themselves. Give them encouragement: “Well done! Your memory seems to be coming back!” By this stage, the person won’t only believe your story, they’ll falsely take it as a memory of their own.
TOM OLDHAM
in people to help them give up bad habits. One of these methods is Elizabeth Loftus’ false memory diet. You could use it to help us give up sweet things? I’ll go one better than that: you can do it yourself! The next time you decide you want an ice cream, imagine it’ll make you sick. Persuade yourself that the last time you ate ice cream, it made you vomit. Imagine the colour and the smell of the vomit – the more detail you can envisage, the better. That’s the way to plant a false memory. But we’ll know we’re only pretending… If you’re really serious about wanting to give up ice cream – and that’s key to the success of this method – you can trick your brain, believe me. Is there any truth to the claim that soon we won’t be
FOSTER TRUST
drjuliashaw.com THE RED BULLETIN
DIG DEEPER THE BEST PARTIES ARE UNDERGROUND As one half of DJ/production and promotions duo Dig Deeper, Masha Martinovic has thrown some of the best underground parties ever seen in the City of Angels. The discerning ears and unique sensibilities of Martinovic and her partner, Alison Swing, go wherever the music takes them. Tired of the Hollywood megaclub environment, the pair moved their parties to private residences and old warehouses, and their music aesthetic has been expanded by a growing network of curators. “The underground scene that we’re a part of has developed so much in the last few years,” says Martinovic. “You don’t have to go to Berlin or Europe to see the [best] DJs, because we’re booking them and bringing them here.” facebook.com/DigDeeperLA
HIDING IN PLAIN NIGHT A lack of permits or security is all part of the 26-year-old’s blank canvas: “We all know this could be the last time we’re doing a party”
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L.A. ALIVE
GOODBYE BOTTLE SERVICE, H E L L O K-T O W N A N D T H E UNDERGROUND. THESE ARE THE INSIDERS REMAKING LOS ANGELES NIGHTLIFE Words: Bailey Pennick Photography: Miko Lim
New
York is known as the city that never sleeps. And if you can make it there… well, you know the song. NYC is a metropolis that is set in its ways, which works for some. Across the USA, though, is Los Angeles – a city whose story is as malleable as the thousands of film and TV scripts that course through its cultural veins each day. Nothing is written in stone in LA, and that’s exciting. Want to be in a city that never sleeps? Head to Koreatown. Need to feel like an ant under the weight of towering skyscrapers piercing the night sky? Downtown has you covered. Craving sand in your toes and the sea breeze in your hair? Yeah, LA’s got that, too. With its sprawling landscape and permanent mandate for constant reinvention, Los Angeles is limitless. This can feel empowering or daunting, but either way you should still take the plunge, because there’s always a community that will accept you with open arms and a stiff drink. The Red Bulletin spoke to a few patron saints of the city’s re-emerging nightlife scene about what makes LA so electrifying right now. 68
N I G H T-T I M E I S THE WRITE TIME LA Weekly columnist Lina Lecaro has been staying up late professionally since the 1990s: “I don’t try to hide my experience,” she says
LINA LECARO GO SMALL AT T H E C L U B Every scene need its scribe, and Los Angeles nightlife is no different. Luckily, the City of Angels has Lina Lecaro, who has been watching party invites pile up on her desk – and more recently in her inbox – since the ’90s. LA Weekly’s go-to after-dark expert was one of the first to sense the impending wave of DJs-as-gods. “I have a great appreciation and respect for people who can [curate music] well,” she says, “so the influence of the DJ has changed LA’s nightlife scene… and I mean in all kinds of music, not just electronic and hip-hop.” While Lecaro has embraced the omnipotence of the
men and women behind the decks, she also sees the dominance of bottle-service nightclubs beginning to fade: “I’m going to Hollywood-type clubs less and less. It doesn’t feel as creative and organic as seeing a new band or going to a gay club.” And what kind of music does Lecaro think will rise to the top in the next few years? “I’d like to see gritty cockrock come back again,” she says with a toothy grin. “LA was just as vital as New York during the early punk years… and with the state of politics right now, we need some angry, aggressive music!” laweekly.com
BROWNIES AND LEMONADE SEE THE NEXT BIG THING Two to three times a week, party crew Brownies and Lemonade present the kind of acts that will allow you to one-up your friends at all future cocktail parties. “LA is one of the few places where music thrives; where people are constantly looking for something that’s new,” says Kushan Fernando, who started B&L with
Jose Guzman back when the two were roommates and Fernando was attending UCLA. “Everyone wants the coolest, newest stuff in the worlds of music, fashion and even electronics. LA is the type of place where people feel like they want to discover – and there is so much to discover!” Fernando sounds like a proud father when he talks about some of the artists B&L have nurtured via their showcases. He reels off names such as Lido, Jai Wolf and Louis the Child with the same excitement – if not more – as those of some of
the heavy hitters who’ve shown up to play, like Skrillex and DJ Quik. “We started to go on a consistent basis, doing things based on emerging artists, or artists who we thought had a cutting-edge sound,” says Fernando. “We felt really strongly about getting artists out here to perform in LA.” Get educated @TeamBandL
THE NEW M U S I C S AVA N T S Jose Guzman and Kushan Fernando (in hat and cap respectively) started their movement with raucous house parties at UCLA
JIMMY HAN CRAFT BEER IN THE HEART O F K-T O W N “Koreatown has always been its own little bubble,” says Jimmy Han. “The [biggest] change since we opened five years ago is a lot more people are discovering Koreatown who aren’t Korean.” Conveniently located in-between downtown, Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Koreatown has become an essential nightlife hub – and slap bang in the middle is Beer Belly, Han’s decidedly un-Korean establishment, which serves craft beers alongside high-end bar food. “I wanted to make sure we were unique and different,” says Han, and thanks in part to his efforts, Koreatown now offers night owls endless options for a “choose your own adventure” evening. “It’s getting much more diverse,” says Han of the growing list of dining alternatives and secret spots for debauchery in karaoke booths and 24-hour spas. “It’s always evolving, and much of that has to do with the culture and the community: it’s dense and there are a lot of liquor licenses. Even in 2008, when the market took a crash and everything wasn’t on the up and up, Koreans supported Korean businesses. People here are still going out to drink and eat, even if it’s not the best of times.”
K O R E AT O W N ’ S C U R AT O R Born and raised in LA, Han opened Beer Belly in 2011, expanding K-Town’s offerings with craft beer and high-end comfort food
BOBBY GREEN BOWL DOWN MEMORY LANE Along with his partners, Dmitry Liberman and Dimitri Komarov, Bobby Green stays ahead by looking back. The 1933 Group’s bars transport patrons to a different time and place before they’ve even take their first sip. “It’s like a day at Disneyland,” says Green. “How could you not be swept away to all these different lands and time periods and worlds?” A self-confessed “vintage person”, Green has been integral to the recent surge in renovating old LA buildings. “It’s hugely important,” he says, an air of seriousness creeping into his
How to get around otherwise playful demeanour. “It’s been a source of great frustration and great exhilaration my whole life, seeing some wonderful things torn down and some wonderful things saved. I think the restoration of period buildings, as well as other old things, is in fashion – finally!” At their latest creation, Highland Park Bowl, the stained-wood bowling lanes hail from 1927, and comfy leather couches beckon you to stay. Green knows that what’s most important to the future of LA’s bar scene is that the locals feel at home: “Cater to the neighbourhood, because that’s who your client is. You can be a destination bar, but you might not be a destination forever, so you can’t alienate the neighbourhood.” highlandparkbowl.com
METRO: A one-way journey from the beach to Downtown LA using a TAP card costs $1.75, which includes transfers between lines. RIDESHARE: The same journey using a carpool app costs $20-30. DRIVE: The distance from the beach to Downtown is roughly 25km, which will cost you around $2 in petrol, but the price of parking starts from $10 on peak nights.
LA’s food scene has never been better A way-too-short breakdown of the must-eat spots in each nightlife neighbourhood Parks Barbeque, Koreatown: The classic among a host of Korean BBQ joints. Its banchan – an avalanche of side dishes – is as delectable as the meats grilled at your personal BBQ. Bestia, Downtown LA: Run by an Israeli chef and his American baker wife, Bestia epitomises DTLA’s culinary transformation, serving modern takes on rustic Italian dishes. Barbrix, Silver Lake: Spanish tapas in eastern LA’s hipster neighbourhood du jour. Barbrix is set back a bit from the street, creating a chilled atmosphere.
THE THROWBACKS For more than 17 years, 1933 Group has been unearthing LA gems, injecting them with new life while maintaining their retro style
The Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood: This iconic restaurant has served juicy steaks and stiff martinis to Hollywood’s finest for almost 100 years. Nothing much has changed in that time – from the menu to the waiters – and that’s how everyone likes it. 71
WHICH SIZE SUITS YOU?
See it. Get it. Do it.
AC T I O N ! TRAVEL
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE
Sail to victory in a hollowed-out tree trunk
THE ADVENTURISTS
Around the Zanzibar Archipelago, also known as the Spice Islands, the ngalawa is a familiar sight – a local fishing vessel unchanged for centuries. For the competitors of the Ngalawa Cup, it’s something they’ll need to get familiar with, too. This rickety canoe, made from a hollowed-out mango tree and held together with string, will be their racing vessel and life raft for nine days and 500 miles of perilous Indian Ocean.
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GEAR
WHEELS
CULTURE
EVENTS
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ACTION
TRAVEL POSEIDON ADVENTURES
Three more epic ocean missions
Big rig
THE INSIDER
“Let the locals help you out,” says Delahunt. “They’ve grown up in the sea; everything is ingrained. They know where the next island is, where the next reef is, and the best way to get from one to another. That knowledge has been lost in modern civilisation.”
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Celestial powers
Navigate a yacht across the Atlantic using a sextant – from the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira to the Azores – and earn your RYA Ocean Yachtmaster stripes. rubicon3.com
Captain hooked
From the Cook Islands to Australia, brave the wilds of the South Pacific as part of an eight-man crew aboard a twosail schooner on a 23-day expedition. adventuresailing.net
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THE ADVENTURISTS
“It can’t jibe, only tack. Push too hard and six hours. We picked them up in the dark. It would have the outriggers dig in and flip you over. Point been an incredibly exhausting and scary ordeal. As it in the wrong direction, the wind’s going we shone the spotlight on them, they started singing to dump you.” This is the assessment of Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.” the Ngalawa Cup’s namesake vessel by But the Ngalawa Cup isn’t just an exercise Spice Islands, its race chief, Dylan Delahunt. in extreme seat-of-the-pants sailing. Crews TANZANIA In 2015, Delahunt conceived this nautical plot their own route to the finish, and some Dar es-Salaam dash through the Zanzibar Archipelago – forego the competition to pull up in beautiful To get your a picturesque cluster of islands off the spots for snorkelling or fishing. The only rule taste of island Tanzanian coast – in this simple fishing is they must make landfall by sundown. Where life head to: dhow carved from mango trees. Around you are when the sun sets is where you stay. theadventurists.com 5m long with a single sail and pair of Some islands are uninhabited, on others you outriggers, it is light, manoeuvrable and can stay in a luxury hotel or sleep on the beach. perfectly suited to chasing fish around the The race’s challenge fosters a spirit of coastline, and uniquely unsuited to longcamaraderie. Crews meet on islands to help distance racing on the open sea. with repairs, or share a bottle of rum around The primitive technology, however, is a a campfire. During the last race of 2016, the great leveller of competition – experience crew of Usain Boat even took onboard an with yachts is of little help. Crew members have to unusual crew member. “They went into a bar in Zanzibar stand on the outriggers to counterbalance swells; and ordered two beers and a chicken. The guy came sitting so low in the water, bailing is a full-time job, back with their two beers and a live hen in a bag. and the absence of pulleys and rigs makes everything Usain Boat kept the chicken comfortable while they physically demanding even in the calmest waters. sailed a further day. Then they had their chicken dinner.” Challenging as it is, the bar to entry is surprisingly low. “You have to be able to swim,” says Delahunt. Not plain sailing: And everyone receives training. If you don’t make the swells can reach 6m grade, you need to hire a local skipper. By race day in winds of 30 knots one, crews must be able to read the water, avoid reefs, navigate by sight and GPS, and perform improvised repairs. A crew once broke two masts in a day after selecting poor wood for their ad hoc replacement. And the potential for danger was apparent from the Cup’s first run. “One crew ended up in the water for
EDDY LAWRENCE
Home help: local knowledge can keep you out of trouble
Low-tech sailing of a different kind aboard a 103-yearold tall ship sailing from Argentina to Antarctica. Assist with deck duties, furl the sails and see glaciers and polar wildlife. anotherworld adventures.com
ACTION
GEAR
LG SH6 Soundbar An immersive home sound system minus the trailing wires. Radiator tubes deliver deep bass without a subwoofer, and it wirelessly connects to LG TVs, Music Flow speakers and Spotify. lg.com
The Headphone by Bragi Wireless earbuds don’t get more discreet. At the tap of a button, switch between music, calls and voice commands, or turn on audio transparency to let the outside world filter in. bragi.com
INVISIBLE TOUCH
We live in an ever more connected world, but don’t feel tied up in it. Unplug and set yourself free with this tangle-free tech...
Amazon Echo Dot (2nd gen) The key to your Tony Stark-style, voice-controlled home. Place these pucks around the house and ask ‘Alexa’ to order a pizza, turn down the lights, play tunes and read you a book. amazon.com
Spectacles by Snap Inc Now you can Snapchat in the blink of an eye. Tap the button to record 10-second snaps through a 115°-angle lens, then add them to your Memories when you open the app. spectacles.com
MSI VR One
Devialet Gold Phantom
Beats Solo3 Wireless
Roaming virtual reality worlds is restricted by the hazards of real-world cables. Unchain your brain with this lightweight, VR-capable PC in a backpack with swappable batteries. vr.msi.com
This Fabergé egg from the future delivers 4,500 watts of zero-distortion, zero-saturation sound in every direction. And you can link as many as 24 of them for a multi-room experience. devialet.com
Dr Dre’s cordless cans just got cleverer. You can now smart-switch between Apple devices, with 40 hours of battery life and the ability to recharge three hours of power in five minutes. beats.com
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WATCHES
Edited by Gisbert L Brunner
A LESSON IN PARTS Swatch Sistem51 Irony
To the casual observer, a Swatch might seem lowbrow. Cheap, even. But that’s to miss the significance of the timepiece that saved the Swiss watch industry. In 1983, the Japaneseled quartz revolution (or as it’s still known in Switzerland – the quartz crisis) had all but destroyed the mechanical watch business and reduced Swiss share of the global market from 50 per cent to 15. Salvation came from a masterclass in economy. The first Swatch, released in 1983, reduced the number of parts from 91 to 51 and the manufacturing cost by 80 per cent. This synthetic quartz watch wasn’t luxury, instead it became a fashion icon. Today, Swatch is the world’s largest watch company, owner of luxury brands like Omega and Breguet, but it still makes economically priced timepieces, and is still whipping up a revolution. Sistem51 is named for its components, the same number as in Swatch’s first quartz watch, except, incredibly, this one is mechanical and every one of those parts is held together by a single screw. Made by robots, the case is laser-welded shut, its selfwinding innards unable to be accessed for repair. Some would call that disposable, but Swatch has already proven to be anything but. swatch.com
It may not use luxury materials, but Swatch’s Sistem51 Irony range is premium. The 42mm case is injection-moulded stainless steel hermetically sealed to three bars of water resistance, and straps range from rubber on the Arrow, shown here, to stainless steel links.
TIME SAVERS
Three more watches that won’t break the bank
Certina Powermatic 80 Himalaya Special Edition Dhaulagiri in the Himalayas, the world’s seventh highest mountain, was conquered by a Swiss expedition in 1960 wearing Certina DS watches. This 40mm automatic is a homage to that triumph. certina.com
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Sinn Spezialuhren 556A
MeisterSinger Neo
The Frankfurt-based watchmaker started out making aircraft cockpit clocks 55 years ago. This watch’s easily legible dial is a testament to that. A 38.5mm stainless case has front and rear sapphire crystal glass and is water resistant to 20 bar. sinn.de
One way to save on parts – get rid of the minute and second hands. MeisterSinger’s trademark is a relaxed attitude to time, and its single-handed watches fit that ideology. This 36mm design remains unchanged from the 1950s. meistersinger.com
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GEAR
INNOV NOVA NOV VAT ATIONS: BIKE TO THE FUTURE
giving you confidence, but improving fun. The new R 1200 GS has off-road slip control. On gravel, you can accelerate and drift within the corner, but it’s controllable. It lets me explore my emotions and the analogue experience, because I know that in the background this artificial knowledge will make me safe.
Forget self-driving cars. BMW wants you to fast forward on a selfbalancing motorcycle
The bike is currently a concept. How close is it to reality?
The technology is not so outrageous. A gyro is standard nowadays, other things like cloud intelligence are also around the corner. The FlexFrame – the pneumatic of fluid muscle – is already used in other machines, so could be applied to a motorbike frame. Some of the tech is here, some is around the corner, some is around two corners. Nothing is from Mars.
How does one go about reinventing the motorcycle?
“Our thinking was, in 30 years everything is connected, controlled by artificial intelligence – machines will take over a lot of things we do, so where do I get my genuine, analogue experience?” says Edgar Heinrich, BMW’s Motorcycle Division’s Director of Design. “We decided it should be like riding a horse. I shouldn’t feel restricted, I don’t want to wear a helmet or have all these gauges. Most intriguing is the idea of sitting on the bike in my T-shirt and jeans and just going for it.”
How does that visor work?
“It’s what we call flock intelligence [with collective behaviour, like a flock of birds] – you have interaction between the rider, the vehicle, the cloud and gear that deals with this flood of information and allows you to concentrate on riding. I only need information when required. And not just from the visor – for example, my sleeve vibrates when I have to make a right turn.”
Can this work safely, especially at high speeds?
“It’s the case already. Ride a S 1000 RR on the track and the brain – the electronic suspension set-up, leaning-angle indication – it is not just
A smart visor links to the bike, relaying data. Look up to make a rear-view mirror appear; look down for directions, speed or banking angle.
Edgar Heinrich, 58
Here’s a man who knows a few things about bikes. Director of Design at BMW’s motorcycle division, Motorrad, Heinrich headed up the It certainly looks like it comes from 2009 design of the science fiction… S 1000 RR superbike, Some people say it looks like the Tron bike, but and now, for BMW’s we didn’t want to do something weird. It was centenary, his team about having a relationship with our history. It’s has reinvented the undeniably a BMW. You probably can’t say why, motorcycle entirely. but you can recognise it. The R32 [BMW’s first The Vision Next 100 bike from 1923] was very simplistic compared is an electric, selfto other bikes from the era. This has the typical, stabilising steed that simplistic frame. It also had to have the design you can’t crash, semantics of a boxer engine. That was a given. topple or fall from. “In safety, you’ll fly over the tarmac, still feel the wind, the vibration, the acceleration, the leaning angles,” promises Heinrich. “These archaic things are why motorbike riding will have an important role in the future.” bmw-motorrad.com
Gyroscopic sensors and an active assistance system keep the bike from falling, and can expand the rider’s capabilities.
HERI IRAWAN
Rather than handlebars turning the front forks, the entire frame flexes into the turn. It’s the closest you’ll ever get to riding a dragon.
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ACTION
WHEELS
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
MOTOR MERCH
Drivers waited 12 years for a new Honda NSX. Shmee finds out it’s already raced ahead
Adding acceleration to your accessories Rich sounds TIM BURTON, AKA SHMEE150, is one of social media’s mostfollowed supercar connoisseurs. Now he brings that expertise to The Red Bulletin. Watch Shmee’s full video review of this month’s cars at redbulletin.com
Dad bod
The new Honda NSX: the future starts here
The launch of the original NSX in 1990 could be described as a scramble. Feedback from then-F1-worldchamp Ayrton Senna called for a late tune-up before it was transformed into the legend we know today. For the sequel, Honda was in no such rush – the old NSX ended production in 2005 and it’s taken until now to deliver a successor. But, as I discovered on Portugal’s Estoril circuit, the new NSX is far from late to the game. In fact it’s a thing of the future. A hybrid supercar, its 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 combines with three electric motors to produce 573hp channelling 646Nm of torque, but the technology controlling all that – the direct unit boosting the petrol motor from the rear, or the twin
A collaboration between Bentley and high-end audio maker Naim sounds opulent. As does the noise from the resulting Mu-So wireless speaker. Built in aluminium to match your Bentley’s cabin grilles, the rotary dial also sports the luxury marque’s signature knurling. bentleycollection.com
front motors serving up instant torque to compensate for turbocharger lag – is more akin to a hypercar. Alongside noisier Sport, Sport-Plus and Track modes, a Quiet mode relies on electric power and keeps the revs low. This pleasant driving experience and the comfy cabin suggest Honda sees the NSX as a grand tourer, yet with the batteries and motors there’s only room in the boot for two carry-on suitcases. Maybe nobody needs luggage in the future, because that’s what this car is showing us. It brings hypercar technology to the supercar bracket, and that will trickle down to everyday driving. I’m interested in where the NSX is taking us. honda.com
Yamaha’s Faster Sons project draws its philosophy from the bike maker’s classic heritage. The capsule collection from Roland Sands features jackets, T-shirts and accessories sporting the same philosophy of retro style and forward thinking. rolandsands.com
NUMBER OF THE BEAST
Shmee does the maths on Audi’s TT RS and it adds up nicely Three isn’t the magic number – 400 is. That’s the perfect horsepower for taking it to the redline on the road, and it’s also an Audi TT RS number. I’ve driven the already great TTS, so I was curious to see what the RS had to offer. The 2.5-litre, five-cylinder engine is 26kg lighter than its predecessor; the aforementioned 400hp and a trick AWD system get it from 0-100kph in 3.7s.
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That’s supercar territory. Top speed is 280kph, but that’s not important. This is a car designed for tight, twisting roads. In standard driving mode it’s quiet, calm and oozes style, but turn on the dynamic settings and it rasps and burbles, the suspension stiffens and it just goes. It’s an experience that adds up to far more than the sum of the TT RS’s parts. audi.com
Vinyl revival The Goodwood Collection’s Sounds of ’66 features The Spencer Davis Group, The Supremes, Dusty Springfield and The Who, and all proceeds go to charity. You can’t play it in your classic car though – it’s on vinyl. goodwood.com
Audi + TT + RS = fast fun
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CULTURE
TRAINING DAYS
The Lego Batman Movie: “I’d jump in the Batmobile, but someone took it apart to make a phone box”
Keanu Reeves went the extra mile to prepare for his latest role. And he’s not the only one…
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
FILM
KNIGHT SCHOOL
WARNER BROS, NIKO TAVERNISE, LIONSGATE, BEN LEUNER/AMC
Lego Batman returns, but what does it take to play the Caped Crusader? We ask the brooding voice of Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham games, Kevin Conroy How does one go about becoming Batman? I auditioned for the role in 1991. I was in LA, working on a series, and my voiceover agent suggested I audition for a new animated Batman. My only exposure to the character had been the ’60s series with Adam West, but they said they were going back to the film-noir origins. My naïveté helped, as I had no preconceptions. I was able to improvise and place myself inside the painful world of childhood loss, and I found myself using this deep, husky voice. It seemed to rise up from a dark place and just felt appropriate. But your Dark Knight has his lighter moments, and The Lego Batman Movie is a comedy. How do you make him fun? Attitude. You must remain true to the character, but give him a tweak. When I first came up with different voices for Bruce and Batman, it was to make his disguise more convincing, but then Bruce ended up being more playful. A lot of irony in the voice. Have you ever been recognised in public? Not early on. I mean, I have no idea who voiced the cartoons of my childhood, but with the internet, everyone is just a click away. Recently, I was crossing Broadway with my dog when a police officer flashed his lights. I thought, “What have I done now?” Then he piped out of his car, “You’re Kevin Conroy. This is Batman! How about a picture?” I love how people respond to the character. He’s so beloved. I feel so honoured. So, could your Batman beat the others in a fight? Seriously? My Batman is the baddest badass Batman. But it’s interesting to see how each actor brings something unique. My favourite Joker, of course, is [co-star] Mark Hamill, but Heath Ledger was wonderfully crazy in a different way. The Lego Batman Movie is in cinemas from February 10; legobatman.com
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In early 2016, videos surfaced on YouTube showing Keanu Reeves training in tactics and weapons for this sequel. Combine this with the hybrid martial-arts style he developed for the first film, and Reeves may be deadlier than the assassin he plays.
GOING SOLO
Lego Batman isn’t the only character to have been given a new lease of life…
Deadpool (2016) Ryan Reynolds’ first portrayal of ‘the Merc With A Mouth’ – in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine – was a disaster, but fan power plus leaked test footage ensured a solo movie got the green light. The R-rated result broke box-office records. Better Call Saul (2015) The origin story of Breaking Bad’s fast-talking lawyer (below) has become a solid hit. Originally conceived as a halfhour sitcom – it’s now an hour – the series averages double the viewers of its predecessor. Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) Yes, George Lucas actually gave the furry ‘stars’ of Return Of The Jedi their own vehicle with a made-for-TV movie in which they helped two kids find their parents. Despite being panned, it was given a sequel.
The Last Of The Mohicans (1992) If there’s one actor who knows how to train for a part, it’s Daniel Day-Lewis, and his prep for this historical drama was no exception. The dedicated method actor lived off the land for months before filming, learning all the skills needed to survive in the wild. Furthermore, he’d only eat what he could kill during production.
The Hunger Games (2012) An Olympic archer taught Jennifer Lawrence how to convincingly handle a bow and arrow for this hit movie franchise, and the actress’ on-screen technique has even been praised by the archery community. All slightly more glamorous than the skills she learned for Winter’s Bone, where she had to skin a squirrel!
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ACTION
CULTURE
PLAYLIST STEVE AOKI
THE VISUAL ALBUM Last year Beyoncé and Frank Ocean both released records with feature-length music videos. But they’re not the first to create a sound-andvision masterpiece…
According to Forbes’ annual Electronic Cash Kings list, Steve Aoki is the fifth highest-paid DJ in the world, earning US$23.5 million in 2015. His habit of catapulting cakes into the audience and showering them with champagne has made him the godhead of the electronic dance music (EDM) party scene. Netflix documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead paints a more nuanced picture of the Californiabased DJ and producer, showing a hardworking music enthusiast – the 39-year-old plays more than 300 club shows per year – behind the mischievous stage behaviour. Here, Aoki explains the key ingredients of a successful DJ set. steveaoki.com
THE BEATLES A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
Outkast
Rage Against The Machine
Hey Ya!
Bulls on Parade
“If you’re a DJ it’s really important to surprise people. You need a good throwback track in your set that touches them like, ‘Yeah, I was jamming to this when I was young.’ My favourite curveball is Hey Ya! because it’s fun-spirited and has a lot of energy. Outkast has always been one of my favourite hip-hop groups. My first DJ name was even Kid Millionaire, which stemmed from an André 3000 song.”
“Another essential ingredient of a good DJ set is energy, which is why I love to play this song – it’s a Molotov cocktail of music. Once the snare kicks in, the crowd goes wild. Then you hear the singer scream: ‘Bulls on parade!’ and all I want to do is thrash my head around. The song is also very nostalgic for me, because this band were under the umbrella of the hardcore punk scene, the scene that got me started.”
Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki
What We Started
Titanic
“Make sure to always include a singalong in your set. For this I’m picking my own tune, because I produced it as the ultimate singalong. The aim was to make an EDM anthem, super catchy and lyrically really simple. I played it at Tomorrowland festival last July, and when people from 200 countries hearing the song for the first time immediately sang along, I knew that I’d achieved my goal.”
“Some critics say I singlehandedly ruined EDM with my remix of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On. At the same time, fans go nuts whenever I play it because of ‘the drop’. It’s that moment in a track after a build-up, when the bass drum hits and everyone goes nuts. For a DJ, the drop is a very effective tool, because, like in this case, it turns the track from angelic to very aggressive.”
The Fab Four’s comedy was released in 1964, almost at the same time as the album of the same name, and featured most of its songs. One of the most influential musical films and precursor of the visual album.
DAFT PUNK INTERSTELLA 5555 Promoted as an ‘animated house musical’, Daft Punk’s sci-fi film (for which they teamed up with legendary anime artist Leiji Matsumoto) is considered the first modern visual album. The track list is the same as second album Discovery.
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody “Choose the last tune for your set wisely, because people will remember it vividly. For years I’ve used this classic to close my sets. It’s one of the best pop songs ever, period, and everybody knows it. To me, it’s the perfect finish of the musical journey the DJ takes the crowd on, and with all its different sections, the song is a journey in itself. Besides, Freddie Mercury is my favourite singer of all time.”
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THE GADGET Kano Speaker Kit
Want to create music? Start from the ground up by building this simple yet versatile DIY speaker and synth. Eight plug-and-play components include a gesture sensor, and drag-and-drop style coding lets you quickly turn the palm-sized box into a wireless speaker, drum machine, theremin or bike siren. kano.me
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE ODDSAC The US indie rock darlings were the first to coin the term ‘visual album’ with this masterpiece. Similar to Frank Ocean’s Endless, the music is only available in conjunction with the psychedelic visuals, originally released on DVD in 2010.
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CULTURE
MY LIFE IN GAMES BRYCE COCHRANE
REALITY STARS
Immerse yourself in this Matrixlevel VR merchandise
Dead Rising 4 is a two-fisted take on the zombie apocalypse. The game’s executive producer reveals the titles that brought his undead career to life THE FIRST GAME I WORKED ON: JAMES BOND JR
Action-adventure, 1991, NES, SNES “While I was at animation school, I got a summer job at a videogame company because I could draw and knew how to use a computer. My first role was testing and art clean-up. I worked hard and learned as much as I could, and ended up being offered a full-time job.”
MY LATEST GAME: DEAD RISING 4
Survival horror beat ’em up, 2016, Xbox One, PC “I’ve always loved zombie movies and games, so when Capcom called me about working on this, I jumped at the chance. I’ve been amazed at the talent at Capcom Vancouver, and I feel so lucky to be part of this team. Making the game has been one of the best experiences of my entire career – I get to come into work and think up all sorts of zombie-busting fun. If you like the idea of smashing up the undead with ridiculous weapons, this is the game for you.”
THE FIRST GAME I PLAYED: PONG
COCHRANE’S TOP TIP “Before you run into a horde of zombies, take a second to ensure you’re fully equipped and have your arsenal ready. When in doubt, use the ‘Blambow’, a combined crossbow and explosive device – it’s my favourite weapon in the game.”
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Tennis game, 1972, arcade “When I first played Pong, I was amazed that a computer could control pixels on screen, and that something so simple could be so much fun. I had to understand how it worked, so I begged my parents to buy me a computer. Then I used my allowance to buy computer gaming magazines and I typed in thousands of lines of code to play the newest games.”
THE GAME I’D TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND: RED DEAD REDEMPTION Action-adventure, 2010, PS3, Xbox 360 “Lawmen at your back, firing over your shoulder, praying you have enough money for the rising bounty is great, but the story is what stuck with me. It’s a slow-motion train wreck.”
Eye pad A strenuous VR session can create quite a sweat. Comfortable and machine washable, the VR Cover keeps your headset (and head) clean. It’s like a pillowcase for your virtual reality kit. vrcover.com
Gripping stuff Touch and feel are provided by the Avatar VR ‘haptic glove’. Sensors track movement, ‘vibrotactile actuators’ simulate contact, and virtual objects even feel heavy. neurodigital.es
THE GAME THAT MOST INSPIRED ME: BIOSHOCK
First-person shooter, 2007, Xbox 360, PC “This is the first title that completely immersed me in its world and made me think about how I was playing. It also opened my eyes to new ways to tell a story and pace a game. The ‘Welcome to Rapture’ level is one of the best introductions to a videogame ever.”
Sit and spin The Roto VR is the office chair of the future. Your headset plugs into the base, so you can spin 360° without tangling cables, and the pedals simulate walking and running. rotovr.com
THE RED BULLETIN
P RO M OT I O N
MUST HAVES! MUST1
1 KTM SUPER DUKE R Fast just became faster. This engine, in its latest incarnation, pumps out an arm wrenching 177 hp while its torque figures reach for the sky between 6,750 rpm (140 Nm) and 7,000 rpm (141 Nm). So it’s stronger than ever, but we made it run smoother than ever as well thanks to overhauled resonator chambers. With this bike’s new transponder key in your pocket, you go for the gold. When corners become prey. Every bit, nut and bolt wants you to be fast and in control: wider, lower handlebars, Brembo monobloc brakes, MSC with Bosch cornering ABS, glorious WP suspension, an optional, two-way quickshifter+, a multifunctional TFT display, a full LED headlight, the works. R212 999.
www.ktm.com/za 2 SPECIALIZED MENS LODOWN Pre-curved palm and finger construction provide maximum articulation for superior bar control. A single-layer Clarino® palm construction ensures durability. Adjustable Velcro® cuff makes fit customizable, while easing entry and exit of the gloves. Full-wrap fingertips offer maximum durability. Silicone textured fingertips improve grip at the brake levers and shifters. RRP R515.
www.specialized.com
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3 HUAWEI P9 Co-engineered with leica dual- camera phone with two 12MP rear cameras. Capture the world for longer using the P9’s 3000mAh battery and the P9 Plus’s 3400mAh with up to 1.5 days usage. Enjoy picture perfect performance with the octa-Core 2.5ghz Kirin 955 processor. Experience a beautiful aesthetic state of the art industrial design. Unlock the power of touch with the P9 Plus and experience leading innovation with the pressure-sensitive touch screen with Huawei Press Touch.
www.huawei.com 4 S-WORKS 6 XC MOUNTAIN BIKE SHOE These are the lightest, most connected XC race shoes in the world! They feature our stiffest and lightest carbon fiber outsole for pedaling efficiency and feedback, while they borrow some unparalleled traits from the road version of the S-Works 6 for explosive speed and superior comfort. The new PadLock™ heel, combined with revolutionary strong and lightweight materials in the upper, creates a snug fit that‘s incredibly secure. Price R5600.
www.specialized.com
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5 HUAWEI W1 WATCH The Huawei Watch is designed to be part of your look, and part of your life. It pairs with any Android phone and it‘s also one of the first watches powered by Android Wear™ to work with iPhone. True style never compromises. With the Huawei Watch, classic Swiss design meets smart technology to create an enduring timepiece. A superior full circle display offers a window onto the world. A wearable to be worn. An exquisite profile and hand-polished finish reference years of watchmaking expertise. Innovative, high-performance materials bring that tradition into the present moment. Price R4999 available at takealot.com.
www.huawei.com 6 DISSIDENT COMP The Dissident Comp packs the same awesome protection and ventilation features of the Dissident into a composite shell, which allows us to offer this exceptional gravity helmet at a wallet-friendly price. Engineered to protect gravity, bike park, and downhill riders. Meets the ASTM DH safety testing standards for impact protection and chin bar performance. Lightweight composite shell. 4th Dimension Cooling System provides superior comfort. Helmet EJECT™ system compatible. Leatt™ brace compatible. Removable washable liner and cheek pads. RRP R3100.
www.specialized.com
ACTION The fastest sport on skates returns to Saint Paul, Minnesota for Red Bull Crashed Ice 2017
“It’s just fast. You just need to have the courage to do it, and then do it all out” Cameron Naasz, Ice Cross Downhill World Champ 2015/16
WHAT’S ON IN FEBRUARY
CHILLS, SPILLS AND SAMBA If it’s exhilarating sports and culture you’re after – from adrenalin-packed races on ice to the dazzling sights and sounds of the Rio Carnival – Red Bull TV has it covered…
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THE RED BULLETIN
CULTURE RED BULL TV HIGHLIGHTS
GENERATIONS OF FREESKIING DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES JANUARY 26
This original film examines the history and development of freestyle skiing, with insight from pioneers, legends and current stars, including Fuzzy Garhammer, Nick Goepper and Lisa Zimmermann.
SIMPLE SESSION LIVE FEBRUARY 5
RED BULL CRASHED ICE LIVE FEBRUARY 4 Join more than 100,000 fans in Saint Paul, the capital of Minnesota – always the biggest stop of the tour – for the third stage of the 2017 season of Red Bull Crashed Ice. The skaters will be battling each other in a spectacular high-speed downhill race on the frozen banks of the Mississippi River in a bid to collect points and become Ice Cross Downhill World Champion.
THE RED BULLETIN
WATCH RED BULL TV ANYWHERE Red Bull TV is a global digital entertainment destination featuring programming that is beyond the ordinary and is available any time, anywhere. Go online at redbull.tv, download the app, or connect via your Smart TV.
To find out more, visit redbull.tv
JOERG MITTER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, SEBASTIAN MARKO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, KLAUS POLZER, JAANUS REE/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, @WORLD / RED BULL CONTENT POOL,
One of the world’s biggest indoor BMX and skateboard competitions, Simple Session draws riders from across the globe to showcase their latest tricks on Tallinn’s slickest custom-designed course.
WRC LIVE FEBRUARY 10-12
Join the Red Bull TV team in Sweden for the second event of the 2017 World Rally Championship, with news, interviews and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at this iconic winter stop.
CARNIVAL IN RIO LIVE FEBRUARY 27-28
Live from Rio, Red Bull TV goes behind the scenes of the world’s most iconic and spectacular cultural festival to bring you exclusive coverage of all the sambas and the sequins.
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EVENTS SAVE THE DATE Swimming and boozy highlights coming your way this month
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February Mad ghoef
February 16-18 Paddle power Pietermaritzburg to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa’s most prestigious canoeing event, the Dusi Canoe Marathon is part of the nation’s fabric and a captor of the collective imagination. In 1951, world-famous environmentalist Ian Player, brother of golf legend Gary, and six others paddled the Umsundusi River between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Despite being bitten by a night adder, Player completed the course in six days and in first place. These days, the event is held over three gruelling days. dusi.co.za
February 7-12 Beat masters
February 24-25 As hard as you can go
The historic Cape Town City hall plays host to the sixth Cape Town Electronic Music Festival. A stellar line-up includes Germany’s Âme, Dave Clarke, Ryan Hemsworth, Portable, Bodycode, BBC Radio 1 host Heidi, EDM pioneers Coldcut, Jullian Gomes, Kid Fonque and Afro-Canadian singer-songwriter Zaki Ibrahim. ctemf.com
Ultra is the epic music festival that has its roots in Miami and has grown to attract crowds of nigh on 200,000. Expect a massive party at the SA satellite event with huge headliners including David Guetta, Dash Berlin, KSHMR and Black Coffee. ultrasouth africa.com
Cape Town
Joburg and Cape Town
February 17 Movies under the stars Cape Town
Catch the iconic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on the roof of the Fedisa building in the Cape Town CBD. The Galileo Open Air Cinema runs throughout the summer at various venues across Cape Town. They show cinematic gems and cult classics at beautiful Western Cape venues like the V&A Waterfront, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Hillcrest Quarry and in the Winelands. thegalileo.co.za
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Power player: David Guetta
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February Home brew The two-day Clarens Craft Beer Festival is a celebration of the finest hand-crafted brews from all over SA in the picturesque Eastern Free State town of Clarens. Bands and beer – perfect. clarenscraft beerfest.com
24 February Vinoed
The Stellenbosch Wine Festival takes place over three days at the Coetzenburg Sports Grounds. Indulge in gourmet food, rock ‘n’ roll and wine in stunning surroundings. stellenboschwine festival.co.za
THE RED BULLETIN
ANTHONY GROTE/GAMEPLAN MEDIA, MIK MOTOLA, RETROYSPECTIVE, WARNER MUSIC
Sbonelo Khwela (front) and Banetse Nkhoesa: aiming for a Dusi win
The Midmar Mile, held over two days, is the world’s largest openwater swimming event. One of its quirks is that while the distance covered is always a mile, the length of the swim varies according to annual rainfall. midmarmile.co.za
ACTION
HOW TO
BE A SUCCESSFUL INVENTOR A backyard boffin on how to channel your inner MacGyver
“Isn’t there a better way?” That’s how Colin Furze describes his mindset. The former plumber once designed better plumbing tools, but decided the expensive patent meant he “wouldn’t have sold enough to get the money back”. Instead, he chose to invent things people really wanted. An ejector bed, a hoverbike, magnetic boots and a 360-degree swing are a few of the creations that have earned him nearly four million YouTube subscribers. “I’m good at making stuff for very little,” says Furze. Here’s some of his advice for free.
let planning slow you down 1 Don’t
“I might do the odd rough sketch. I wouldn’t call it a blueprint. With more complex inventions there’ll be a prototype. Take the arm-mounted rocket launchers – they pop-out on a cantilever system – I got some wood and screwed it together to see if that was going to work. The problem with expert advice is you’ll get the typical view: ‘It won’t work very well. It’s not worth doing.’ Sometimes it’s good to try, fail, then ask. Say: ‘I did something and it nearly worked.’ You’ll get a different response because you already made a step.”
MARK THOMAS
out the right parts 2 Seek
“For the magnetic boots I needed electromagnets. The ones that would hold my weight were massively overbudget, so I looked at whether you could make your own. A magnet is just a coil of wire around a bit of metal, and that’s when I found you can take an old microwave to bits, pull out the transformer and put a 12-volt battery across it. It’s the ultimate YouTube project – cheap, everyone can copy it and you get a brilliant result.”
THE RED BULLETIN
your own safety limits 3 Know
“People say, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t have any straps on that massive swing.’ I say, ‘You can hold on to it, you didn’t need any.’ It’s typical thinking now that everything has to have a safety device. With the world’s fastest mobility scooter, I wore a helmet, gloves, everything. I got on it thinking: ‘Let’s go for a slow one, get used to the machine.’ I got to second gear and thought, ‘Let’s just hammer it!’ Everyone’s perception of danger is different.”
from your mistakes 4 Learn
“There was a gas leak in one of my jet engines. It was on the workbench, a spark caught and the whole lot went up in milliseconds – took all the skin
off my arms. The lesson learned is: wait for the neighbours to finish their tea party. They had people in the garden, so I closed the door to avoid annoying them. If I hadn’t been in a closed environment, it wouldn’t have gone up. It’s educational to see the sort of mess you can get in with very little exposure.”
sure you’re street legal 5 Make
“There’s all these weird courses you can go on – it just means you can order gunpowder, but they’re not a pyro course. It’s a bit of a grey area. I got arrested once because I had a flamethrower on the back of a moped – the police generally don’t like that. But it was because the photo in the newspaper was me on a public road. If I’d done it somewhere private, they might not have done anything. I’ve made flamethrowers since. I’ve put one on a guitar and not been arrested.” colinfurze.com
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T H E R E D B U L L E T I N I N N O VA T I O N S G U I D E
THE FUTURE BEGINS
TODAY
ELECTRIC DREAM What is it? The Greyp G12H electric bicycle – a sturdy beast with a top speed of 45kph.
What does it do? The G12H has a range of 240km between charges, and you start it via a fingerprint scan.
When can we get it? The price and date are not yet confirmed, but it’ll be €8,000+. greyp.com
WE’RE ALL SEARCHING FOR GEAR OR TECH GUARANTEED TO MAKE LIFE FA S T E R , M O R E FO C U S E D A N D M O R E F U N . T H ES E I S P O B R A N D N E W AWA R D W I N N E R S A R E A L L C O N T E N D E R S T O B E Y O U R N E X T FAV O U R I T E N E W G A D G E T 91
I N N O VA T I O N S
T H R E E- D AY W O N D E R AIR BAG
I S P O B R A N D N E W: W I N T E R H A R DWA R E
What is it? The Capsula Bag – a backpack that provides maximum content protection. What does it do? Glass won’t shatter in the Capsula Bag, no matter how hard you try. It’s airtight, shock-resistant and waterproof, with an inflatable exterior. This beauty even floats. When can we get it? Likely to drop (without damage) this April. capsulabag.com
AHEAD OF THE CURVE What is it? The Anticonf Snowboard from Switzerland. What does it do? It’s a proper, hardcore snowboard that also has your eco-warrior credentials covered. The core of the board is made from sustainable curved bamboo, which directs more energy to the edge, while the use of cork and flax fibres reduces weight and improves cushioning. When can we get it? Could be as early as the next winter season. anticonf.com
H OT PA N TS What are they? Breddy’s multifunctional sports pants. pants What do they do? Made from a breathable, waterproof, dirt-resistant material, these crossover pants work just as well with a jacket in the office as they do on the golf course or on a hike. One handy bonus is that you don’t waste any time getting changed. When can we get them? Now, at their shop in Mödling near Vienna, or online. breddys.com
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I S P O B R A N D N E W : AT H L E I S U R E
EIGHTY PER CENT OF THE SNOWBOARD’S COMPONENTS ARE ORGANIC OR RECYCLED
What is it? The Uncharted Supply Company SEVENTY2 survival kit. What does it do? Ninety-five per cent of all survival situations are resolved within the first 72 hours, so that period is critical. This backpack’s 30 items (including a water filter, high-calorie food bars, phone charger and filtration mask) will get you by until the cavalry arrives. When can we get it? Available now. unchartedsupplyco.com
IN AMERICA, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE GARIA GOLF CAR ON THE ROAD
INTERACTIVE FITNESS ROOM What is it? The digital squash revolution from interactiveSquash. What does it do? Is the racquet sport of choice for 1980s execs due for a revival? Quite possibly, thanks to this projection system. As well as training tools to improve your performance, and analysis of your playing style with real-time feedback, it has a number of challenging playing options. When can we get it? Available now. interactivesquash.com
PERFECT DRIVER What is it? The Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car. What does it do? It’ll make you better than anyone else on the course – if not in terms of your short game, then definitely when it comes to your whip. This electric cart has a 10.1in touchpad, a cooler under the seat, and while the rear diffuser may not improve your handicap, it will get you around at speeds of up to 30kph. When can we get it? You’ll need to gaze into your crystal ball for some time yet. garia.com
PERPETUAL POWER What is it? The MATRIX PowerWatch – a smartwatch you never have to charge. What does it do? It counts your steps and the calories you use, keeps an eye on how you sleep and, unlike other smartwatches, never needs a power outlet. Instead, the PowerWatch runs on your body warmth – the more you move, the greater the energy supply. When can we get it? Sadly, it’s still only a prototype. indiegogo.com
ON THE MOVE What is it? The PIQ ROBOT makes your workout more efficient. What does it do? This powerful nano-computer – available in different versions for tennis players, golfers, kiteboarders and skiers – records thousands of data points relating to your movement in real time and gives the best analysis imaginable of your performance. When can we get it? Available now from around €170. piq.com
ISPO BRANDNEW: WEARABLES
ISPO BRANDNEW: FITNESS
I N N O VA T I O N S
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I N N O VA T I O N S
S M O O T H O P E R AT O R What is it? The Shift – a drone you can control with one hand. What does it do? You normally need both hands to operate a quadcopter, but thanks to its intuitive control, which has a thumb controller for steering, one is enough for this drone from This Is Engineering Inc. The Shift leaves nothing to be desired: 30 minutes of flight time, 4K video, and a 13-megapixel camera. When can we get it? Should be with us this spring. tieshift.com
I S P O B R A N D N E W: S O C I A L AWA R E N ES S
NOBLE GOALS What is it? The educational programme Football for Life (F4L) provides support for disadvantaged children in the Philippines through sport. What does it do? The cataclysmic Typhoon Haiyan battered the south-east Asian islands in 2013. In the province of Tacloban, which was almost totally destroyed, F4L is giving back the youngest victims a small part of their carefree youth with regular football sessions. The hope is that the children will then be able to transfer their passion for sport into other areas, too, including their schoolwork. When will it be available? The programme has already directly helped almost 1,000 children. fundlife.org/football-for-life.html
THE SHIFT DRONE WEIGHS J U S T 1, 2 0 0 G A N D A C C E L E R AT E S TO MORE THAN 80KPH
ISPO MUNICH FEBRUARY 5-8, 2017 THE WORLD’S LARGEST T R A D E FA I R FO R S P O RTS I T E M S A N D FAS H I O N
A SPLASH OF COLOUR What are they? The No More Black collection of neoprene wetsuits by Kos. What do they do? They offer a dazzling alternative to all-black diving suits. Artists from all over the world have provided designs that ensure you’ll stand out wherever you are. Predatory fish might even be frightened off by some of them. When can we get them? Available now. facebook.com/nomoreblack
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ISPO BRANDNEW: STYLE
ispo.com
NEW FLAME What is it? The Wicked Lasers FlashTorch Mini – a torch that also works as a firelighter. What does it do? It’s a godsend when you’re out on an adventure and don’t have any matches. The handy 22cm torch, made of militarygrade aluminium, produces a dazzling 2,300 lumens and at its brightest creates enough heat to start a fire... or fry an egg. When can we get it? Available now. wickedlasers.com
I T ’S T H E F I R S T T E N T T H AT ’S A L S O A H A M M O C K AND A RAINPROOF PONCHO A S M A R T WAY T O S TAY D R Y
ON A ROLL What is it? The YoYo Mat – a mat that rolls itself up. What does it do? It’s a problem every fitness fan knows all too well: you put down your exercise mat, but it won’t lie flat. Then you try to roll it back up and it’s all over the place. The YoYo Mat puts an end to all that – it works just like a slap bracelet. When can we get it? Out now in the US. yoyomats.com
ISPO BRANDNEW: ACCESSORIES
What is it? The Flying Tent: Tent a bivy tent, protection from the elements and hammock all in one. What does it do? Sometimes a downpour comes out of the blue and you need a dry refuge as quick as a flash. This 1.6kg pop-up tent, with its patented fibreglass pole system, goes up in just a few seconds. You can also use it as a hammock, a rainproof poncho, or a hanging tent between two trees. When can we get it? You can take cover now. flyingtent.com
I S P O B R A N D N E W: S U M M E R H A R DWA R E
I N N O VA T I O N S
DIGITS UNDAMAGED What are they? Granberg 360° Cut 5 heavy-duty gloves. What do they do? No more Tony Iommi, fingertip-slicing, birth-of-BlackSabbath moments with these. They provide Cut 5 protection, which will even withstand the force of impact or crushing, and the nitrile foam on the palms provides excellent wet and dry grip. They’re ace at keeping your digits intact, though you might not become a metal god. When can we get them? Available now. granberg.no
CITY GO-GETTER What is it? The Immotor GO electric scooter. What does it do? This is how every innovative businessperson should get to their meetings. As you travel at up to 30kph, the Immotor GO will charge your phone or play music via the built-in speakers. It’s also only 24cm wide when folded – handy if you have to take it on public transport or in a taxi. When can we get it? Possibly this spring. immotor.com To see all the ISPO BRANDNEW finalists, go to redbulletin.com
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Editorial Director Robert Sperl Editor-in-Chief Alexander Macheck Editor-at-Large Boro Petric Creative Director Erik Turek Art Directors Kasimir Reimann, Miles English Photo Director Fritz Schuster Production Editor Marion Wildmann Managing Editor Daniel Kudernatsch Editors Stefan Wagner (Chief Copy Editor), Ulrich Corazza, Arek Piatek, Andreas Rottenschlager; Contributors: Muhamed Beganovic, Werner Jessner, Martina Powell, Clemens Stachel, Florian Wörgötter Web Kurt Vierthaler (Senior Web Editor), Christian Eberle, Vanda Gyuris, Inmaculada Sánchez Trejo, Andrew Swann, Christine Vitel
THE RED BULLETIN South Africa, ISSN 2079-4282 Editor Louis Raubenheimer Chief Sub-Editor Nancy James Deputy Chief Sub-Editor Davydd Chong Country Project and Sales Management Andrew Gillett Advertisement Sales Andrew Gillett, andrew.gillett@za.redbull.com Dustin Martin, dustin.martin@za.redbull.com Printed by CTP Printers, Duminy Street, Parow-East, Cape Town 8000 Subscriptions Subscription price R250, for 12 issues/year, www.getredbulletin.com, subs@za.redbull.com Mailing Address PO Box 50303, Waterfront, 8002 South Africa Office South Wing, Granger Bay Court, Beach Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 8001 +27 (0) 21 431 2100
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THE RED BULLETIN Germany, ISSN 2079-4258 Editor Arek Piatek Proof Reading Hans Fleißner Country Channel Management Christian Baur Advertisement Sales Martin Olesch, martin.olesch@de.redbulletin.com
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THE RED BULLETIN
c a b r i n h a
p r o u d l y
s p o n s o r s
21st January to 5th February Big Bay | Blouberg
NICK JACOBSEN Current holder of the height world record will be there!
26,7
meters 9mFX
www.ca br i nhaki tes. c om
MAKES YOU FLY
“I came across pictures of this sandstone canyon in Utah by chance and I was immediately fascinated,” says Australian photographer Mark Watson. “I had to go there.” After a long flight and not much sleep on the back seat of a hire car, he descended into the Pine Creek Canyon and crossed an underground lake to reach his destination, the bottom of the chamber known as the Cathedral, at 7am. He waited for the sun to come up and then took this shot.
Mark Watson, photographer and cave-explorer (pictured: canyoning partner Francois Silvestri)
MARK WATSON/RED BULL ILLUME
ZION NATIONAL PARK, USA
“I flew halfway round the world for this shot. It was worth every mile”
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JHB 58372/OJ
As seen on DStv
The World’s Best Leagues and Cup Competitions. Unmissable, Unrivalled, Undoubtedly The Best.
www.kiska.com Photo: R. Schedl
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