The Red Bulletin June 2016 - UK by Red Bull Media House

UK EDITION

BEYOND THE ORDINARY

GARETH BALE

Holding on to self-belief ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIĆ

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Converting anger into will

Creating quality from suffering

FOUR EUROS HEROES

RYAN GOSLING

“It’s not easy being honest”

HOME 2.0

23 ways to give your pad an upgrade

What we can learn from some of football’s biggest hitters

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VIDEOS, PICTURES, STORIES

R E D B U L L E T I N .C O M

STAND OUT IN THE DARK

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DIESEL RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 53.3 (5.3) - 61.4 (4.6), URBAN 37.7 (7.5) - 44.1 (6.4), COMBINED 46.3 (6.1) - 53.3 (5.3), CO2 EMISSIONS: 160 TO 139 G/KM.

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It’s not just what you see the moment you need to be at your best, it’s that you were passionate enough to spend years of moments chewing up dirt to get there.

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2016 | Photo: Ian Collins

KYLE JAMESON, BRENDAN FAIRCLOUGH

ALL-NEW JAGUAR F-PACE

ABOVE ALL, IT’S A JAGUAR.

Welcome to Jaguar as you’ve never seen it before. Now you can enjoy the dramatic drive and beauty Jaguar is renowned for, with added practicality. Inspired by F-TYPE, its powerful, muscular looks give the All-New F-PACE a head-turning road presence. And it delivers the connected steering feel and sharp, responsive handling of a sports car too, thanks to its aluminium double wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension. A master of sporting performance and everyday practicality, F-PACE raises the game. jaguar.ie

Official fuel consumption figures for the F-PACE in l/100km: Urban 5.7 – 12.2, Extra urban 4.5 – 7.1, Combined 4.9 – 8.9. CO2 emissions g/km: 129 – 209. Drive responsibly on and off-road.

THE WORLD OF RED BULL

64 PADDLE POWER

Kayaker Joe Clarke swaps artificial courses for the wild waters of New Zealand to shake up his routine

WELCOME To be successful you have to be able to rise to a challenge, and there are plenty looming for the stars of this month’s The Red Bulletin. Ahead of Euro 2016, we ask how footballers such as Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo ensure their winning form. Then we join British kayaker Joe Clarke in New Zealand as he prepares for the ride of his life at the Olympics. His prep plan? Shake up the routine with some fearsome white water. Bond stuntwoman Gemita Samarra has bagged herself a role in one of the world’s most successful “I really shows, Game of Thrones. Her coping don’t care strategy is simple: just do what you like. Plus you can achieve a new goal, too: what people diving with crocodiles in Botswana – think” CHARLI XCX, PAGE 25 minus a cage. Enjoy the issue. 08

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JUNE 2016

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

The best South African adventure photography to feast your eyes on

AT A GLANCE GALLERY 16 GOOD SHOTS! Photos of the month

BULLEVARD 23 INSPIRATIONS Unique talents

FEATURES

30 Out of Africa

Art and adrenalin meet in this selection of amazing images

GETTY IMAGES (2), REUTERS, PICTUREDESK.COM (COVER), GRAEME MURRAY, ATLANTIC RECORDS, JANSEN VAN STADEN, AMOS PHOTOGRAPHY, GETTY IMAGES, JONATHAN SCHULE, ANDREAS KOCK

42 Heroes of the month

Actor Ryan Gosling, music promoter John Giddings, fitness expert Fredd Londoño and musician Jack Garratt

48 TRAVEL WITH BITE

Already swum with sharks and dived with dolphins? Then come close to crocs on a holiday to get your teeth into

48 Euro stars

ON THE BALL

On the eve of Euro 2016, we profile four players at the top of their game and look at how they got there

Spotlight on the skills of Bale, Ibrahimovi´c, Ronaldo and Müller

56 Gemita Samarra

The stuntwoman, actress and model whose pet dog is a wolf

64 Joe Clarke

Britain’s slalom kayak Olympic hope takes a leap out of his comfort zone

ACTION!

79 OFF-ROAD OPULENCE

Meet the Maserati Levante, the Italian supercar with a fashionista interior and outdoor-adventurer engineering THE RED BULLETIN

56 A LIFE LESS ORDINARY

She started out as a model, but Gemita Samarra’s thirst for adventure has taken her on a very different career path

73 SEE IT. GET IT. DO IT. The best travel, gadgets, films, games, music, wheels, watches and events. Plus our cartoonist’s calendar, and how to jump a roof gap 93 HOME ENTERTAINMENT Latest tech 98 FLASHBACK Dakar dirt-fest

CONTRIBUTORS INSIDE THIS ISSUE JUNE 2016

WHO’S ON BOARD

JUAN MORENO

Total immersion: surf photographer Sacha Specker

In the line of duty Sacha Specker’s spectacular image of big-wave surf spot Dungeons in this month’s photo essay does exactly what the best adventure photography strives for: to drop the viewer right into the middle of the action as a voyeur – so much so that they might think, “Whoa, I wouldn’t want to be there!” “A super-long period of 22 seconds and light winds combined with a 4m-plus swell to push massive double-ups over the inside reef,” says the Cape Townbased lensman. “It was an amazing day of waves.” For more from South Africa’s best adventure photographers, check out our feature on page 30.

As a regular sports contributor for Der Spiegel, Moreno has interviewed almost every top footballer in Europe. For us, he profiled four of the biggest talents set to play at the forthcoming European Championship. See page 48.

RÜDIGER STURM

The film journalist and regular Red Bulletin contributor is known for his profound interviews with Hollywood’s A-List. On page 42, he talks to Ryan Gosling about friendship and the actor’s Elvis-impersonating uncle.

THE RED BULLETIN AROUND THE WORLD The Red Bulletin is available in 10 countries. This cover, featuring actor Travis Fimmel, is from this month’s US edition. Read more: redbulletin.com

IN FOCUS BEHIND THE LENS

Models don’t usually turn up to sets brandishing knives The Swedish fashion photographer is no stranger to models, having shot for many big brands – from Playboy to Prada. But our shoot with Gemita Samarra in London’s King’s Cross was the first where one arrived with a deadly prop. See page 56.

Looks to die for: Gemita Samarra gets serious

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STEREO 160

MOVE MOUNTAINS , RIDE CUBE

CUBEBIKESUK

WWW.CUBE.EU

THE RED BULLETIN WEB HIGHLIGHTS

Video: magic goals of the Euros’ superstars Stumbling scores and overhead kicks from 30 yards – check out the most outrageous goals by Ibrahimovi´c, Müller, Bale, etc, at redbulletin.com/euros

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CONFESSIONS OF A FLIGHT ATTENDANT

GET FIT LIKE A SPARTAN

Heather Poole, author of Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, on why air travel is no longer a sexy experience.

Inspired by the film 300, the Spartan workout isn’t for the faint-hearted. Channel your inner warrior and follow this challenging seven-step routine.

redbulletin.com/flightattendant

redbulletin.com/spartanworkout

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THERE’S ANOTHER RACER BEHIND THE DIRT CLOUD. HE’S NOT ON OUR TIRES.

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SENDER CF

CANYON.COM/SENDER

GALLERY

LINE DANCE

FORTESCUE BAY, TASMANIA PHOTOGRAPHY: KRYSTLE WRIGHT The Moai butte stands up as straight as a pole from the cliffs of Fortescue Bay on Tasmania’s south-east coast. Highline specialist Ryan Robinson figured that it would be the ideal endpoint for his 70m slackline. “It’s like the gods gently placed this here to be strung up and walked across,” says the American, who posted the video of his balancing act 35m above the surge on Instagram. Don’t click here if you suffer from vertigo: instagram.com/handsomerobinson

DIRTY WORK ERZBERG, AUSTRIA PHOTOGRAPHY: JEANCHRISTOPHE DUPASQUIER

Red Bull Hare Scramble, at the Erzberg mine in Styria, is regarded as the toughest one-day Hard Enduro dirt bike race in the world. Riders face 30km of near-vertical dirt trails, headhigh boulders and traffic jams on the steep slopes (pictured). Some years, there are only a handful of finishers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like in 2015, when only five of 500 contestants completed the course. Red Bull Hare Scramble is on May 29. Check out the live stream on redbull.tv

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE DUPASQUIER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

CHANNEL HOPPING

PARIS, FRANCE PHOTOGRAPHY: HADRIEN PICARD The Canal Saint-Martin is 4.5km long, traversing Paris from north to south. It’s drained every 10 years in order to clean it of rubbish that’s been illegally dumped there. For three-time BMX Flatland world champion and Paris resident Matthias Dandois, this maintenance creates a new playground. His aim? A bunny hop with a splashdown he can land only once a decade. Watch the video at redbull.com/ dandoiscanalstmartin

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BULLEVARD THE HOME OF PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE, ENTERTAIN, EDUCATE, INNOVATE

FRANCOIS BERTHIER/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES

STAYING POWER IDRIS ELBA THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE 43-YEAR-OLD. WHETHER HE’S THE ONE TO TAKE ON DANIEL CRAIG’S TUX OR NOT, HIS PRESENCE IS CERTAINLY BOND-WORTHY His name’s Elba, Idris Elba. To some, he’s The Wire’s ‘Stringer’ Bell or the titular detective in Luther. To others, he’s a star with a CV that includes Thor and Guillermo del Toro’s epic Pacific Rim. And to partygoers he’s the guy you queue to see in Europe’s hottest clubs. TV actor, film star, global DJ – Elba couldn’t be more versatile. One common thread is the Londoner’s presence. “He exudes power,” Del Toro said of Elba. “It’s an authority that belongs exclusively to him.” Elba has been around long enough to know what matters. He has also said he’s not in competition with anyone else. And what could be more Bond-like than that?

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BULLEVARD 2016 The axeman and his erstwhile bandmate Axl Rose bury the hatchet and reform Guns N’ Roses after a feud spanning 20 years, and music fans couldn’t be happier. “It’s become more exciting as I get older. The passion and desire to do it is really strong.”

1965 Saul ‘Slash’ Hudson is born in the UK. His mother makes rock-star costumes and his father designs album covers. They separate after a move to LA. Slash swaps books for BMXing, but he’s focused: “I got jobs so I could get cigarettes, beer. That’s how I see money. It’s never been a motivating factor.”

2010

1981

Slash goes accessory shopping – and makes history. The serial shoplifter swipes the infamous top hat, later wrapping it in a belt (also stolen) and joining the handful of celebrities recognisable by shadow alone, so unique becomes his silhouette. Also enrols in an upstart band called Guns N’ Roses.

1986 The band ignore critics and go on to write the songs that get them signed to Geffen Records. “Being told no was the big thing ever since I can remember. And that was always getting in the way of creativity.” Sweet Child O’ Mine is one song that takes GN’R stratospheric.

ROCK POLYMATH SLASH ATTACKS CAREER DECISIONS ALL GUNS BLAZING AND COMES OUT SMELLING OF ROSES. WE PLAY OUT HIS GREATEST HITS, FROM THE MEAN STREETS TO REACHING PARADISE CITY. IT’S TIME TO JOIN THE BAND

2002 Rock regains popularity. Slash makes his comeback, forming supergroup Velvet Revolver. He keeps himself relevant with a string of guest appearances with artists from Michael Jackson to Rihanna. “The only thing in rock ’n’ roll that’s survived the test of the millennium has been metal.” And Slash himself, obviously.

1991 High-flying success follows. But despite the muchlauded launch of two double albums, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, the band’s wings are clipped when rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin departs, and the descent begins. Follow-up The Spaghetti Incident? – the last album to feature Slash and bassist Duff McKagan – flops and GN’R crash to Earth. Slash leaves the band in 1996.

2001 Following a near-death experience and a poor prognosis, Slash yet again turns his life around, completely cleaning up after years of alcohol and drug abuse. His rock-solid willpower sees him through, beating both medical odds and the Grim Reaper.

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TIM MÖLLER-KAYA

1985

HOW I GOT HERE

GETTY IMAGES (2)

A tumultuous childhood is channelled into music. He quits school, but education doesn’t so much disappear as become refocused – Slash is reported to have practised guitar for up to 12 hours a day. “Guitars are like women,” he later explains. “You never get them totally right.”

Slash calls in some favours, collaborating with friends such as Dave Grohl and Motörhead’s Lemmy on his eponymous solo album. The record garners huge commercial success and Slash yet again finds himself in the limelight. Rock god he may be, but with room for business acumen.

BULLEVARD “EVERYONE’S A FREAK – SOME PEOPLE HIDE IT AND SOME EMBRACE IT”

OUT OF SIGHT BRADLEY AND PABLO

CHARLI XCX AT 23, THE POP-PUNK STARLET IS ALREADY PROVING THAT PROVOCATION – AND PATIENCE – DISTINGUISH YOU FROM THE CROWD If patience is a virtue, Charli XCX is positively righteous. The English singer and songwriter began writing her debut album at 14, following this with performances on the warehouse rave circuit. Then came a succession of almosts, near-misses and maybes as she worked on albums, was signed, and produced songs for others. Finally, in 2012, Charli got the explosive reception she deserved as ’80s, ’90s and ’00s kids alike became enamoured with her unique take on synth-punk and her provocative style. It was there all along – it just took us a while to see it.

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BULLEVARD

SAY WHAT? SEVEN OF THE CELEBRITY WORLD’S WISEST MINDS DIVULGE THEIR INTELLECTUAL POSITION ON SEX. CONSIDER THIS THE THINKING MAN’S DIRTY TALK

“I couldn’t possibly have sex with someone with a slender grasp on grammar”

“I like missionary and I like being on my knees too. And I love being on top… I love doggy style or standing up”

HUCKBERRY twitter.com/huckberry

OLIVIA MUNN

“Seems to me the basic conflict between men and women, sexually, is that men are like firemen. To men, sex is an emergency, and no matter what we’re doing we can be ready in two minutes. Women, on the other hand, are like fire. They’re very exciting, but the conditions have to be exactly right for it to occur”

JERRY SEINFELD

“I’m not getting up an hour earlier and walking on a treadmill. I have the greatest workout partner in the world. And you don’t need a gym membership for that kind of workout” JASON SUDEIKIS

“I tend to like a mysterious guy, a quiet type who stares at you so that you’re going, ‘What is he thinking? Does he want to kill me or take me home?” EVA MENDES

To call Huckberry just a shop would be like saying Red Bull only does soft drinks. Aside from selling the coolest adventure gear and active wear you’ll find on the internet, Huckberry’s social feed and journal-style articles are essential viewing for anyone who likes to travel on the wild side.

YUNG JAKE instagram.com/ yungjake

Hip-hop isn’t Yung Jake’s only artistic outlet, despite his success in that arena. His fans on social media come for his celebrity portraits, which are weirdly accurate despite being made entirely from emojis. Check out his feed – bizarre and brilliant.

HUMANS OF NEW YORK

facebook.com/ humansofnewyork

If you’re not following the blog by Brandon Stanton, you need to like the Facebook page. The feed features portraits and stories of the vibrant inhabitants of New York City. Much like the city itself, no matter how often you visit, Humans Of New York never gets old. THE RED BULLETIN

GETTY IMAGES (7)

“I know a lot of people have a hard time talking dirty – they don’t know what to say, how to start, or when to end it. Also, at first they will think they sound ridiculous. And they might. But let me just say that talking dirty is so important in sex. And it’s pretty easy”

CAMERON DIAZ

THE PROFILES WINNING AT THE INTERNET THIS MONTH

ZOE SALDANA

RUSSELL BRAND

“The best time of day for sex is any time, because it’s sex”

SOCIAL FEEDING

BULLEVARD

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

STEPHEN AMELL

THE ARROW STAR IS A PRO WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMING PHYSICAL FEATS ON SCREEN. WANT HIS SUPERHERO PHYSIQUE? AMELL BREAKS DOWN WHAT IT TAKES TO CONVINCINGLY PLAY A MASKED CRUSADER

WEIGHT IN KILOS HE ADDS WHILE DOING CHIN-UPS Amell says that there are tricks you can apply while doing chin-ups, such as adding extra weight to your body. “I play a superhero who doesn’t have any superpowers, so I don’t want to look as if a stiff breeze will blow me over,” he says. “As simple as it sounds, push-ups, chin-ups and sit-ups work for me. It’s all about manipulating your own body weight.”

MONTHS SINCE HE ATE ICE CREAM When Amell landed the lead in Arrow, he cut most dairy products from his diet. But sometimes he’ll indulge: “After I went for a hike during the Christmas break,” he says, “I thought, I feel like having an ice cream.” Besides cutting calories, eliminating dairy can reduce sluggishness and improve digestion, but include other calcium-rich sources in your diet, like leafy greens and lentils.

HEIGHT IN METRES OF THE WALL HE SCALES Parkour frequently features on Arrow, and Amell is, he notes, a natural. “I just go for it and I’m not afraid of falling,” he says, “which is the basic tenet of successfully learning how to do parkour.” To tackle a 4m-high warped wall, Amell says it’s all about overcoming mental obstacles. “You have to imagine that your feet are flat on the ground.”

THE HOTTEST THINGS IN HEALTH

THE FUEL CARBS

The C word needn’t always be dirty – complex carbs actually enhance your health. Get a guide to the good in new book Body Fuel by exspecial ops trainer Mark Lauren. penguinrandom house.com

THE WORKOUT THE FLEXSTRIDER

VITAL STATISTICS

Discipline Actor Age 35 Height 1.86m Weight 90.7kg Big-screen breakout Plays rollerblading vigilante Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, released June 3

MINUTES HE RUNS ON THE TREADMILL While shooting in Vancouver, Amell works 14-hour days, five days a week, which doesn’t leave a lot of time to exercise. Instead, he focuses on concentrated workouts. “I believe you can do everything you need in just 25 minutes,” he says. His routine: run 6km, getting faster with each kilometre – a technique he picked up training for marathons. “It also helps pass the time because treadmills are boring.”

If you’re not down with the bodyweight workout trend, try the tech-heavy Life Fitness FlexStrider and feel like you're living with a personal trainer. lifefitness.co.uk

THE APP CLASSPASS

Bored of your gym? This app has a new approach, giving you access to more than 8,000 studios, offering all types of classes, in more than 30 cities worldwide. classpass.com

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PATRIK GIARDINO, GETTY IMAGES

FITNESS TRACKER

THE RED BULLETIN BRINGS YOU THE BEST OF SOUTH AFRICAN A D V E N T U R E P H O T O G R A P H Y, W H E R E A R T B L U R S W I T H A D R E N A L I N A N D T H E P A T H L E S S T R O D D E N I S W H E R E Y O U L E A R N T H E M O S T WORDS: ANGUS POWERS

OUT OF AFRICA

Who: Lewis Pugh Where: Mediterranean Sea, Monaco Photographer: Kelvin Trautman 31

K E LV I N T R A U T M A N “This was Lewis Pugh’s first swim on his Seven Seas expedition in 2014,” says adventure photographer Kelvin Trautman. “He swam 10km in Monaco to highlight the over-commercialisation and overfishing of the Mediterranean. When Lewis swam close to this cruise liner, I hopped into the water to try to get him, the empty sea and the hugely intimidating liner in one shot. I swam with him for a few hundred metres while shooting. This is what adventure photography is about: having the creative dexterity to make a world of fleeting moments and changing light work for you, mixed with an unfailing willingness to be part of the action.” kelvintrautman.com

J A N S E N VA N S TA D E N Set against the backdrop of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, Indigo Skate Camp boasts a perfect concrete bowl with granite coping. “It’s steep and unforgiving,” says skateboard photographer Jansen van Staden, “but when a kid called Two-Chain started skating it, our jaws dropped. I’ve never seen anyone go that fast in a bowl. Who’d have thought that in this rural landscape, skateboard talent would have space to grow.” notaboutthephotographer.tumblr.com 32

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Who: Two-Chain Where: Indigo Skate Camp, KwaZulu-Natal Photographer: Jansen van Staden

“TWO-CHAIN’S WHEELS MADE A FUNNY NOISE FROM THE SPEED, A N D G O AT- S H -T D U S T F L O AT E D F R E E F R O M T H E S U R FA C E . EVERY NOW AND THEN, HE’D LET IN A CHEEKY 5-0 GRIND”

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“ I N A FA S T- M OV I N G W O R L D, I T WA S F I T T I N G T O E S C A P E T O T H E D ES E RT A N D TA K E T H E T I M E TO B R I N G A N I D E A TO L I F E ” Who: Gielie Moller Where: Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape Photographer: Tyrone Bradley

TYRONE BRADLEY This desert shoot – a collaboration between photographer Tyrone Bradley and driver Gielie Moller in his 1974 5.4-litre V8 Chevrolet Kommando – took place during Kalahari Desert Speedweek. One of the challenges was balancing four different light sources: for instance, if the headlights were on too long, the desert was overexposed. “Most of my work is more like reportage,” says Bradley. “This was a chance to slow things down and be in total creative control. In a world that’s moving so fast, it was fitting to be able to escape the city, head out to the desert for three days and, in a cold, quiet setting, take time to bring an idea to life.” tyronebradley.co.za

“ S E A N ‘A N I M A L’ M A A S C H I S 5 4 A N D D R E A M S B I G G E R THAN EVER. HIS NEW PROJECT IS A 30M COMPRESSION POWERHOUSE THOUGHT TO BE IN THE REALM OF 9A+”

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Who: Sean ‘Animal’ Maasch Where: Main Crag, Oudtshoorn Photographer: Jacques van Zyl

J A C Q U E S VA N Z Y L “Last year, I was on my way to shoot and climb in the USA, and I asked Sean Maasch to train me up,” says outdoor photographer Jacques van Zyl. “I never got to the States, but the training didn’t stop. Sean is 54 and dreams bigger than ever. His new project is a 30m compression powerhouse thought to be in the realm of 9a+. If Sean sends the route, he’ll join an elite few who have climbed that grade aged over 50.” facebook.com/JacquesVanZylPhotography THE RED BULLETIN

SACHA SPECKER “Shooting Dungeons is all about expecting the unexpected,” says surf photographer Sacha Specker of SA’s premier big-wave spot. “There’s so much going on, you have to be prepared. On most days, there’ll be cameras capturing the action from a number of boats. To get unique content, look for moments when you’re far from the rest of the pack. Frank Solomon got into this wave before it was flaring. He had a smooth roll-in, but when he got to the bottom, it stood up fast, caught up to him and was coming down with too much energy. All he could do was try to ride it out. He did incredibly well to hold on as long as he did.” Instagram: @sachaspex

WAY N E R E I C H E Action photographers are known for asking their subject for “just one more”, but ambition must be tempered by an awareness of safety. As a BMX rider for 17 years, Wayne Reiche knew his friend Stuart Loudon had more to give at this set-up in Plettenberg Bay. “We got some good safety shots, but I know what Stu’s capable of, so I asked him to crank one a bit more,” says Reiche. “He snapped this cracker and I got the timing spot on.” Instagram: @waynegtl

Who: Stuart Loudon Where: Plettenberg Bay Photographer: Wayne Reiche

“ T H E WAV E WA S C O M I N G D O W N W I T H T O O M U C H E N E R G Y. ALL HE COULD DO WAS TRY TO RIDE IT OUT” Who: Frank Solomon Where: Dungeons, Hout Bay Photographer: Sacha Specker

Ryan Gosling, 35, values honesty in a friendship, but, he says, add male competitiveness and things can turn unpleasant

HEROES

“HONESTY IS EVERYTHING” RYAN GOSLING The paragon of cool buddies up with

Russell Crowe in new film The Nice Guys. But, he says, female friendship can still beat a bromance

A MILLER MOBLEY/AUGUST

t 35, and with some of the most respected film titles of the past decade under his belt, Ryan Gosling has come a long way since his first big break on US TV show The Mickey Mouse Club. The Canadian, who now has two million Twitter followers – and an on-screen partnership with Russell Crowe in new comedy-thriller The Nice Guys – has also learned a lot about real-life friendship: he says it takes honesty, empathy, and a desire to mix business with pleasure. the red bulletin: In The Nice Guys, you become best mates with Russell Crowe. What matters to you in a real friendship? ryan gosling: The level of honesty. Though that can only go so far because sometimes it can get nasty. How do you mean? Like when you tell the other person things they don’t want to hear, because you have their best interest at heart. You can risk the friendship at times like those. But that’s what friendship’s all about. THE RED BULLETIN

So you’re always brutally honest with your friends? I’ll admit it’s not easy. It’s even hard to always be totally honest with yourself. But if you don’t manage to live that honesty the whole time, you still manage it at individual moments. That’s what it comes down to. Your characters in The Nice Guys are pretty honest with each other… That’s because there are guys involved, which means it’s also about competition. I don’t like that at all. It can ruin a friendship.

There’s something about rolling up your sleeves and tackling a challenge together. For instance, as a child I was in charge of the lighting at my uncle’s shows. He was an Elvis impersonator. My other uncles worked as his bodyguards and my aunts were his backing singers. It was only then that I really got to know my relatives. It was a great experience. It’s one I aim to repeat in the jobs I take on now. Which friends have had the biggest influence on you? If you want to include family, then that would be my sister. I’ve always looked up to her. Why her especially? Because she can understand every point of view when

What is it about him that most inspires you? He sticks to his guns when it comes to following his convictions. I work with him on the Enough Project, the aim of which is to stop genocide and crimes against humanity, particularly in Africa. As part of the project, I’ve already been to Uganda, Congo and refugee camps on the border between Darfur and Chad. I’ve seen what John and his people are bringing to bear. It’s where you learn what real friendship is about. Any example come to mind? I visited rehabilitation centres for child soldiers. There were boys there sharing bunks, one of whom had killed the

“WHEN I WAS A CHILD, MY UNCLE WAS AN ELVIS IMPERSONATOR AND MY AUNTS WERE HIS BACKING SINGERS. I DID THE LIGHTS” So, do you prefer female friendships? I have lot of female friends. Is that something you consciously seek out? It may be because I grew up with my mother and my sister, without a father. My agent, my manager and my publicist are all women. I need them around me all the time. Is combining friendship and work complicated? Not at all. I’ve made some of my best friends through work.

there are differences of opinion. Even when someone adopts a position that I view as untenable, she’s capable of seeing the whole thing from their point of view, too. That’s really affected the way I think. Who’s your most significant male friend? One of my best friends is John Prendergast, a human rights activist and former Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council. He’s a moral yardstick for me.

other’s mother. John and his team have made them realise that they are both victims of circumstance. They ended up being children who not only bore no grudge, they actually became best friends. That feels totally outlandish to us as Westerners. If we were in that kind of situation, it would be all about revenge. Rüdiger Sturm The Nice Guys is in cinemas from June 3; theniceguysmovie.com

“STAY COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED” JOHN GIDDINGS The agent and promoter has icons like Madonna on speed dial. He talks thriving on stress and reviving the Isle of Wight Festival

the red bulletin: With 60,000 revellers turning up each year, the Isle of Wight Festival is a success story. But back in 2001, apparently nobody believed in its resurrection. john giddings: That’s true! When the ban was lifted, the Isle of Wight council contacted everyone in the music business 44

to try and restart it. But promoters weren’t interested. Why not? Because they thought, ‘who wants to go to a festival on a small island if you have so many others nearby?’ And initially I didn’t believe in it either. I just thought, I was there in 1970, so wouldn’t it be nice to take a day out of the office and revisit the island? I turned up to a council meeting and it was then I realised its potential and signed up for the job. In 2002 we put on the first event with The Charlatans and Robert Plant. The council

misses the band’s post-show helicopter, because he came back on stage to thank the audience. There is always something going on. But I thrive on stress and problems. How do you cope? The key is to be cool, calm and collected. You have to have lateral thinking. Other than that, it’s all about experience, because problems repeat themselves. What seemed like a big issue five years ago, now seems like a piece of cake. Has there been a situation that has really made you scratch your head? There was a funny moment in 2010 when Paul McCartney’s manager called me on the morning of his gig and said,

“MY JOB IS BASED ON PROBLEMS. IF THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS, THEN THE ARTISTS WOULD BOOK THEMSELVES” lost half a million pounds. The next year I did it myself and I lost half a million pounds, too. In the third year, we booked The Who and David Bowie, and the rest is history. Wait, £1,000,000 had been lost and you didn’t give up? I have no idea why I believed in it. Everybody was laughing at me behind my back, thinking I was an idiot. Even my wife asked me, ‘What gives you this belief?’ I was just certain it was going to be successful.

a drama going on. My jobs is based on problems. If there were no problems, the artists would book themselves. With that in mind, how would you describe your job at the Isle of Wight Festival? I’m a fireman. I’m constantly dealing with problems and putting out fires. One time it’s a truck drivers’ strike in France, which keeps Genesis from making it to their show on time, another time Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac

‘Have you got someone on site who can do acrylic nails?’ I was like, ‘What the heck is that?’ I thought he was joking. But then I found a woman in Cowes who turned up with her little box. I thought it was for Paul’s backing singers, but it was for him, because you need to harden your nails to play acoustic guitar. Florian Obkircher Isle of Wight Festival is on June 9-12 in Newport: isleofwightfestival.com THE RED BULLETIN

JAMES LOOKER

ack in 1970, a small island in the south of England hosted the then-biggest music festival in the world. More than 600,000 hippies made the pilgrimage to the Isle of Wight Festival to witness icons such as Jimi Hendrix and The Doors on stage. The rush of visitors brought the island to a standstill, and a ban was placed on such large gatherings that lasted more than 30 years. When it was eventually lifted in 2001, John Giddings decided to revive the legendary event. Despite being one of the world’s most successful tour promoters, with a client list that includes Madonna, The Rolling Stones and U2, the 63-year-old Brit had no idea what he’d got himself into.

Is optimism the secret of your success? I like to think it’s passion and a love of risks. I learned my craft in the mid 1970s, in the years of the punk movement, where most of the groups just got up on stage and played. They had no talent, but loads of enthusiasm. As their manager, I had no idea what I was doing either. I still think I know nothing. But you’ve worked with the biggest names in pop history. The minute you think you know everything, you’re in serious trouble. You must learn something new every day. The good thing about the music business is it keeps you on your toes. There’s always

John Giddings loves a challenge: “Whenever somebody says, ‘We have a problem’, I say, ‘great!’”

Fredd Londo単o, 34, followed his passion and swapped fashion for fitness

“I’VE ALWAYS HATED SUITS” FREDD LONDOÑO After 10 years of working

as a model, it was martial arts that made the Venezuelan feel alive again

RUBEN MARQUEZ, VIOLENCE MANON/DALLE APRF/PICTUREDESK.COM

rowing up, Fredd Londoño was known as the handsome blonde boy in his Venezuelan neighbourhood, which was enough for bullies to single him out. He turned to martial arts so he could defend himself from frequent punches to the face, which turned out to be a wise move: it was that same face that took him around the world as model for 10 years. But Londoño’s martial arts training never left him. After years of wearing clothes for a living, he decided to ditch the suits and open a fitness club called El Barrio (The Neighbourhood) in Mexico City. These days the only suit that matters to him is his keikogi. the red bulletin: You’ve walked a pretty interesting path to get where you are… fredd londoño: Yes. I was raised in the city of Maracay in Venezuela. I left home at 17 and, after a few ups and downs, I met someone who offered me work as a model. I was studying civil engineering at the time, but they offered me a threemonth contract in South Beach, Miami. I had to avoid injuring myself, so it meant I took a break from sports. So how did you go from modelling in Miami to owning a gym in Mexico? After modelling, acting would have been the natural career progression, but I just didn’t feel comfortable with it. I looked back on what I had THE RED BULLETIN

done in my life and thought of jiu-jitsu and martial arts. I wasn’t into having a camera in my face any more – I felt more at home in a keikogi, on a tatami mat. I think people should do things that they’re passionate about, so it doesn’t feel like hard work. That was when I made the decision: it’s about what I want to be and what I feel comfortable doing. How do you feel when you put on your keikogi? It feels like home! It’s hard to explain. Lots of people like wearing tailor-made suits, but for me it’s the opposite – I’ve always known I wasn’t into that. For me, the keikogi feels like being at peace. How does your gym help other people to share that feeling? A neighbourhood is about developing ties and feeling secure. We try to avoid pigeonholing ourselves, but the thing I like most about El Barrio is that it takes people out of their comfort zones. What’s the secret to embracing change? You can’t change on your own. The first rule is to be yourself. We don’t want anyone coming here with airs and graces. There are no stereotypes. Become part of the gang, be accepted by the gang. Once you have likeminded people around you, changing your life is easier. That’s why I wanted to set this place up: there’s boxing, a tatami mat, crossfit and I share it all with my friends, with my gang. Rocio Estrada barriocrossfit.com

Jack Garratt, 24, multi-instrumentalist: “Trying to please others will never satisfy you”

“FORGET WHAT PEOPLE SAY” JACK GARRATT The Brit is the pop world’s

newcomer of the year, but approval is something he’s taught himself not to crave

the red bulletin: You won the Critics’ Choice category at the BRIT Awards and the BBC’s Sound Poll of 2016. Is it true that you planned your breakthrough five years ago? jack garratt: I had an album that was all recorded and ready to go. But I decided to scrap it, because I’d written the songs for the wrong reasons. Not for myself, but to impress other people. What’s wrong with impressing other people? I felt insecure at that point and relied a lot on opinions and approval. But I wasn’t proud of any of those songs. Craving recognition is a bit like drug addiction. How did you free yourself from it? You change where you find that drug. Instead, I wrote music so that I could get that appreciation from myself. Forget what people say. Trying to please others will never satisfy you. Ever since I realised that, I haven’t released a song I’m not proud of. To me, that’s the most important thing. Florian Obkircher Phase is out now: jackgarratt.com

EH EUR ORE SO Thomas Müller, Zlatan Ibrahimovic´, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have all made their mark on European football – and not only with their ball skills. On the eve of Euro 2016, we profile the four players and their journey to the top

Words: Juan Moreno As a regular sports contributor for Germany’s leading news magazine, Der Spiegel, Moreno has interviewed almost every top footballer in Europe

Cristiano Ronaldo

Zlatan Ibrahimovic´

Gareth Bale

GETTY IMAGES (3), PRESSEFOTO BAADER

Thomas Müller

BALE They can say what they like. Have faith in your strengths

G “Bale earned the unenviable record of being the first player in Britain to suffer 24 defeats in a row. But he didn’t panic”

areth Bale showed in just one match why a team would spend €100 million on a footballer, and why then Inter boss Rafa Benitez, later his coach at Real Madrid, said the Welshman could become the best player in the world. It was a Champions League group-stage game in 2010, and a 21-year-old Bale was playing up front for title outsiders Tottenham Hotspur against Inter. At the time, the Italians had the best defence in club football, with a back line that featured Brazilian international Maicon. But the man who many considered the world’s number one right-back was shown up by Bale, who outran him spectacularly as chants of “Taxi for Maicon!” rang out. Bale can achieve sprint speeds of up to 34.7kph; no other world-class player is as quick. Then there’s his fantastic shooting technique, his great ability with free kicks, his eye for what his teammates are doing, and a quality you wouldn’t notice in Bale at first: he can get stuck in better than almost anyone else in the game. He may come across as unsure of himself, but in truth he’s the exact opposite. Bale, now 26, didn’t have an easy time of things in the English Premier League. He’s not the type of player that British fans take to their hearts: not a terrier like John Terry, or a maverick like Paul Gascoigne. He initially came across as a bit sensitive, both mentally and physically. The plastic surgery he underwent to correct his stickyout ears, and his shyness in interviews, did nothing to change his reputation. But, beneath the surface, Bale knew exactly what he was: a born athlete and

winner, having taken every trophy he competed for as a child – for sprinting, long-distance running, rugby, football. The self-confidence he built up during his youth has formed the cornerstone of his current career – and he has seriously needed it over the years. Spurs bought Bale from Southampton in 2007. But the prodigious talent promptly suffered damage to his ankle and endured two injury-prone years. When he did get match time, he earned himself the unenviable record of being the first player in Britain to suffer 24 defeats in a row. Bale’s career seemed to be at an end. But he didn’t panic. Some saw a young lad with a quick pair of legs but whose best years were behind him. Bale knew better; he was one of the few players who could run defenders ragged, who could keep running at them until they couldn’t stop him. He knew his time would come. Just over a year after that low point, Bale was voted the PFA Player Of The Year. His sale to Real Madrid for around €100 million in 2013 was the extreme, yet somehow logical, conclusion. But Bale didn’t have an easy start in Spain, either. He wasn’t playing as centrally as he had in England, and he wasn’t given free-kick duties. After one indifferent season followed by another, the transfer rumours began to circulate. Bale didn’t comment. And he’s currently having an incredible season. He’s overrunning the back lines, scoring goals, setting them up. He is seen as Ronaldo’s legitimate successor. Gareth Bale has retained his cool despite brutal treatment from the press in both England and Spain, who branded him weak and overrated. For him, it’s enough to know they were wrong. With this mindset, he has survived tough times to build himself a world-class career.

I B R A H IM OV IĆ Convert anger into will. And convert will into success

“He’s living every B-movie director’s favourite plot, fighting his way from the bottom to the very top”

GETTY IMAGES (2)

latan Ibrahimović is a megastar in Paris, the best footballer to come out of Sweden, and a talented bike thief. You can bring up his shady childhood at your leisure; he’s not ashamed. Ibrahimović says it made him who he is. And he’s right: you can’t understand the man without looking at his background. Ibrahimović grew up the child of divorced parents – an alcoholic Bosnian father and an overworked cleaning lady mother from Croatia – in one of the worst areas of Malmö. Many of his childhood friends were – and still are – in trouble with the police. To this day, one of his former teachers believes Ibrahimović only came to school because lunch was free, not because he intended to learn.

If life is a race, Ibrahimović had to start from the changing rooms. During his early years, he stood out most on the sports field for behaving like a blockhead and stealing bikes after the game. Ibrahimović was offended every time he didn’t get the ball. He was selfish. He was quick to react to any kind of provocation. Here was a boy who life hadn’t treated kindly, and as a result he seemed intent on ruining everything. Malmö FF was his first professional port of call. When he made his debut in 1999, Ibrahimović was almost 18 and technically good for someone standing 6ft 5in tall, but he was thin, skinny even. It isn’t easy to say when he decided to completely turn his life around. Maybe it was the moment he finally got a fair crack at something. In the senior squad, no one cares whether your mum and dad loved you or not; the only thing that matters is your performance. The

effect this can have on a person experiencing it for the first time shouldn’t be underestimated. Malmö FF changed everything. His team captain at the time, Hasse Mattisson, describes Ibrahimović’s transformation better than anyone: “At first it was anger. Then it was will.” Ibrahimović is living every B-movie director’s favourite plot, fighting his way from the very bottom to the very top. He’s been a league-winner in all but two football seasons since 2002-2003, with Juventus (though their two titles were later revoked as a result of the Italian football scandal), Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain. Money scores goals, you say? Maybe. But Ibrahimović wins titles. Today, aged 34, the Swede bears little resemblance on the pitch to the player of yore. His deserved reputation as a hothead is no longer applicable; in the first 31 league games of the current season, he has scored 27 goals. And as for yellow cards? Just the one. Zlatan Ibrahimović is one of the most determined and effective players in world football. There are no unnecessary tricks, no dummies. His game is all about dynamism, strength and focusing on what counts: the goal. He has battled his way up from the changing rooms, and he isn’t ready to give up his place any time soon. By channelling the anger of the disadvantaged, Ibrahimović has become great and earned his biggest advantage: the will to win. 51

SKILLS, GOALS, LIKES: THE STARS IN NUMBERS THOMAS

MÜLLER The Bayern Munich star was already making football history aged just 20. His greatest strength: instinct – and an eye for even the tiniest gap in defence

77 Pace

84 Shooting

Physique

Passing

46 Defensive skills

79 Dribbling

With five goals at the tournament in South Africa in 2010, Müller, then 20, became Germany’s youngest-ever top goal scorer at the World Cup, ahead of Gerd Müller and Miroslav Klose

70 50 1 Müller’s market value (€70 million) is of purely academic interest; in 2015, Bayern Munich said he was “not for sale”

At 26, he was the youngest player to record 50 Champions League wins

Müller only needs to win the Euros to complete his collection of international trophies

CRISTIANO

RO N A L DO The Real star dribbles and shoots like no one else, breaking records by the bucketload. Some hate him, but many more love him, as proved by his 200 million followers on social media

90 Shooting

Physique

Passing

48 Defensive skills

91 Dribbling

He’s the first Real player to have broken the 350-goal mark. As a professional player, he has scored a goal in every possible minute of a 90-minute match

78 110 9 His 78cm leaps to head the ball are higher than those of your average NBA player

The number in millions of likes on his Facebook page: no one on the site is more popular

He has been selected nine times for FIFA’s World Eleven. Messi shares the record

GETTY IMAGES (3), PICTUREDESK.COM

93 Pace

Z L ATA N

I B R A H I M OV I Ć The 34-year-old Swede, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, is the quintessential centre-forward: tough and artful, he has a powerful shot and can slot perfectly into any team

73 Pace

91 Shooting

Physique

Passing

31 Defensive skills

86 Dribbling

Like Ronaldo, he has scored a goal in every possible minute. He’s the Swedish national team’s most prolific scorer, with more than 60 goals. Statistically, he scores in every second international

10 30

Unmatched: ‘Ibra’ has scored for six different clubs in the Champions League

The 6ft 5in giant has been voted his country’s Footballer Of The Year 10 times. That’s a world record

But who needs stats? Ibra’s famous bicycle-kick goal from 30 yards against England in 2012 says more than a thousand numbers

GARETH

BA LE PERFORMANCE DATA IN DIAGRAMS FROM EA SPORTS’ FIFA 16

Few players are quicker on the ball, and there has never been a more expensive footballer. Wales are pinning their hopes on the 26-year-old Real superstar at the European Championships

94 Pace

83 Shooting

Physique

Passing

63 Defensive skills

84 Dribbling

Bale is the quickest world-class player in football – measured at 34.7kph – and his €100 million price tag made him the game’s most expensive signing

17 43 370 He was the youngestever player to score for Wales, aged just 17 years and 35 days

His 43rd goal, scored in March, made him the most prolific Brit ever to play in La Liga

His weekly salary is about €370K – almost 11 times the annual UK average wage

RON A LDO

Make the best of yourself. Be consistent. Create quality from suffering

here are ambitious people. Then there are very ambitious people. And then there’s Cristiano Ronaldo. This man would never have been content just to be a world-class footballer, a Real Madrid icon, a global star. He wanted, as he put it, “to become a legend”. It was once revealed that when Ronaldo was dating supermodel Irina Shayk, the two of them would occasionally have swimming races. The footballer would swim like there was no tomorrow. “I always win in those games, because I don’t like to lose!” he said at the time. Not even to the woman he loved. Ronaldo isn’t only Real’s biggest star, he’s the team’s hardest worker. He practises his free-kick routine – five long steps backwards, legs apart in concentration 54

– on a daily basis. The same routine over and over again for years. Ronaldo is certainly a mould-breaking footballer, but, even more than that, he’s a mould-breaking professional. For him, sit-ups are a hobby. You’ll almost never see him in a restaurant in Madrid after 9pm; his special high-protein, low-carb diet leaves no room for flexibility. And Ronaldo never touches alcohol. The player’s 3,000m2 villa in north-west Madrid is home to state-of-the-art medical equipment, the sole purpose of which is to regenerate his muscles. In 2008, Ronaldo suffered an ankle injury. It would be six years before he suffered another injury that resulted in such a long absence from the pitch. In that time, he played a full schedule of around 70 matches a year. When today’s football fans tell their grandchildren about Ronaldo, their sons won’t believe them. Because Ronaldo

has the qualities of a Marvel-invented footballing superhero; when he hits a free kick, the ball accelerates three times faster than an Apollo rocket during take-off. When he dribbles the ball, it takes him less than a second to execute each of his 13 different tricks, stepovers and sidesteps, making him almost impossible to defend against. And when he leaps to head the ball, Ronaldo reaches heights greater than those of your average professional basketball player. A sponsor once took Ronaldo into a sports laboratory and crossed footballs to him in pitch blackness, telling him only how they would be delivered. He hit all of them. The Portuguese star has worked unimaginably hard to achieve all of this. He has been willing to dedicate his life to success with a level of fanaticism it’s hard to fathom. In the past, there were very talented players and then there were those who were less so. The latter had to work harder to make up for their shortcomings if they wanted to keep up with the geniuses. But that’s not how things have worked since Cristiano Ronaldo came along. Now we know what happens when a phenomenal talent is convinced that quality is born of suffering.

GETTY IMAGES, PICTUREDESK.COM

“He practises free kicks every day. It’s routine he’s had for years. For Ronaldo, sit-ups are a hobby“

MÜLLER Always be yourself. Even if that means people view you as crazy, unpredictable or old-fashioned

S “He’s never tried to fit in. Müller goes about football as if he were freeing hostages”

ometimes you want to kiss Thomas Müller’s feet, just because he’s so different and there really shouldn’t be someone like him at the top of the world game. He’s a hustler, a battler; someone who, when you watch him, makes you think to yourself, “Hey, that’s more or less how I play. Maybe I could do that!” Except, of course, you couldn’t. The 26year-old German came sixth in the voting for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or. He has won the World Cup and the Champions League, and has scored more than 80 goals in the last three seasons, duping the world’s best goalkeepers and defenders in the process. Müller is phenomenal, making him the player who Bayern Munich are presumably most reluctant to sell. When Pep Guardiola came to Bayern, he wondered what he should do with this Müller guy. He’s not brilliant technically, not all that convincing when dribbling, doesn’t have great explosive speed, and strategically isn’t right to play in midfield. Müller doesn’t play football, he works at football. Guardiola thinks highly of this quality too, of course, but it’s not the way the game is meant to look. Football, as Guardiola understands it, is a thoroughly choreographed game that should play out in a precise manner, yet should also always have something light, natural and poetic about it. Müller goes about football as if he were freeing hostages. Modern-day, top-flight football is researched like some rare animal. Wellpaid coaches examine every aspect of the game with huge teams of analysts. Their aim is to switch off the variables, to rule out the unpredictable.

This is where Müller presents a problem: he doesn’t fit into any system. The way he plays and the moves he makes seem chaotic and completely unpredictable. Müller’s thing is always being in the right place at the right time. That’s always. The greater the confusion in the penalty area, the greater the swarm of players and the greater the chaos, the more likely it is that at the end of it all, Müller will have scored a goal. If it only happened occasionally, we could talk about luck, but it happens all the time. This is why fans and journalists talk about Müller’s instinct. The term he favours is “space interpreter”. Whatever we call this ability Müller possesses, modern coaches don’t like it, because his play defies analysis. His goals just happen. They are inexplicable and unpredictable. Instinct has a bad name in current coaching circles because it means that those in charge of the players have to admit there’s something beyond their control; a sort of magic that’s more powerful than any analysis of the game or any scientific coaching statistic, from lactate to heart-rate variability. Müller has never tried to be any different, and that marks him out from all the others. He has never tried to fit in, to play differently, be less eccentric. At some point, the footballer himself realised that only a non-optimised Müller would make it into the big time – the Müller he was in the youth team. Sometimes you’ve just got to do what you think is right, even when everyone around you – the best football coaches on the planet, all the training staff at your record-breaking German club – and also common sense demands the exact opposite. Thomas Müller did it his way, and for that we should kiss his feet.

LONE WOLF WORDS: ALEX HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREAS KOCK 56

Bikini top & OTHER STORIES Bikini bottom BIKINI LAB

STUNTWOMAN, ACTRESS AND MODEL GEMITA SAMARRA HAS GONE FROM THE OCEAN’S DEPTHS TO THE EDGES OF HOLLYWOOD, WITH A FIERCELY INDEPENDENT STREAK AND AN INTIMIDATING FOUR-LEGGED CREATURE AS COMPANIONS. JUST TRY TO KEEP UP

odels don’t usually turn up to photoshoots brandishing knives. But Gemita Samarra is packing. Though the knife she’s brought on set today is a prop, a Bond girl-like nod to her lead stunt role in last year’s Spectre, it’s the real deal. Just like Samarra herself. She uses it for emergencies during freedives, one of the many skills she’s picked up for fun and that have now added several slashes to her job description: model/stuntwoman/ actress/adventurer… Between takes, the knife lies sheathed on the dining table as Samarra bounds around the set, a Vitamin Volcano smoothie in hand, talking fast and exuding energy. Samarra is a multitasker, as happy modelling for a magazine photoshoot one day as acting out a complex fight scene the next, or scaling cliffs and exploring underwater worlds. Thanks to her authentic thirst for the new, she’s managed to avoid the usual distinction between work and leisure: she just does what she loves. It’s hard not to find yourself a little captivated by Samarra, as much for this intrepid attitude towards life as her filmstar looks. Seemingly not tethered by the usually practical constraints that govern 58

the rest of us, there’s something wild about Samarra, maybe even a little feral. Perhaps it’s a consequence of having a wolf for a best friend. Today is a rare day that Lupa – a wolf and German Shepherd cross, bred by Czech special forces for use in combat – isn’t at Samarra’s side. “I take her where I can,” she says. That that doesn’t include photoshoots is a relief to the crew. A pet wolf is far from the most intriguing thing about the Bristol-born, half-Spanish, half-South African 22-year-old. All on her own she cuts an improbable figure. Few fashion models swap heels for knives and rise to the heady heights of Hollywood stunt acting. Fewer still become Bond girls. Game of Thrones has come calling (you’ll see her in the latest season), and other parts await. For Samarra, it’s a journey over which she’s always had complete control, not because any of it was part of a strict career plan. Instead, it’s been her many and varied passions that have dictated her every move. Adventure comes first. Work can wait. “My parents were in the circus,” says Samarra, who grew up in England and around Europe. Her mother was one of those death-defying trapeze artists you never meet in person, who travel the world performing in Cirque du Soleil-style productions. So no prizes for guessing where the initial inspiration came from. “We were an active family,” says Samarra, who now lives in London. “It was never pushy, but my parents encouraged my athletic side.” The stunt world isn’t one that’s usually easy to enter by accident. Custom dictates that you master six disciplines before you’re let into the fold. It just so happened that the activities giving a young Samarra her kicks – the circus-inspired discipline of horse riding and also swimming – are on the list. And Samarra was no half-hearted hobbyist: she had become a show jumper competing around Europe and a synchronised swimmer who almost made the Olympics. The first step was being spotted and then signed up to a modelling agency, where Samarra’s ease in the water was quickly put to use. “It was a niche I’d created for myself by accident, thanks to a love of water,” she says. “If I could I’d live underwater. It’s why I learned to freedive. So when a job came up that involved someone holding their breath in a pool for a long time, I got the call.” Samarra’s amphibious background is clear at today’s London shoot. She dives underwater again and again, tirelessly. The only person out of breath is the photographer’s assistant as he

Goggles SPEEDO

“I KNOW WHO I AM. I DON’T TAKE WELL TO PEOPLE TRYING TO CHANGE ME”

Bikini top N.L.P; Bikini bottom with braces NICHOLE DE CARLE

“IT WAS A NICHE I’D CREATED BY ACCIDENT. IF I COULD, I’D LIVE UNDERWATER”

STYLIST Sara Dunn HAIR & MAKEUP Desmond Grundy

“IT’S NOT THAT I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE. I JUST DON’T LIKE THEM AS MUCH AS ANIMALS” nervously holds on to the lighting rig above the water. The vague risk of electrocution only seems to amuse her. It was Samarra’s insatiable appetite for new experiences and adventure that stopped her from being typecast as “the water girl”. “After a bunch of underwater jobs, I was like, ‘OK, this is my identity,’ ” she says. “But then a few jobs had me near the water’s edge. Then a bit on land. I went from fish to frog to… what lives out of the water that likes a swim? An otter!” Samarra acquires new skills for the love of it, learning jiu-jitsu, mastering surfing, becoming a competent climber, mountain biker, stunt driver… And all have played their part in her unique approach to career building: do everything to please yourself. “My logic was always if you can make money from doing the things you love, you won’t feel like you’re working,” she says. “I was speaking to the stunt co-ordinator on that first underwater modelling job and he was like, ‘Hey, why don’t you get into stunts?’ And that was that. Now I don’t feel like I’m working, ever.” It certainly beats walking a well-trodden path you’re not sure you want to be on, an all too common situation in modern times. “I could never be one of those people,” she says. “If someone says, ‘I’m stuck in a job I hate, but I can’t leave,’ I’m like, why not? People create these boundaries for themselves and live within them. You’re only stuck inside your own mind.”

Bomber jacket UNIQLO CARINE ROITFELD

amarra makes it sound so simple. And for her, it is. As far as boundaries go, she has few. Since leaving school at 16, she’s roamed alone, from Europe to the US, embracing the unconventional and the nomadic. “There was the farm in Holland,” she reminisces. “That was nice. Cosy. Recently I’ve been living in LA. Then there was the tent in the British countryside. I lived there for a while. It was cold, but I had a sweet set-up.” She scrolls through pictures on her phone, showing a gigantic tent in the middle of a forest, accompanied, of course, by her wolf. “I love being on my own,” she says. “It’s not that I don’t like people. I just don’t like them as much as animals. And I’m totally at peace in my own company. Some people struggle with that, like they’re terrified of themselves. Not me.” Samarra’s roguish attitude means anything that gets in her way – obstacles, habits, even people – is quickly removed. “I’m proactive in that way,” she says. “I can’t put up with sh-t. If something isn’t happening, not working, you’ve got to do something, you’ve got to change. It’s gone. Friends, boyfriends – if anything hinders my progress, gone. I know who I am. I don’t take well to people trying to change me.” So don’t get in her way and you’ll be just fine. But Samarra isn’t cold-hearted. She’s funny and self-effacing. The network of people she’s built around her suggests she’s not quite as averse to humans as she makes out, either. She does have some friends other than the four-legged, four-inch-teeth kind. Somewhat THE RED BULLETIN

surprisingly, wrestler turned actor and definite human being Dave Bautista, whom she met on set, is among her closest. That set was James Bond. After a mixture of stunt and extra roles in Ron Howard’s Rush, Fast & Furious 6 and a smattering of TV work, Samarra was cast as the double for Bond girl Léa Seydoux in Spectre, to whom she bears a genuine resemblance. For a stunt actor, getting blown up and rolling around in a James Bond romp is the highest marker of success. And she’d reached it at 22. “Growing up, shovelling horse sh-t and working on farms to get to the top of my game in show jumping, not once in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be wrapped around Daniel [Craig] jumping off a balcony or running around the Sahara desert with him,” she says. “I’ll never forget that.” Despite Samarra’s ability to exude calm confidence, things for her are rarely easy. On Bond alone, she blacked out (during a driving scene), had a table kicked into her face by Bautista (some friend), did some interesting things in a helicopter above Morocco and generally pushed her limits during her version of a nine-to-five job. But then, if your occupation reads stunt double, you’re kind of asking for it. And, aside from a recent job in which she was “nearly catapulted to my death in a rickshaw”, most stunts have been well-controlled and safe. Well, in terms relative to the job, at least: an average day as a stunt performer would be a nightmare day for anyone else. It takes a certain type of person to enjoy it. “I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to danger. I’m not stupid,” she says. “If something is just outrageous then I’ll push back. But I love adventure and taking risks.” That’s why you’re more likely to find Samarra cliff diving than clubbing come Friday night. “I’m not into that social scene – clubs, bars, getting drunk,” she says. “I don’t think I ever will be.” Her buzz comes from adrenalin. And it’s taking her places – some more unexpected than others. After working in Bond and Game of Thrones and appearing on red carpets, Samarra has sort of made it in China. “Large cheesy movement-lady movie,” Samarra splutters, laughing, giving an uncharacteristic glimpse of her youth. She’s reading from a recent interview conducted in San Francisco, later translated from English into Chinese and back again by someone seemingly without a grasp on either language. “You’re not usually a lady who can tumble over and not usually a lady who can get punched in a face,” she continues reading. “I’m perplexing to take on roles that aren’t usually attempt oriented.” That, believe it or not, is a translation of something quite significant. To translate more effectively, Samarra wants to bring her stunt skills and acting ability into films that aren’t action for action’s sake – rather thrillers, cerebral films, plot-driven films. She wants to be a proper actor with kickass tendencies. A thespian who might just put you in an arm bar. If her growing list of successes is anything to go by, she’s on the right track. More than anything, she wants to explore every opportunity. Brands like American Apparel and Ripcurl book her as a model. She’s working with directors like Tim Burton and could return for more Game of Thrones. She’s in talks with National Geographic to create documentaries on marine-life conservation (about which she’s a zealot, by the way). But she can’t let go of what makes her who she is: that unquenchable thirst for adventure. Now we’d best get out of her way. Follow her on Instagram @gemitasamarra

INTO THE

WILD

Rapid acclimatisation: British kayaker Joe Clarke gets used to the crashing waters of New Zealand

To find that extra edge, kayaker JOE CLARKE believes that you need to shake up your routine. Ahead of the Rio Olympics, the Staffordshire paddler took a huge leap out of his comfort zone – straight into the savage heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Words: Jamie Troughton Photography: Graeme Murray 65

“In a place like this, you have to be able to sort your own sh-t out. If something goes wrong, you’re on your own”

Clockwise: Clarke prepares to paddle; flying along the Whataroa river towards the Grand Finale rapids; Dawson rigs up the slalom gates

hen it rains in Whataroa, local farmers start building arks and high-country cattle grow gills. The heavens don’t merely open, they’re eviscerated against the sharp spine of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, torrents of water scouring deep grooves in the grey schist. Four days before kayaker Joe Clarke arrived on a 29-hour flight from London, the nearby township of Franz Josef had 130mm of rain in a few short hours. A 2m wall of water washed through the local Scenic Circle hotel and 180 people had to be evacuated. Rain is a part of life on the South Island’s West Coast, where more than 18m of precipitation can fall in a single year. Moist nor-west winds barrel in from the Tasman Sea, slam into the mountain range and drop everything they carry onto the narrow coastal plains. After the rains in Whataroa, bushmen and farmers alike break out pans and sluices and start sifting gravel. Alluvial gold abounds, ground out of the hills over

eons and stirred up by the floods. There’s gold in them thar hills, as the saying goes, and the banks of the Whataroa River have plenty of colour when the waters subside. Clarke is chasing more long-term lustre, however. Armed with a paddle, a canoe slalom boat and bucketloads of insect repellent to deter the sand fly squadrons, the 23-year-old is mining inspiration, which could see him pick up some precious metal on a podium in Rio de Janeiro later this year. Deep in the heart of a twisting canyon up the Whataroa River, amid the giant boils and boulders of the Grand Finale, the river’s last major rapid, Clarke and top New Zealand kayaker Mike Dawson are creating the world’s most extreme slalom course, something that no one else has ever attempted here. Lengths of twine cross the milkyblue, glacier-fed river, supporting slalom gates over the churning current. Merely running the massive rapids in short plastic creek boats wasn’t going to cut it; 67

instead, the pair unpack their 8kg carbonfibre slalom boats from a helicopter and drop them into a maelstrom. Despite this being Clarke’s first experience of what these wild New Zealand waters have to offer, he’s learning fast. “In a place like this, you have to be able to sort your own sh-t out,” he says. “You have to think about taking the right lines with rocks that you don’t normally have to consider on a slalom course, and we’re in the middle of this massive gorge, so if something goes wrong, you’re on your own. What we do here is different every single day: nothing on the river remains the same. And that teaches you a lot about focus in a way I don’t get at home.”

nlike Dawson, who was raised on a never-ending diet of floodfuelled creeks and waterfall drops, Clarke has spent his entire paddling career in slalom boats, competing almost exclusively on artificial courses. A canoe slalom course is usually 250m long, with between 18 and 25 gates to negotiate, either upstream or down, over pulsing water. It’s like trying to steer a rodeo bull over a 400m hurdles track. Clarke was an 11-year-old student at Walton Priory Middle School in Stone, Staffordshire, when the local canoe club went on a recruitment drive. The Stafford and Stone club, based on the gentle waters of the River Trent, wanted to find four males and four females to join, but Clarke had to rely on his penmanship in order to head off the 60-odd applicants for those spots. 68

He’d tried canoeing through the Scouts and loved it, and once he’d joined the club, quickly came under the guidance of coach Andy Neave, the father of 2012 canoe slalom Olympian Lizzie. Neave Snr began spoon-feeding his young charges the same training programmes as his daughter and by the time that Clarke entered his first competition, he was hooked. “From a pretty early age, I had a clear focus that I wanted to go to the Olympic Games,” he says, “and it was just a question of how I was going to go about it.” He flew through the various divisions and by 13, he’d become the youngest paddler to move into the premier ranks in England. Parents Shaun and Amanda began a familiar weekend trek, driving him an hour each way to the artificial course in Nottingham to train, and he’s never forgotten their sacrifice, or the support of older brother Luke. He broke into the Great Britain junior team as a 16-year-old and won gold in the Great Britain Open a year later. At 6ft tall and weighing 11st 9lbs, Clarke is muscular and strong, and has developed great reflexes. He’s able to steer his way around a slalom course with sheer power, Popeye-like forearms propelling him across the water. After missing out on the 2012 Olympics, Clarke knuckled down and got into some serious training at the Lee Valley course. He then went on to win silver at the junior world championships in 2013 and finished on the podium at world cup races in 2014.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;From an early age, I had a clear idea I wanted to go to the Olympics. It was just how I was going to go about itâ&#x20AC;?

“I’ll be going back to London happy, buzzed up and ready for training. I’m hoping in Rio, that will give me the edge”

Last year, he was the second-fastest qualifier at the world championships on home water – ironically behind Dawson – although the good friends both bombed their semi-final runs to miss the final. When he heads to Brazil in the second half of July, Clarke will have clocked hundreds of thousands of flying miles between Lee Valley and the purposebuilt Olympic Whitewater Stadium in the west of Rio de Janeiro. “I know with my A game, I could definitely make the final,” he says. “And once you’re in that final, anything can happen. The goal is to make that final and put myself in the mix. Then if I put down a run that I’m capable of doing, a medal will be on the cards.”

o why waste time in New Zealand? Why fly halfway across the world to train in the middle of nowhere, risking all to experience creek paddling for the first time at a picturesque gorge on unfamiliar waters? To answer that properly, you need to get inside the Zen-like head of Dawson, and understand the philosophy that he brings to the sport in his head-long pursuit of happiness. For the best part of a decade, Dawson has been an outlier in the slalom world; that crazy Kiwi who turns up to world cup races on a diet of heavy rapids and expedition paddling. The 29-year-old managed to fund his previous Olympic campaign – Rio will be his second games after finishing 15th in London – through a succession of extreme race wins in some of the biggest water on the planet. He’s been

chased by crocodiles in Angola and hippos in Uganda, broke his back in Chile and bombed waterfalls in Norway. While most of his rivals are fully funded athletes, Dawson has been selling his own cookbook to fund his trip to Rio. All of which injects a huge dose of pragmatism into his outlook. “That feeling you get on the startline of the Olympics is like someone’s choking you,” Dawson explains. “You’re so nervous. When you’re paddling down a wild river on the West Coast of New Zealand, there are no controllables. If you stuff up, it’s a life or death moment rather than just the crushing of a dream. This trip was about putting a slalom course in the most beautiful part of the world and training on it. We still have that fear, but we also wanted the rapids to simulate and emulate what we’re going to be facing in Rio.” Dawson is pretty certain no one has ever attempted to paddle a slalom boat anywhere near the fearsome West Coast rivers, though he and some buddies completed a full 20km descent of the Whataroa River several years back. The river has its origins at the Whymper Glacier, which sits 1,000m above sea level further up the valley, and explains the freezing water temperature that struggles to rise above 5°C throughout the year. “It’s pretty amazing for Joe to come and do something that he’s never done before, in a part of the world that’s so beautiful and different to what he’s used to. Doing the same sport somewhere totally different is a great motivator and refresher for his Olympic campaign. Sometimes you need to go back to your roots and just refresh your passion and get the fire burning again inside. You get a lot of energy from going to a place that’s so pure, in the mountains, in the middle of the South Island. There’s something there that motivates you and inspires you to get out there and dominate on the world stage.”

EDITOR

ILLUSTRATOR

setting sun paints brilliant hues in the Whataroa Hotel garden bar as the tired crew stumble in to celebrate the end of their successful project. Miraculously, the West Coast deluges have held off, and for two days Clarke and Dawson have spent priceless hours churning lactic acid, weaving in and out of the slalom gates, battered by the freezing current and standing waves. Clarke’s legs are battered too; endless portages upstream over the slippery, moss-covered rocks

have taken their toll. His knee aches and a large bruise grows on one shin. Weary grins tell their own story, however. Satisfaction is etched deep, while a string of colourful West Coast characters in the pub contribute to the festive mood. This is the Wild West after all, where more people own helicopters than have Instagram accounts. Rugged bushman Thommo, a fifthgeneration Coaster, treats them to a profanity-laden ditty, then Barry the farmer wanders over to chat in greasecovered overalls, long blond locks flowing down his back. Former Canterbury rugby prop Kevin ‘Boof’ Hill owns the local helicopter tour company, with son Josh – a current flanker for the West Coast provincial team – one of the pilots. Burly Boof also owns an eight-hectare gold claim near the mouth of the Whataroa River and quickly warms to the idea of a couple of Olympians venturing into his piece of paradise with their own dreams of gold. Free chopper flights are promised over a handle of beer, should Clarke and Dawson climb the Rio podium. Amid the towering mountains, the massive water, the larger-than-life locals and the gigantic glaciers, big dreams are also welcome in these parts, and Clarke knows the risk of ditching his usual training ground in favour of this southern odyssey has been well worth it. “Canoeing has taken me to places I never would have been before and I reckon that here I landed in one of the best places in the world,” says Clarke. “At home, concrete surrounds you everywhere and the tedium can hit when you’re doing the same thing every day. This is an incredible shock to the system; I’ll be going back to London happy and buzzed up, ready again for training. I’m hoping in Rio, that will give me the edge.” Head to redbulletin.com for behind-the-scenes footage of Clarke’s New Zealand adventure

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HOLIDAY SNAPPERS

AMOS PHOTOGRAPHY

Get up close and personal with one of nature’s most vicious predators Wild, free-roaming crocodiles are generally not a great selling point on a watersports trip. But on this scuba excursion, you serve yourself up as potential dinner in a wetsuit…

TRAVEL Dive during winter and the crocs might not fancy a bite

“We’re brought up bombarded by the concept that crocodiles are very vicious,” says wildlife photographer Amos Nachoum. “If you come close, they will immediately kill you.” It’s a fair reputation: two and a half million years of evolution have made the Nile crocodile one of nature’s most specialised predators, capable of taking down almost any prey – including a shark. You wouldn’t want to find yourself in the water with one. Unless, of course, you’d signed up for one of Nachoum’s diving tours. The itinerary, at a glance, resembles a regular dive excursion – six nights at a fully catered safari lodge, five days of dives in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, with all equipment supplied. But on this trip, there’s a medic. Plus photos of you on the riverbed, nose-to-snout with prehistory’s deadly masterpiece in its natural habitat – yes, without a cage. “Underwater, the croc is different,” explains Nachoum. “It’s peaceful. It almost seems harmless.” The same specialisation that makes the crocodile a master hunter has built in behavioural backdoors to its predatory instincts, which skilled divers have hacked into. In the sediment-rich waters of the Nile, the croc’s eyesight is relatively poor. Lurking on the riverbed, it scans the surface for silhouettes against the bright water – a wildebeest, zebra or careless diver. The trick is get out of the kill zone quickly – a tactic developed by photographer Graeme Duane when filming a documentary for National Geographic. “We found that if you jumped off the boat and screwed around splashing, they came to see if it was something they could eat,” says Duane. “Whereas if you sank straight to the bottom and engaged with

THE INSIDER

AND IF THINGS GO WRONG? POKE AT THE CROCODILE. DUANE’S COLLEAGUE RICHARD BOLTAR USED A SPEAR TO FEND OFF AN ATTACK. “AS LONG AS YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING BETWEEN YOU AND THE CROC, YOU’VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE,” HE SAYS.

Okavango,

BOTSWANA

Maun Feeling brave? Dive into your own crocodile tour at: biganimals.com

them there, it’s a very different ball game. They’re not sure what you are, and whether to be scared or aggressive.” Diving during winter opens up further opportunities. In the cooler months, male crocs’ testosterone levels drop, making them less territorial. With the water temperature around 16°C, their slowed metabolism makes them less inclined to feed and more concerned with conserving their energy. Simply put, they have to work out whether biting you is worth the effort. “When you lie next to the croc,” says Duane, “you can see it’s calculating, processing information. It wants to check you out – it actually engages with you. They’re not afraid of much, but they have a strong sense of self-preservation.” Crocodiles are terrestrial animals rather than true amphibians, which means they can’t eat under the surface without swallowing large amounts of water and drowning, but that doesn’t mean they’re defenceless. Which is why Nachoum is picky about who he takes along. The expedition is only open to divers with at least 100 hours of dive experience, and excellent buoyancy control is essential. Fast-moving currents and a claustrophobic environment mean a wrong move could send you into a croc’s bite radius. Their jaws are studded with pits that act as pressure sensors. “You don’t want to wake up those sensors,” says Nachoum. “They can’t open their mouths straight upwards because of their thick neck, but if anything comes alongside, they’ll snap left or right.” Duane has first-hand experience of the risks. During one dive, he found himself trapped in an underwater cave with an aggressive croc. The 3m-long apex predator kicked up sediment with its tail, blinding him, then rammed straight into Duane’s solar plexus. ”Fortunately, it didn’t snap. It just winded me and took off in another direction,” he says. “Which was a stroke of luck.”

ANIMAL INSTINCT More chances to get close to nature Scale down Lack the nerve or dive hours for uncaged croc-diving? Go for the tinned variety, safely viewing the reptiles from a cage of reinforced steel at South Africa’s Cango Wildlife Ranch. cango.co.za

Ghost tour Hike the spectacular terrain of Hemis National Park in India, in search of the ‘Grey Ghost of the Himalayas’ – not a spook but the legendary snow leopard. apexexpeditions.com

Ape escape Help save orangutans and their natural habitat by staying among them as a volunteer on The Great Orangutan Project in the rainforests of Kubah National Park, Borneo. thegreatprojects.com

A peaceful moment between man and croc on the riverbed

THE RED BULLETIN

GRAEME DUANE (2), GETTY IMAGES (2)

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One day, robots will turn against their human masters, but for now you can command them to collect crumbs from beneath your feet, via your smartphone or smartwatch. neatorobotics.com

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INNOVATIONS: ROBOT ROCK

I can pull off some great air-guitar poses. Can I play the Kurv?

“People who have never played a guitar find the Kurv pretty easy to pick up. I taught some journalists Smoke On The Water in five seconds. They went away knowing how to play it in a way that sounded convincing.”

It looks like an air guitar, sounds like a real guitar, but is neither. Please bang your head to a new evolution in music – the Kurv THE IDEAS MAN Mick Grierson, 42 “The fingerboard has a pressuresensitive pad and motion sensors. Move your hand for expressive musical gestures”

In 2013, Grierson – a professor at Goldsmiths, University of London – had the idea for a “tangible interface” that would make music through a pressuresensitive glove. In collaboration with UK entrepreneur Suran Goonatilake, who suggested the device should look like a guitar, the first prototype was built in just a weekend. Now, thanks to Kickstarter, the Kurv will be available to buy from September. kurvguitar.com

So it’s a guitar minus the actual guitar?

“It’s inspired by and sounds like one, and you can use skills you’ve learnt from playing a guitar. But inside it are sensors that understand how you’re using your hands – like the way your fingers are stroking the instrument, and the emotions you’re showing with the tightness of your grip. Things you can’t pick up with an ordinary guitar.”

Wait! It’s a sentient musical instrument? “Machines are getting better at understanding human activity. Say I make a Pete Townshend windmill with the pick. It recognises what I’m doing and makes the sound of a Pete Townshend windmill. There are music systems using a Wiimote or iPhone, but they’re not intelligent. We’re closing the sci-fi gap.”

Can it invent new music?

“The pick is a bit bigger than a standard one. We’re making it smaller – for guitarists, it’s part of the guitar”

“We’re one of the first labs in the world to use this technique to generate music. You can feed drum breaks into our technology and ask the system to create an entirely new one. You know the ‘Amen break’ [the beat commonly used in jungle and drum and bass]? Train it on that one beat and it’ll produce it perfectly. Train it on a thousand drum beats and it will produce a new one that sounds exactly like the music that you were listening to.”

So Kurv will eventually make musicians obsolete?

“It’s not about replacing people. We want people to make the art, and the Kurv to assist them. When you say, ‘Give us something that’s a bit like this,’ the information from the Kurv goes to your smartphone and, as long as people don’t mind, it can be shared with us. So we can learn about how people play the guitar and train the system to make sounds based on the way people move. You’re able to create a massive crowd-sourced dictionary of gestures.”

“That’s fascinating, but I’m also interested in people playing together in the same garage making entirely new music with sensors. The Kurv can help with that. For me, the Kurv is a social thing, not just personal.”

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MARK THOMAS

What’s next? Cyborg bands playing invisible instruments to virtual-reality crowds?

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GEAR

WATCHES

Edited by Gisbert L Brunner

CHILD’S PLAY

Hublot Big Bang MECA-10

There’s one aspect in which quartz watches will never trump their mechanical counterparts: engineering. The craftsmanship and beauty of an analogue timepiece’s movement, rather than its ability to tell the time accurately, is what makes it so desirable. And expensive. With the Big Bang MECA-10, Hublot takes this philosophy and rubs it in with an internal mechanism inspired by children’s construction toy Meccano. Visible screws flaunt themselves on the bezel, while its 223 clockwork components can be seen through the 45mm face and transparent backplate. The ‘All-Black’ edition celebrates 10 years of Hublot building watches that break design tradition – here, it’s the view that it’s difficult to check the time on a black watch with black hands on a black dial. What’s very un-Meccano-like are the materials used: micro-blasted grey titanium for the regular model, and polished black ceramic for this edition, which is limited to 500 units. Kids’ toys were never built this well. hublot.com

The manual-wind movement has a power reserve of 10 days, which it makes a big deal of updating you on. A ratchet below the 12 and a circular-saw-like cog above the 6 both denote how many days are left before you need to wind the chunky gear-like crown. An indicator near the 3 turns red when winding is imminently required.

CONSTRUCTOR’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Masterfully made mechanical watches worthy of a podium finish

Frédérique Constant Slimline Perpetual Calendar

Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Automatic

This watch’s calendar is leap years ahead, with inset buttons to adjust everything from weekday to moon phase. It factors in different-length months, including leap years, requiring no readjustment until March 1, 2100. frederiqueconstant.com

Where some crave complexity in their watch movements, this German watchmaker opts for simplicity, eliminating components susceptible to wear and tear. Its self-winder ticks for 100 hours. glashuette-original.com

Tudor Heritage Black Bay This bronze-cased Submariner-style submersible is water-resistant to 200m, ticks for 70 hours without winding, and is accurate enough to have earned itself a chronometer certificate. Rolex’s little brother is trusted by the French Navy to build its divers’ watches. tudorwatch.com

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WHEELS

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MOTOR MERCH

The Maserati Levante S does 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 264kph

The lure of automotive couture

AML cufflinks Want to own a (small) piece of a motoring classic? TMB Art Metal has created cufflinks fashioned from metal removed (during restoration) from Aston Martin’s Le Manswinning DBR1-2. tmbartmetal.com

URBAN WARRIOR

Maserati Levante: off-road thrills or school-run fun In the 20th century, ridicule would have greeted the idea of a sportscar maker designing a 4x4, but today none can ignore the vast potential market that desires a (notional) off-roader. Enter the Maserati Levante. Like many of its ilk, the Levante contains a good set of tools for off-roading, while giving every impression of being engineered to minimise their impact in the far more likely scenario of the car never going near anything more daunting than a puddle. For instance, air-sprung suspension with user-selectable ride levels will help the intrepid conquer the odd ploughed field – but one assumes the purpose is to drop the ride height to its

minimum on the road to get the best performance from the suspiciously sporting 50-50 weight distribution. There’s plenty of performance to tap here. The Levante comes with either a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo delivering either 350hp/430hp, or a 275hp 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The top-spec Levante S does 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 264kph. Inside, the Levante has the usual beautiful Maserati interior, featuring a panoramic electric sunroof and offering such delights as Ermenegildo Zegna silk. It would be a pity to spoil that with muddy boots – not that anyone is going to. maserati.com

Bentley Infinite Rush One might assume the smell of Bentley is that of old money with just a hint of 3-in-1 engine oil. However, the luxury car firm’s latest eau de toilette opts for something more spicy and fresh. bentley-fragrances.com

POWER TOOL

It’s big and it’s clever: the new BMW 7-series For those who want power and spaciousness without the pretence of exceptional performance, BMW’s new 7-series flagship, the M760Li xDrive V12, ticks all the boxes – except the one marked ‘easy-to-remember name’. Due to arrive later this year, the turbocharged 60-degree V12 produces 600hp and 800Nm of torque, propelling the heavy cruiser from 0-100kph in under four seconds. Rather than simply taking a 7-series

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and dropping in a very big engine, the new variant has been tweaked with modelspecific tuned suspension that will help it really get the most from all that power. Part of the M range, the M760Li xDrive V12 has the full array of M-technology, from the genuinely performance enhancing to the purely aesthetic, such as the M Performance steering wheel, illuminated V12 logo and M pedals. bmw.com

Ferrari collection The SS16 collection features outerwear and accessories for uomo e donna, riffing on a colour scheme keyed to Ferrari GT interiors, racing liveries and the Italian flag. store. ferrari.com

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CULTURE COMING ATTRACTIONS

Warcraft ’s orc chieftain Durotan: who are you calling ugly?

The best new releases and events to keep you entertained

FILM Green Room This modern spin on the ‘teens vs hillbillies’ horror genre has a punk band – including Star Trek’s Anton Yelchin and 28 Weeks Later’s Imogen Poots – trapped in a club full of psychos led by, of all people, Patrick Stewart. In cinemas from May 13. www.greenroom.film

THRONE OF GAMES

Warcraft: The Beginning brings the hit gaming franchise to the big screen. But can it break the game-to-movie curse? We weigh the evidence

The film’s director, Duncan Jones, is a huge Warcraft nerd… Jones was a fan of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, the 1994 real-time strategy game this film is based on. “We’re telling an origin story about when orcs first meet humans,” he told FilmInk in February. “But we’re working with [games publisher] Blizzard Entertainment to make sure we keep within the lines of the world they’ve built.” But he’s not a games snob… “There’s a huge fanbase for [Warcraft], but it’d be wrong to assume they’ll all turn up,” Jones told the BBC in November. “There needs to be a broader audience.” He has a point. At its peak in 2010, World Of Warcraft was the world’s biggest game, with more than 12 million subscribers. Today, it’s closer to (a still-impressive) five million. “I don’t think it’s necessarily what the source material is,” said Jones. “It’s about how you find the core that makes it worth caring about.” He has the right movie cred… Jones has shown he can make cool, geeky movies, having directed low-budget sci-fi hits Source Code and Moon (its sequel, Mute, is in the pipeline), and he also understands games. “I feel they’ve been sold short shrift in films so far,” he told The Guardian last year. “It’s my generation’s opportunity to right that wrong. I want to give people a sense of why so many play and care about the game.” His family has history in fantasy flicks… Jones is the son of the late, great David Bowie, who memorably played the Goblin King in the 1986 fantasy classic Labyrinth. “I was on the set when it was shot,” Jones told wegotthiscovered.com in 2011. “Part of my passion for filmmaking [came from] being on Jim Henson’s set and being able to experience what it was like to work on a project of that scale, creating worlds to tell one’s story.” Warcraft: The Beginning is in cinemas from June 3. legendary.com

GAME OVER Three reasons the Warcraft film has its work cut out Super Mario Bros (1993) This fiasco – with Bob Hoskins as Mario, John Leguizamo as Luigi and Dennis Hopper as Koopa – came out at the height of Super Nintendo mania, and was clearly directed by the only person in Hollywood who had never actually played the game.

Street Fighter (1994) Almost in the so-bad-it’s-good category, but not quite. JeanClaude Van Damme played hero Guile, Kylie Minogue was Cammy and Raúl Juliá was the villainous M Bison. The film even spawned its own videogame.

FILM Independence Day: Resurgence What this sequel to the 1996 movie lacks in Will Smith, it makes up for in renaissance-level Jeff Goldblum, as Earth uses retooled alien tech to repel an even bigger invasion. In cinemas from June 24. foxmovies.com

Doom (2005) To their credit, the filmmakers tried to appeal to Doom fans, adding a sequence shot in the first person, like the game. But even stars The Rock and Karl Urban couldn’t save this movie from shooting itself in the face.

MUSIC The Great Escape Europe’s biggest new-music event is back with a stellar line-up of bands you don’t know you love yet, in the seaside setting of Brighton. Adele once sang for 80 people in a coffee shop as part of the festival. Her successor may be on this year’s list. From May 19-21. greatescapefestival.com

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THE PLAYLIST THE LUMINEERS

STREAM AHEAD Drowning in choice as far as music-streaming services are concerned? We break down the pros and cons of the big three to help you out

In 2012, a young folk-rock band from Colorado named The Lumineers made a huge splash with their debut single, Ho Hey. Despite no major-label backing, the banjo-flavoured love anthem went on to sell more than four million copies in the US alone. A year later, their eponymous debut album reached No 2 in the Billboard chart. Co-founder and songwriter Jeremiah Fraites credits the band’s simplicity for their success: “Anyone who can play an instrument can play a Lumineers song.” To celebrate the release of second album Cleopatra, the 30-year-old lists five songs that have inspired him to keep things simple. thelumineers.com

The Felice Brothers

Bill Withers

The Big Surprise (from the album Yonder Is The Clock)

Lean On Me

“This band is a big inspiration to me as songwriter. That’s why we asked Simone Felice to produce our new album. This particular song, I just love it. They didn’t overproduce it, so it feels dangerous and vulnerable. The drum sounds are really inventive – they sound like random gunshots hitting a black canvas against the wall. I could listen to this a thousand times and never get tired of it.

“This song is so simple I could teach a three-year-old how to play it on the piano in a minute. But to come up with a melody that simple and unique – that’s real genius. It’s like with Italian food; each time I visit my wife’s family in Turin, I have some of the best meals in my life. The recipes are incredibly simple. It’s all about good ingredients, they say. With songs, it’s the same. It’s all about good, simple ideas.”

The Rolling Stones

Dr Dog

Sweet Virginia (from the album Exile On Main St)

The Truth

“Wes [Schultz, his bandmate] and I both love this song. What draws us to it most is the recording. It sounds like the band and some back-up singers were in a room, singing and screaming their hearts out. It doesn’t rely on Auto-Tune or the drums being corrected. Any wrong hit or wrong note was just left there, which makes it sound raw and direct. It’s a fantastic song that doesn’t hide behind anything.”

“This is a band I’ve been really inspired by. When I first heard their music, I thought they were an old band, but they’re our peers! They sound like The Beatles – very old and unpolished, but in a beautiful way. I fell in love with this song in particular, because when we were on tour with them they asked me to play acoustic guitar on it every night. They write so much cool music. They should be much bigger.”

Jon Brion Row (from the OST Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind ) “This one is a bit of an odd choice. It’s a two-minute instrumental from a film soundtrack, with just a guy playing the grand piano. But man, it floors me like nothing else. What I love about the piano is that it doesn’t allow for cheats; you just need to come up with cool stuff. This piece is a great example of that. It inspired me to record Patience – the last song on our new album – using the piano and nothing else.”

Spotify

THE GADGET Music Wrap M25

An alternative to earphones, this bendable band with Bluetooth speakers sits round your neck and creates a “personal sound field” – handy for listening to music on your cycle to work. Since your ears aren’t covered, you’re fully aware of your surroundings – and can hear your GPS – as you negotiate the traffic. www.musicwrap.co

PROS: Excellent social features – add friends, see their playlists, ping music to each other. Free if you’re prepared to put up with adverts between tracks. CONS: Stars including Taylor Swift have pulled their music from Spotify in protest at its royalty rates. USE IF you want to dip a toe into music streaming and explore its possibilities.

Apple Music PROS: The interface is clear and intuitive, as you might expect. The ‘For You’ system learns your tastes and suggests new music. CONS: The sound quality isn’t as high as that of its competitors. USE IF you’re an Apple user seeking a comfortable move into music streaming.

Tidal PROS: Exclusive content from the company’s investors (Jay Z, Daft Punk, Rihanna, Kanye West et al). Pay double the price and get CD-quality lossless content. CONS: The interface is tough to navigate. USE IF you’re an audiophile who loves being the first to hear new bestsellers.

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CAN ART

DIETMAR KAINRATH

Dietmar Kainrath’s pointed pen

F1 GRAND PRIX, MONTE CARLO, MAY 26-29

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MY LIFE IN GAMES: JESSE RAPCZAK

HOT SUMMER GAMES

The creative director of Ark: Survival Evolved reveals the games that inspired him to bring Tyrannosaurus taming to all our living rooms THE GAME I’D TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND: MARIO KART 64

If it was me and some survivors trying to get along, I think the fun of playing Mario Kart would aid our greater issue of being stranded. I loved that game – it’s kind of why we have split screen on Ark – we realised we missed sitting down with friends and family in the same room and playing a game together.

THE FIRST GAME I EVER PLAYED: RIVER RUN

I first played games on the Atari 2600, and I used to play River Run all day long, trying to get further and further down that darn river. I remember the first time I saw the NES, I felt like my parents tricked me because my friends had this awesome machine and I was still playing Atari games that we bought at sales! I was really behind the curve, but [when I got a NES], I remember going home and playing Super Mario Bros. for four hours and I was just blown away. So that was the start of my gaming on console.

THE GAMES THAT MOST INSPIRED ME: ZELDA, POKÉMON AND HALO

TOP TIP “When starting out, make multiple small houses with beds and supplies, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time you die! And tame a dinosaur as soon as you can...”

I’m inspired by many games. If I only had one influence, Ark would probably be a lot more focused! Classic adventures like The Legend of Zelda inspired us, and for the taming thing [you can tame dinosaurs in Ark], we’re thinking of Pokémon and how you might interact with your creatures. When it came to the first-person action, I’m really thinking about Halo shooters.

This is usually a quiet time for new releases, but not this year

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst A free-roaming futuristic city with a freerunning main character. Realistic physics make leaping from buildings, running up walls and zip-lining breathtakingly convincing. (PS4, Xbox One, Windows: May 24)

MY FAVOURITE GAME RIGHT NOW: RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER

Recently, I’ve spent a lot of time on Rise of the Tomb Raider because I really like the storytelling, and I think that they [Crystal Dynamics] did a great job with the environments and art. That game is really fun to look at.

MY LATEST GAME: ARK SURVIVAL EVOLVED

Ark is the game we’ve wanted to play since childhood. The dinosaurs were a big part of that. We wanted a game where we could throw in everything and just have a lot of fun with it, and that’s how we ended with a survival game that’s also action based. Ark: Survival Evolved is out on PS4, Xbox One and PC on June 2. playark.com

Assetto Corsa Forza and Gran Turismo may have a new rival when this critically acclaimed PC racing simulation arrives. It doesn’t have the extensive car or track lists of the others, but it drives brilliantly. (PS4, Xbox One: June 3)

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens The first Force Awakens game is not only based on the latest film, but features content which fills in the gap between Return of the Jedi and JJ Abrams’ blockbuster. (3DS: June 28)

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EVENTS SAVE THE DATE Some petrolpowered pleasures to add fuel to your month

June Nitro Circus

A$AP Rocky and A$AP Mob battled hard at Culture Clash 2014

June 17 Culture Clash Excel, London The biggest musical battle in the world is back: four stages, four music crews and one winner, judged by a crowd of 30,000 voting with their feet and lung power for the crew that’s killing it. In 2014, Rebel Sound (David Rodigan, Chase & Status and Shy FX) took the title, blowing away their competitors with the heaviest sound, the most exclusive tunes, the most on-point disses and take-no-prisoners presentation. Who will take the trophy home this year? redbull.com

Donington Park

St Patrick’s Hill, Cork

The UK’s hairiest outdoor moshpit, Download Festival, rears its banging head for yet another weekend of metal mayhem. Original headliners Iron Maiden take top billing with Black Sabbath and Rammstein on the respectfully renamed Lemmy Stage. downloadfestival.co.uk

Powered by nothing more than gravity, bravery and sheer audacity, the hand-built Red Bull Soapbox Racers will be hurling themselves down this ultra-steep Irish road. The thrill of their downhill dexterity is rivalled only by the wackiness of their designs. Previous years have seen rodeo clowns, corn cobs and Minions battling corners and the clock. redbullsoapboxrace.ie

It’s what this year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has been climbing towards – the summit of Aonach Mòr in the Scottish Highlands for the UK Downhill event. The action kicks off on the Saturday, when 250-odd riders will be whittled down to 80 male and 20 female competitors for Sunday’s big finals. Expect plenty of British high rankers in the mix, including Athertons Gee and Rachel – 2014 men’s and 2015 women’s champs, respectively. fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk

Hill thrills: Red Bull Soapbox Race

Want to see real road cars going bumper-tobumper this weekend without being stuck in the parking queue at your local Morrisons? Oulton Park in Cheshire is a far better option. btcc.net

June Goodwood Festival of Speed Motorsport’s summer garden party returns for four days of racing, culminating in the legendary hillclimb where classic cars compete against the latest F1 racers. goodwood.com

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May 29 Soap stars

Fort William

June Dunlop MSA British Touring Cars

June 10-12 Metal detected

June 4-5 Highland fling

Like Mad Max crossed with Cirque du Soleil, the stunt-filled extravaganza of freestyle motocross, BMX barnstorming and, occasionally, extreme wheelbarrowing kicks off its UK and Ireland tour at Sixways Stadium in Worcester. nitrocircus.com

THE SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR SUMMER THE BEST FESTIVALS LIVE. STARTING JUNE 2ND.

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Not just here for the ride: an Audi S1 from Mattias Ekström’s EKS team

FIA RALLYCROSS

Small, all-wheel-drive cars, going wheelto-wheel in arenas at Formula One speeds Or, to be more precise, it’s not so much wheel-to-wheel battles as door-to-door duels when five cars go hurtling round the 1km course in the early stages of the competition, increasing to six cars in each of the semi-finals and final. The course itself is a mix of tarmac and gravel, with small jumps plus one special feature: every driver has to complete a joker lap – a longer route – once per heat. It’s up to each driver to decide when. This guarantees excitement right to the finish for up to 70,000 spectators in the arena and countless more watching the live broadcast. The drivers are all masters of their art and come from every walk of motorsport life. There are WRC veterans such as Petter Solberg and Manfred Stohl, as well as drift kings you’ll know from YouTube – young specialists, mostly from Scandinavia – and, last but not least, DTM superstar Mattias Ekström, who isn’t only driving himself, but has a team on the starting grid, too. Ekström tells us more about it on the opposite page…

Demanding total concentration throughout, RX is excitement all the way

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2016 CALENDAR The World Rallycross Championship April 16-17

“IT’S ‘MAXIMUM ATTACK’”

MONTALEGRE Portugal

No doubt about it, two-time DTM champion Mattias Ekström, 37, loves rallycross So, how would you explain rallycross to a novice? It’s the same format as for the FIFA World Cup. First there are the group stages, then there are the semi-finals and the final. It’s just that our equipment is a car, and instead of playing on grass we have a mix of tarmac, earth, gravel and sometimes even mud. What challenges do you face as a driver? Rallycross is insanely intense compared with DTM. That begins right from the start and continues throughout, what with the different surfaces and the other crazy guys on the course you have to deal with. People are overtaking each other all the time. We use spotters: team members who tell you over the radio what the other drivers are planning to do. In rallycross, you can’t back off for a single

May 7-8

second – it’s “maximum attack” from start to finish. Hand on heart now, aren’t you scared of the 560hp? Lots of Swedes take snus [like snuff] or they smoke. Others drink or eat sweets. My guilty pleasure is adrenalin abuse. You can’t buy goosebumps. I love that RX cars are so powerful, and it improves my self-confidence knowing that I can tame such a car. Who will win this year? Eight to 10 of the drivers have a realistic chance, including Petter Solberg, Ken Block, the VW and Peugeot guys – and hopefully us, too. And almost anyone has a chance of winning an individual race. Everyone is incredibly close. That’s what makes rallycross so special for spectators. eksrx.com

‘Eki’: gravel and jumps instead of tarmac and kerbs

HOCKENHEIM Germany

May 14-15

METTET Belgium

May 28-29

LYDDEN HILL Great Britain

June 11-12

HELL

Norway

July 2-3

HÖLJES Sweden

August 6-7

TROIS-RIVIÈRES Canada

September 3-4

LOHÉAC France

September 17-18

BARCELONA Spain

October 1-2

AUDI S1 EKS RX QUATTRO A beast disguised as a small car

COCKPIT ENGINE Around 560hp and 800Nm of torque. That’s about four times more than the Audi A1 in your garage

Sequential six-speed gearbox with automatic start. Also power steering and a hydraulic handbrake

RIGA Latvia

October 15-16

AERODYNAMICS A carbon rear wing is permitted as long as it complies with rules on size. The Audi S1 EKS RX uses every millimetre

ESTERING Germany

BOOT There isn’t one. This is where the engine cooler is stored, well-protected from any collisions with other drivers

November 26-27

ROSÁRIO Argentina

fiaworldrallycross.com

The cars

EKS/MCKLEIN (2)

TYRES Every car has 17in Cooper tyres. To tune them, you adjust the air pressure

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PERFORMANCE

SUSPENSION

The acceleration is more impressive than the top speed of 200kph: 0-100 in 1.9 seconds

Each damper has two struts – a soft lower strut holds the stronger upper strut in position

BODYWORK Only the roof, windscreen and passenger door are original. The minimum weight is 1,300kg

The current title-holder is Petter Solberg in a Citroën DS3. Coming in close behind him in 2015 were young Swede Timmy Hansen (driving a Peugeot 208), his compatriot Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo) and Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud (Ford Fiesta ST). That’s another thing that sets RX apart: all five teams can win. One more reason why rallycross is so exciting.

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HOW TO

JUMP A ROOF GAP When watching Bond in a rooftop pursuit, perhaps you’ve fancied yourself his athletic equal. But would you know what to do? “If it’s a big gap, speed up,” says Ryan Doyle, 31, co-founder of the World Freerunning and Parkour Federation and two-time winner of the Red Bull Art Of Motion freerunning contest. And what is a “big gap”? If using a few other crucial techniques, starting with a good take-off, says Doyle, “An average person can clear more than 3m.” ryandoyle.co.uk

Start strong

“The edges of a roof will usually have a lip you can use as a little step up. Find one and it’s a bonus. Take off on your strongest leg, shooting energy straight up – a 45° angle is good for height and distance. Throw both arms in front of you to propel yourself as far forward as you can.”

Stay sharp

Land like a cat

“While in the air, focus solely on where and how you’re going to land. Pull your legs into a tuck to reduce wind resistance, then bring both feet together in front of you. Now move your arms out behind you. If you’ve got enough momentum to clear the gap, you’re going to land straight into a roll.”

“Doesn’t look like you’re going to make it? Stick both feet out in front of you and absorb the impact of hitting the wall by compressing your legs. Slide into a cat-grab – knees bent, balls of your feet on the wall, with your hands securely gripping the edge. Then climb up and continue the chase.”

Don’t tense up

“You can take a fairly hefty drop if you fall straight down and land on your feet – maybe 5m. More than that and you won’t escape injury. Try to relax, as you’ll mess yourself up if tense. Open right up so your body weight makes contact with the ground as late as possible, then collapse to the side. Create a basketball hoop with your arms to roll onto, catching the floor with your elbows, shoulders and upper body. The rest of your body needs to be as flat as possible along the ground to spread the rest of the impact.”

MARK THOMAS

“A roll spreads out the impact of landing across a larger surface area, so no one part of your body has to deal with the hit alone. Watch a cat use the balls of its feet like a springboard. You’re going to land the same way, so your ankles can drop and act as shock absorbers. There’s no weight put on your feet, because forward momentum has shifted your body weight already. Put down your hands and go into a roll. There’ll be no weight on your hands either, because you’re on your shoulders by that time. The impact is naturally dispersed.”

Have a Plan B

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RAFTING / HYDROSPEEDING / KAYAKING / HOT DOG SESSIONS / LIVE MUSIC / BAR & CAFÉ

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ENTERTAINMENT THESE STARS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD WILL MAKE THE UEFA EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FRANCE (JUNE 10 TO JULY 10) A MEDIA EVENT, EVEN IF YOU’RE WATCHING AT HOME SENNHEISER RS 195 For those considerate enough to keep the noise to themselves when watching TV, but uncompromising when it comes to sound quality. These wireless headphones have a 100m range and seven hearing profiles. sennheiser.com

KNOW-HOW BLUETOOTH Life today would be unthinkable without this industry gold standard for wireless data transfer between devices over a short distance, developed in the ’90s. THE RED BULLETIN

PHILIPS PICOPIX PPX 4935 For a European Championship big-screen experience in your living room, this 12 x 12cm projector beams HD videos (720p) of up to 381cm onto the wall. It’s easy to connect to other devices via USB, HDMI or 3.5mm audio output, and the battery’s good for two hours – enough for the 90 minutes of play, half-time, and the post-match analysis. philips.co.uk

SEE HISENSE XT910 Enjoy the stadium atmosphere even if you don’t have a ticket. This ultra-HD smart TV (4K) with its 65in curved display will win you over with its standout colour contrast. It also offers TV on demand, 3D cinema and other useful apps. hisense.co.uk

PANASONIC DMR-BST855 Don’t miss a single game. With this Blu-ray recorder, equipped with a 1TB hard drive and twin HD DVB-S tuners, you can record two HD channels at once. panasonic.com

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 8.0 Never miss a game while you’re on the road. This 8in Android tablet has a fast, octa-core processor, a precious metal case and Full HD display, meaning you’ll be able to analyse even the most end-toend game. consumer.huawei.com

LG 55EF950V

ACER H7550BD

This 55in OLED device has everything a modern TV needs: ultra-thin design (just 5cm thick), amazing colour (including perfect black), and no blurring. The seamless movements in 4K definition are impressive, as is the intuitive webOS 2.0 platform used to navigate the smart TV options. lg.com

This bright projector (3,000lm) achieves almost cinematic levels of quality, so you could start to charge for tickets to your screening. Films are shown in Full HD and a billion colours at up to 762cm. And you needn’t worry about the number of bulbs required to keep this experience so highend: they’re seriously efficient. They’re good for 6,000 hours in economy mode, or 4,000 football matches. acer.co.uk

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XBOX ONE The Xbox One combines entertainment and home cinema with the best apps, TV, films, music and sport in one device. With around 500 games alone to choose from, there’s absolutely no excuse for being bored when you have one of these in the house. xbox.com

PLAY

RAZER BLADE PRO As games get ever more complex, this laptop has risen to the challenge. The Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card, 16GB RAM and SSD + HDD hard drive make it a match for any new release. razerzone.com

EA SPORTS FIFA16 This classic football game for consoles and PCs has been a must-have for real fans since 1993. FIFA 16 allows you to play in more than 30 international leagues, including the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga. There are also 78 different stadiums to choose from – 50 of them real, 28 fictional – and a challenging career mode. New this year: women’s team mode. easports.com/uk/fifa

KNOW-HOW SONY PLAYSTATION 4 The PS4 console has set standards with sales of around 40 million to date. From October, players will be able to delve into virtual worlds with the PlayStation VR headset and experience a whole new dimension of gaming. playstation.com

SHARE PLAY Gaming is twice the fun with your friends. Thanks to Sony’s Share Play, your opponent doesn’t even need to own the selected game, wherever they and their PS4 are in the world. They can either watch, take over, or join in multiplayer mode.

4K ULTRAHD

4K UHD (ULTRA HIGH-DEFINITION) CXC MOTION PRO II RACER It’s hard not to love a fast car. For those who want – and can afford – a real racing sensation at home without the dirt and gravel, this high-tech simulator will not disappoint. cxcsimulations.com THE RED BULLETIN

Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) is so last year; increasing TV screen diagonals require a higher resolution. With a 65in 4K ultra-HD television (3840 x 2160 pixels), you’ll be up-to-date for at least the next decade.

HEAR BEATS PILL+ This Bluetooth speaker, though only 21cm long, produces stunningly good sound by dividing the high and low notes, with a battery that’s good for 12 hours. The Pill+ is practical, too – it will even charge your smartphone. beatsbydre.com

BOSE LIFESTYLE SOUNDTOUCH 535 This 5.1 home theatre set-up will capture the atmosphere of the stadium perfectly. The ADAPTiQ system adapts the sound to your surroundings. bose.co.uk

KNOW-HOW STREAMING

KLIPSCH REFERENCE ON-EAR These affordable, stable-level, powerful and dynamic headphones fit comfortably whatever music you’re listening to. The perfect partner for all iOS products. klipsch.co.uk

Audio data is continually transferred via a computer network as you stream, but not downloaded or saved. This gives you unlimited choice of over 100,000 online radio stations all over the world, ondemand services such as Napster and Spotify, and live concert broadcasts.

MULTIROOM With multiroom systems, you can listen to music on multiple speakers in different rooms via Wi-Fi. The main advantage is synchronised sound without the house getting tangled up in cables. An app works as the command centre to help you control and manage each room separately.

SONY PS-HX500 Long live the LP. Whether you’re one of the increasing number of music aficionados going back to vinyl, or a tech fan wanting to archive your favourite albums digitally to have them at your fingertips, this high-res turntable with audio-ripping capability is for you. sony.co.uk

BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND MOMENT A single touch of the wooden surface launches a wireless music system with a streaming service that adapts to your personal musical mood, thanks to its MoodWheel technology. bang-olufsen.com

SMEG 500

Admittedly you could get a real car for around the same price as this fridge, which looks like half a Fiat 500. But this stylish appliance means you’re all the more willing to go and get yourself another beer. The front of the car has headlights and indicators that light up, and the stainless steel cooler can hold eight large bottles and 12 cans. smeguk.com

ENJOY

WEBER SPIRIT PREMIUM E-330 GBS This gas barbecue will feed a whole team. And with three burners you can regulate separately, your meat will be cooked just right. weberbbq.co.uk

RÖSLE KETTLE GRILL NO.1 SPORT F50 This charcoal kettle grill, made of porcelain enamel-coated steel, has a 1,885cm2 surface and an easy-to-read lid thermometer. roesle.de

SONY XPERIA X

COLEMAN GRILL ROADTRIP LXE If there isn’t much room in the boot, this grill folds down to hand-luggage size. The 465g propane cylinder will give you an hour’s barbecuing. coleman.com THE RED BULLETIN

Snap every exciting moment on your smartphone. The smart, 23-megapixel camera of the Xperia X automatically tracks movement, and Smart Capture software means your photos are no longer shaky, no matter how excited you get. The 13MP frontfacing camera ensures your selfies come out just right, even if the light is bad. You can also transform the phone, with its chic metal case, into the perfect mini TV or PS4 controller. sonymobile.com

NESPRESSO PRODIGIO Hooked up, not hooked. Use Bluetooth smart software and the Nespresso app (for iOS and Android) to program your desired time, then, after an action-packed first half, your coffee will be waiting for you. nespresso.com

MAKES YOU FLY

After storms battered South America, 560 determined competitors set out to take on rain, mud and each other on the 2016 Dakar Rally. After leading his field, Qatari quad bike champion Mohamed Abu Issa got stuck in a mud hole on day five and was forced to retire. “Dakar was tough,” he says, “and full of surprises.” abuissa-racing.com

Quad rider Mohamed Abu Issa, 25, won’t be beaten by rainy terrain. He’s determined to take victory on the 2017 Dakar Rally

THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE RED BULLETIN IS OUT ON JUNE 14 ALSO WITH THE IRISH TIMES ON JUNE 13, AND WITH THE EVENING STANDARD ON JUNE 16 98

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MARCELO MARAGNI/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, JANUARY 2, 2016

“I’ll work harder and be back to win it”

HE A D & B RAIN PRO TECTION

360 TURBINE TECHNOLOGY: UP TO 30% REDUCTION OF HEAD IMPACT AT CONCUSSION LEVEL UP TO 40% REDUCTION OF ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION TO HEAD AND BRAIN

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FILIP POLC

Access All Areas.

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