43 minute read
Peak Obsession
Meet Ginge Fullen, the man who has climbed the highest peaks in more countries than anyone in history. You might question his sanity—but you won’t question his determination to reach the summit.
Words MARK JENKINS
Fullen, who has climbed to the highest point in 174 countries—more than anyone in history—is a man of extremes. Here he celebrates atop Scotland’s Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles—in a historic diving suit.
W
e sneak over the locked gate and into the forbidden zone. It is early morning but already the volcano before us is sliced in half by a vast white cloud, the summit swallowed. We haven’t been moving for more than five minutes when we spy a truck. We duck behind thornbushes and then creep along an embankment, trying to get a view. There are five men marching single file through the volcanic moonscape. They must be official—they had a key to get their truck through the gate. If we’re spotted, we will immediately be arrested.
“We need to circle around,” whispers Eamon “Ginge” Fullen, who has many years of evasion experience. Ginge is bald, built like a boxer and has a heavy Yorkshire accent. He was born in Nigeria, grew up in England and has been around the world dozens of times. He’s the only person I’ve ever met who has been arrested in more countries than I have.
We are inside the restricted zone on Montserrat, one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, a speck of land only 11 miles long and 7 miles wide. Surrounded by warm, emerald-blue seas, Montserrat is a 20-minute bush flight southwest from Antigua. One of Britain’s tiny territories left behind from its glory days of empire, Montserrat is the only Caribbean island with an active volcano.
Fullen and I have come to this obscure island to climb this illegal peak. It’s on one of his to-do lists: Climb the highest point in all of Britain’s 14 territories.
“I have to have a list of all my lists,” says Fullen.
By trade, Ginge Fullen is a clearance diver. He removes UXO—unexploded ordnance—from ocean depths around the world. It is a dangerous, difficult, physically demanding, high-paying job. The Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic, the Pacific—our warring planet’s seven seas are littered with mines and explosives.
Fullen joined the Royal Navy when he was 16, in 1984. Three years later, a passenger ship, the Herald of Free Enterprise, capsized in the English Channel. There were 459 passengers aboard and a crew of 80. A team of divers from the Royal Navy, including Fullen, was sent into the sinking ship to rescue trapped voyagers; 193 people would die. Fullen personally saved dozens of lives, for which he was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal “for exemplary acts of bravery.”
Fullen works underwater for half a year, then spends the other half hiking mountains. He has no sponsors; he pays for his expeditions with his hard-earned cash. There’s no Instagram, no website. He doesn’t even bring a phone on expeditions. Ginge Fullen is without doubt the world’s most unknown worldclass peak-bagger. According to Guinness World Records he is the first person to climb all the highest peaks in Europe, 47, and the fastest to climb all the highest peaks in Africa, 53 (with the division of Sudan, he’s going back for number 54), and has reached more country high points than any human ever. At present, Fullen has climbed the highest point in 174 countries. If you’re curious, there are 195 countries, total, on Earth.
“I have to have a list of all my lists,” says Fullen, who was photographed near his home in Scotland on June 17.
Instead of heading straight toward the steaming flanks of the live volcano, as we had originally intended, Fullen veers hard left in the opposite direction, down to the beach, to avoid arrest. As he expected, the surf has pushed up a sandbank we can move along without being seen. I note that there is enough dry driftwood to make a fire if we are forced to bivouac. We’re only carrying water, snacks and rain jackets but are committed to taking as many hours, or days, that the mission requires.
There was once an airport beneath our feet, but it was washed into the Atlantic when the Soufrière Hills, an active stratovolcano, exploded in 1995. The capital of Montserrat, Plymouth, on the western side of the island, was buried in mud and pyroclastic debris. At the time Montserrat had a population of 11,000, half of whom lived in Plymouth. The eruption destroyed two-thirds of the island, although Plymouth was successfully evacuated. (Remarkably, only 19 people died, all due to their insistence on not leaving their farms.) Today, Montserrat has around 4,000 residents, all of whom live on the northern, rainforest-covered end of the island. The entire southern half, charred black from the eruption, is strictly controlled and closed to the public.
Fullen and I hike swiftly along the beach for less than a mile before turning inland, passing up inside a wide, rubblefilled gully with 10-foot-high vertical walls. The gully was created by a lahar— a mudslide composed of pyroclastic materials, water and rocks—that poured off the erupting volcano. Lahars are immensely destructive, like rivers of concrete that crush everything in their path. Fullen knew about the lahar paths from his first reconnaissance of Montserrat three years earlier.
“I discovered that the western side of the volcano, where Plymouth used to be, is heavily patrolled,” says Ginge. “When I casually asked about the possibilities of climbing the volcano, I was informed that simply entering the prohibited zone would result in ‘a $1,000 fine, indefinite detention and eventual deportation.’”
That’s why we’re on the east side of the volcano, stealthily hiking up the lahar bed.
Montserrat was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493, and he named it after
Fullen has no sponsors, no IG, no website. He doesn’t even bring a phone on expeditions.
Fullen takes a GPS reading near the top of the Soufrière Hills, an active volcano that is the highest peak on Montserrat.
a Spanish monastery. Although there is archaeological evidence that indigenous peoples had been living in the Caribbean islands for at least 5,000 years, the island was uninhabited by the time Columbus arrived. It became a British colony in 1632 and by 1678 there were 1,000 African slaves on the island, sweating and dying to grow sugarcane. By 1810 there were 7,000 slaves on the island.
With the abolition of slavery in Britain in 1834 (30 years before the U.S. followed suit), the plantation system collapsed. Today, post-slavery, post-hurricanes, posteruption, Montserrat is a welfare state of the British government. A few English expats still live on the island, but the only industry is gravel mining (loaded onto ocean barges) and the occasional sunburned, scuba-diving tourists.
Partway up the volcano, we stash half our food and water below the stone base of a sugarcane windmill, the only human structure to have survived the eruption. Fullen marks the spot on his GPS and we continue up the volcano, me prodding my climbing companion, naturally reticent, to share his story.
In 1990 Fullen broke his neck playing rugby and was placed in a metal halo for months. For an athlete, the downtime was more excruciating than the pain. He had grown up on tales of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, so he decided he would climb Mount Elbrus, 18,510 feet, the highest peak in Europe. Which he did in 1992. He followed this by climbing the highest peaks in the Eastern European countries, discovering that he was preternaturally capable at this kind of mountaineering. That’s when he called Guinness World Records with a question: Had anyone climbed all the peaks in Europe?
“They said no,” says Fullen with a wide grin, “but thought it was a brilliant idea.”
That was the beginning of a 30-year quest to climb the highest peak in every country on Earth. He climbed Kilimanjaro that Christmas, while “sick as a dog, nosebleeds, vomiting. I don’t adjust to altitude. It happens on every mountain.” He climbed Denali in Alaska that spring, “sick as could be.”
In 1996 he attempted Everest and had a heart attack at 20,000 feet. “I always suffer at altitude, so at first I assumed it was AMS. But the chest pain became worse and worse. Soon it was almost impossible to breathe. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing me torso. The pain was so bad I thought me sternum would break.” In correspondence, Fullen later wrote: “I have never mentioned this before but probably my biggest fear of dying is being unable to breathe. Now you might think the choice of a career as a diver is not a clever one in that case … but a fear can keep you alive if you learn to use it.” At Everest base camp Fullen was given several doses of morphine, put on 100 percent oxygen and choppered out to the hospital in Kathmandu.
The year after his heart attack he proceeded to Shkhara, at 17,037 feet the highest mountain in Georgia, where he was immediately deported back to Moscow for no reason. On attempt No. 2, base camp was robbed by Chechen rebels. For attempt No. 3 he brought five days of food and summited after 11 days. Mount Ararat, 16,854 feet, the highest peak in Turkey, was off-limits, so he circled the mountain, bribed Kurdish rebels and summited. Unassuming but utterly undeterred, Fullen finished all of Europe’s high points in 1999, and then looked toward Africa.
“Guess it does take a wee bit of perseverance,” he says.
Peak-bagging is Fullen’s passion. But being a clearance diver—removing unexploded ordnance at sea—is his trade.
On his globe-trotting climbing adventures, Fullen has tangled with elephants, angry guard dogs, poisonous insects and a variety of venomous snakes.
We are stopped by a cul-de-sac of 20-foot-high spiked vegetation at the head of the lahar and must backtrack. We retrace our steps for half an hour, then hop over into an adjacent lahar and continue up the volcano. By noon we reach the narrow ridge that separates the east and west sides of the mountain. Unfortunately, we are now in full view of the observatory on the west side of the volcano. We move as swiftly as possible up a spine of crumbling lava, trying to hide behind teetering boulders of hardened lava. We are forced to pass through a bright yellow sulfuric gash on the northeast side of the stratovolcano. Gingerly stepping around the steaming suppurations, we test the bubbling surface with our trekking poles to make sure it is not hollow. After this delicate dance, we disappear beneath the lenticular cloud with relief, knowing we cannot be seen. The volcanic rubble is wet and unbelievably slippery. We slow our pace and Fullen continues his story.
He discovered and then made the first ascent of the highest peak in Uzbekistan and the highest peak in Bangladesh, but says “Africa is where me adventure really began.”
He moved to the continent in 2002 and spent the better part of the year traveling country to country. After days of negotiating to climb the highest peak in Gabon, he was stymied on the summit by a 20-foot-high boulder. “I tried hand jams, liebacking—nothing bloody worked.” So he went back down the mountain, carried up a dead tree and used it as a ladder to reach the tippy-top.
After buses and taxis and a private jeep, Fullen reached the Aïr plateau in Niger and climbed Idoukal-n-Taghès with a Tuareg guide named Macmodon, but in his private journal he describes at greater length the poverty of the country, being constantly surrounded by begging children and at one point giving his soda to a young girl. Some older boys immediately tried to wrench the drink from her and Fullen stepped in. “I briefly turned away and when I looked back she was sharing the 2 inches of Coke with several other smaller children, pouring it into their begging bowls. She saved the tiniest of mouthfuls for herself.”
It took Fullen three expeditions to finally climb Angola’s Mount Moco, 8,596 feet. On every attempt he had to carefully navigate through land mines, insurgents, government forces and diamond smugglers. He was mugged in Kenya— strangled, barely survived and lost everything. Here’s how he sums up his approach to the mountains in Africa: “If a place is off-limits it’s not a problem. Just don’t tell anyone. If there are rebels, it’s not a problem—if you know them. The
Fullen has refused to let armed rebels, heart attacks, various diseases, government restrictions and other obstacles obstruct his quest to the top.
remoteness is not a problem if you’re prepared. And land mines? Well, land mines are not a problem if you’re lucky.”
After a year of climbing in Africa, only the highest peak in Libya was left. But no one knew which desert mountain was actually the highest, and the region was swarming with rebels. It was so dangerous that one of his best mates, a fellow diver named Dean Simpson, tried to make a bet with a good friend that Fullen “would either fail again or die trying” in Libya. “I do not wish to sound morbid,” said Simpson, “but every time he goes on an expedition most of his saner friends think the same thing.” Simpson ends the letter to his friend with: “P.S. If he makes it to the top and dies on the way down, you still win!”
It took three dangerous expeditions, but Ginge Fullen became the first person to discover and then climb the highest mountain in Libya, Bikku Bitti, in December of 2005. He almost died of thirst on that final attempt.
In 2007 he was working on a ship in the Bight of Benin trying to pay off his African climbing expeditions when the ship was attacked by Nigerian pirates. A rifle was held at his neck and he was beaten with the dull edge of a machete. One of the captains was murdered. But Fullen is philosophical: “The big oil companies are ruthless—they’ve really fucked over the Nigerians, so I understand their anger.”
As we near the summit of the Sofrière Hills volcano, the rocks are covered with moss and are dangerously slick. We are forced to chop out handholds and footholds in the volcanic mud. When we reach the crater rim, we can see nothing. We are engulfed in swirling mist, and the wind almost knocks us into the crater.
“I’d say this be ’bout good enough,” says Fullen, who checks his GPS: 930 meters—15 meters higher than before the volcano erupted in 1995.
The descent of the summit cone is stupidly treacherous. We have to use our trekking poles like ice axes to keep from sliding right off the mountain. When the steepness abates and we can begin to move diagonally, I ask Fullen if he has a rating scale for his kind of mountain climbing. He does, but it’s nothing like the simple numerical/alphabetical grading systems used for climbing in the U.S. and Europe. More of a conditional assessment, it consists of five questions:
1. Are there land mines on or around the mountain? 2. Are there rebels or conflict on or around the mountain? 3. Are there elephants, poisonous snakes or poisonous insects/diseases on the mountain? 4. Are there guard dogs on the mountain? 5. What is the distance—by foot, boat, mule, camel, canoe, etc.—to the mountain?
As we descend out of the cloud, we are keenly aware that we are once again in full view of the observatory, so we slipslide as fast as we can down into one of the lahars. Sure enough, within minutes of dropping into the gully we hear choppers. We roll beneath an undercut and hide. As the sound of the helicopters gets closer and closer, we shove ourselves deeper and deeper beneath the cutbank. A chopper flies directly over us, only 20 feet above the gully, but sees nothing. Then another chopper. We stay hidden as the copter makes several passes directly overhead.
We only roll out and stand up after the sound of the rotors has long disappeared.
“Let’s hope there’s no welcoming party at the gate,” says Fullen ruefully. We hustle down the lahar and pop out where we first saw the jeep. It is gone.
There is a truck hidden in the shade when we step back over the gate, but no one is there. It turns out to be the vehicle of a 74-year-old Montserrat goat farmer named Sammie, who happily gives us a ride back north to St. John’s. The whole expedition took but a few hours.
Standing in the back of the pickup, having just pulled off another summit, I feel extraordinarily lucky to have climbed a peak with the enigmatic Ginge Fullen. Unlike the vast majority of mountain climbers, Fullen is humble and unassuming. He has no use for fame. His mission is personal. He climbs mountains because he wants to experience unique landscapes. He climbs mountains because he wants to immerse himself in cultures most people have no idea even exist. He climbs mountains because he has the courage to make it happen, no matter the roadblocks or the suffering. Bouncing around in the bed of the pickup, I ask Fullen one final question:
“OK. Besides the heart attack, beatings, muggings, severe dehydration and being detained by rebels in dozens of countries, is there anything that really scared you, Ginge?”
“Well, smelling my flesh rotting was one of the more uncomfortable positions I’ve found myself in. A parasite eating your flesh focuses the mind.”
After summiting Pico de Neblina, 9,827 feet, in Brazil in 2018, Fullen returned to the U.K. with a strange skin infection. He saw two specialists, both of whom misdiagnosed the disease. “Concerned I might lose me leg—it was unbelievably painful and swollen to twice its normal size—I went to the Hospital of Tropical Diseases. A student nurse immediately identified my disease: leishmaniasis. You get it from the bite of a sand fly.” Fullen adds, with characteristic delight, that he had to spend 21 days on intravenous antibiotics to avoid having his leg amputated.
He has no use for fame. He climbs mountains because he has the courage to make it happen.
COURTESY OF GINGE FULLEN, MARK JENKINS
Fullen is not easily deterred. Here, with helicopters hovering overhead, he hides somewhere on the Soufrière Hills.
guideGet it. Do it. See it.
MICHAEL UNDERWOOD/VISIT GRAND JUNCTION HIDDEN GEM
Ditch the crowds and bike, paddle, climb or hike your way through the Western Slope’s well-kept secret: Grand Junction, Colorado.
Words HEATHER BALOGH ROCHFORT
High-desert oasis:
Behold the natural beauty of the Colorado National Monument.
GRAND JUNCTION IN 24 HOURS
Once upon a time, Grand Junction was a “flyover city” for adventurers traveling between Moab, Utah, and Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. But don’t let its scruffy perimeter fool you. This highdesert oasis is the perfect wine-and-hike destination thanks to world-class sandstone arches and trendy wineries. Dive straight in by pointing your tires toward the Colorado National Monument, where you can bike the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive, justifiably known as one of the grandest scenic routes in the American West. Dusky red canyons proudly stand in stark contrast to the snowcapped peaks of Colorado’s ski country. If water is more your thing, slap on some sunscreen, snag your swimsuit and head to Riverfront at Las Colonias Park. Centered in the heart of downtown, this 140-acre open-space park sits along the banks of the Colorado River and just upstream from the confluence with the Gunnison River. Locals bring inner tubes, SUPs or kayaks to paddle the lazy water channel and its two standing-wave features. If you don’t feel ready for the river action, don’t sweat it. The park also boasts three ponds—Butterfly Pond and Las Colonias Ponds—for beginners to practice their moves on calmer waters (no tubes allowed). Hiking is a popular option, too, and one often preferred by local Natalie Magee. As owner of Yogi Magee Adventures, Magee coordinates yoga adventure retreats and often suggests Mica Mine for families. At roughly 2.6 miles round trip along Ladder Creek, the mileage is manageable and the terrain fairly mellow. The destination is where the hike shines—literally. The turnaround point is the nowdefunct Mica Mine, a historic quartz mine that dazzles everyone who makes the journey. A large undercut sits at the end of the trail, with bedazzled walls covered in sparkling quartz crystals that shimmer in the sunshine. Stay Tucked against the shores of the Colorado River in Las Colonias Park sits Camp Eddy, an adventure launchpad that just opened this summer. Here visitors cozy up inside tiny homes or sleek Airstreams. For the ultimate in quaint relaxation, head to the Castle Creek Manor Bed and Breakfast in central Grand Junction. Eat Start your day right with some fresh-baked eats at Kulina Lani Organic Sourdough Bakery, Magee’s go-to for breakfast treats and baguettes. For juicy burgers, it’s Rockslide Restaurant & Brewery. Feeling fancier? Find your way to Bin 707 Foodbar for the bison ribeye and artichoke hushpuppies off the specialized rotating menu. Drink You’re in wine country, so the options are many. Start at Whitewater Hill Vineyards and enjoy a riesling or rosé while admiring the stunning views of the Palisade orchards to the east. For beer, visit downtown’s Ramblebine Brewing Company for a Habitual Sin IPA or Mamma Said Raspberry Stout.
Considered one of the most scenic routes in the American West, the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive is one way to take in the sites around Grand Junction on two wheels. Roughly 40,000 cyclists pedal the road every year.
Once considered a “flyover city,” today Grand Junction is a perfect wine-and-hike destination.
GRAND JUNCTION IN A LONG WEEKEND
“I love Grand Junction because of the access to all the outdoor activities,” Magee says. Start your weekend on the right foot by lacing up your hiking shoes and loading up a 4x4 vehicle. From downtown, head 30 minutes west to explore the underrated crown jewel of the Centennial State: Rattlesnake Canyon. Tucked away within the 123,000acre McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, Rattlesnake Canyon is home to the world’s second-largest concentration of sandstone arches outside of Utah’s Arches National Park. But here you won’t need to fuss with thousands of people or worry about timed entries. Instead, you’ll find only solitude and serenity as you traverse the collection of 35 arches. Be sure to scope the 76-foot-long Rainbow Arch—the longest in the park—and Rattlesnake Arch, a spiny 40-foot-wide arch soaring more than 120 feet up in the sky. Next, you can cool off by exploring the glimmering waterways on an SUP. Grab a rental at Grand Junction Adventures (they have two locations) and put in at the Escalante boat ramp, 40 minutes south of town. Paddle 14 meandering miles through idyllic orchards and the soaring canyons of Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area before exiting the river at the Dominguez boat ramp. Mountain bikers won’t want to leave without riding some of the best singletrack in the country. Experienced locals love Lunch Loops, a challenging trail system filled with big slick rock and technical drops. For beginners or visitors looking to improve their skills, the Lunch Loops Bike Park at the trailhead boasts a number of jumps and features to hone your skills. Stay Step back in time at the Chateau at Two Rivers Winery, where elegant decor and hand-painted murals take their cues from a French country inn. The unique Hotel Maverick sits on the campus of Colorado Mesa University, oozing Western pride from every nook and cranny. The quaint Dancing Moon Bed and Breakfast in nearby Palisade offers a more personal experience. Eat Begin your morning with a savory breakfast frittata or sweet blueberry pancakes at the Dream Café. The beloved 626 on Rood highlights local wines with beautifully plated seasonal fare. For something livelier, try Warehouse 2565 for classic American cuisine with a side of live music. Drink Two Rivers Winery is a family affair with a small yet mighty (six varietals) wine selection. Foam & Folly is Magee’s pick for a brewery, thanks to the large outdoor area where visitors can play cornhole. “Plus, the staff is so welcoming,” she adds. The speakeasy theme at Moody’s is a vibe, and the lounge boasts an impressively large selection of whiskey.
Kick off your boots and relax at Hotel Maverick.
Sip some vino at Two Rivers Winery.
More than 120 wild mustangs roam free at a U.S. reserve near Grand Junction.
GRAND JUNCTION FOR A WEEK
There is nothing more Americana than free-roaming mustangs, and Grand Junction has one of only three U.S. reserves set aside for them in the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range. Finding the range’s 124 untamed mustangs takes some work, since the horses run in four to five smaller bands that roam 36,000 acres of land. To visit, pack your hiking boots or saddle up a horse (Rim Rock Adventures has guided rides) before heading into the interior to scope picturesque plateaus and (hopefully!) an eyeful of palominos, paints and appaloosas roaming wild. Mygatt-Moore Quarry in nearby Rabbit Valley is the epicenter for budding paleontologists intrigued by Jurassic dinosaurs. This active site still sees discoveries, yielding more than 4,000 dinosaur bones since the 1980s, including the largest Apatosaurus femur ever found, in 2014. For further exploration, wander the Trail Through Time, a 1.5-mile interpretive loop that features dinosaur fossils from 140 million years ago. To get the heart pumping, Magee suggests hiking to the summit of Mount Garfield, a 4-mile round-trip trek that sees nearly 2,000 feet of vertical gain. “Best views in town,” she says of the 360-degree panorama you’ll find at the top. Back to the adrenaline: The greater Grand Junction area offers some of the best rock climbing in the continental United States. Nearby Unaweep Canyon (or the “Canyon with Two Mouths” in Ute) boasts 2,300 climbing routes,
including beginner-friendly bolted sport routes and more difficult multipitched trad routes. No ropes? No problem. You’ll find epic bouldering, too. For visitors who want to go down rather than up, the Devil’s Kitchen Trail area in Colorado National Monument is filled with deep slot canyons prime with snug squeezes and heart-pumping rappels. If you’re inexperienced, head to Grand Junction Adventures and they’ll set you up with a guided climbing or canyoneering experience. Stay The swank and luxurious Gateway Canyons Resort is an hour outside of town, but the outdoor fireplaces and soaking pools more than make up for the commute. For a more intimate experience, consider the Grand Junction Bed and Breakfast. For rustic charm, cozy up inside your RV, tent or on-property cabins at the Palisade Basecamp RV Resort. Eat Head to TacoParty, a locally sourced, quickserve taco shop that promises appetizers, six tacos and softserve options that change weekly. Spoons bistro and bakery offers a Sunrise Menu packed with breakfast favorites made in-house. For an elegant sunset dinner, try Devil’s Kitchen inside Hotel Maverick. The rooftop views—and the food—will not disappoint. Drink Begin your wine crawl at Hermosa Vineyards, a welcoming winery that grows limited quantities of everything from syrah and chardonnay to malbec and merlot. Then hop over to Graystone Winery—the only port house in Colorado—to test out their unique white port called Lipizzan. Wrap up the week with the eclectic mixed-drink menu at Highlands Craft Distillery.
Finish your week with an eclectic drink menu at Highlands Craft Distillery.
Grand Junction has scores of them. Taste half a dozen locally sourced tacos at TacoParty.
Hanneman is willing to work on his weaknesses: “I want to get to a point where I can say my strengths are turns, barrels, airs—all of it.”
TRAIN LIKE A PRO “YOU CAN’T LOSE YOUR STYLE”
Surfer Eli Hanneman reveals how he trains to thread deep barrels and launch massive airs.
Words JEN SEE A t 19, Eli Hanneman is already
a standout at Pipeline, one of surfing’s toughest waves. In a clip from last winter, he paddles into a massive swell there, free-falls down the face, slices his heel-side rail into the water’s surface and flies through the barrel. After he exits, almost casually, Hanneman throws himself into the air, spins and lands smoothly. It’s the kind of ride that wins contest heats—and pro titles.
But that’s for the future. “I still feel like I have a long way to go,” he says. “But that’s just part of the game, to keep improving.” Born in Maui, Hanneman started skateboarding at age 4 and initially liked it better than surfing. But his dad, a dedicated surfer and board shaper, drew him toward surfing. “As I started surfing more, I developed the passion.” This year, he’s competing on the Challenger Series, a gateway to the Championship Tour.
Hanneman believes his Hawaiian upbringing gives him an edge in powerful surf. His poise in the barrel and his consistent airs suggest he’s right. But he isn’t satisfied. His credo is scrawled in his garage: “Don’t focus on what you’re doing wrong, focus on what you can do better.”
WATER TIME “I spend a ton of time on the North Shore”
“During the summer, the waves here on Maui are a lot smaller than the rest of the year, but I still try to surf for two hours a day, even if the waves are terrible. Maui is a great place to grow up, but to grow as a surfer, I have to get out of that bubble. I’ve made a point to spend a ton of time on Oahu’s North Shore. When I’m there, I’ll surf four to six hours. And if I’m on a surf trip, it’s six hours easy. I guess it would be best if I could do the same amount each day, but the reality in surfing is that every day is different.”
DRY LAND “I’m starting to do more weights”
“I train at a gym called Deep Relief Peak Performance, with Samantha Campbell, who also trains Ian Walsh and Izzi Gomez. I’ve worked with Samantha since I was 13. At first, it was a lot of stretching and body awareness—learning how to use my body correctly in workouts. I mainly did bodyweight exercises. Now, I’m getting older and I’m starting to do more weights. I also try to stretch as much as I can for injury prevention and to make everything easier on my body. There are people out there who are naturally limber. That’s not me.”
TAKEOFFS/LANDINGS “I’ve been working on my stance”
“Doing airs is hard on your knees and ankles. My style is to surf with my back knee turned in; I can’t really change that. When I land, my knees used to go in. A big change has been to turn my knees out and use my leg muscles rather than my knee joints, which aren’t meant to hold my weight. It’s helped me to lift the arches in my feet. That spins my knees outward and gives me a sturdier stance. I don’t want to go out and look like I’m doing a squat every time I land an air. I can’t lose my style.”
RECOVERY “It’s critical to eat after a workout”
“I’m trying to get better at recovery. It’s critical to eat after a workout, especially since I’m trying to get bigger, not lose weight. It’s pointless to do the workout if I don’t eat after it. I’m trying to get in the habit of having protein shakes after workouts. And I try to ride the spin bike after a hard workout to flush the lactic acid out of my body. Sometimes, I just want to sit there and rest, but I’m getting better about it. Even a year ago, I would probably have said, ‘Oh, I just sit down and do nothing.’”
“I lacerated my pancreas in January, and my body is still really sensitive to certain foods. I lost 20 pounds in the hospital, which clearly wasn’t ideal. I had to cut a lot of foods out of my diet, which is hard when I’m trying to put on weight. I cut out dairy, red meat and spicy foods. My proteins are chicken and beans. I eat rice for carbs and lots of fruits and vegetables. I’m not going to be a vegan for the rest of my life, but I’m more aware of what I’m putting in my body.”
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October RED BULL RAMPAGE
Last year’s Rampage was a must-see event, with Canada’s Brandon Semenuk making history after winning for a fourth time and landing a flat-drop tail whip for the first time in competition. For more than a decade, Semenuk has been leading the scene, but there’s also a new kid in town: Jaxson Riddle (pictured). For his rookie Rampage appearance, the 21-year-old phenom from Utah wowed judges with his creativity, ultimately nabbing an award for Best Style. Keep your eye on both riders this year. redbull.com
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September RED BULL BC ONE U.S. FINALS
After a series of regional cyphers, the best breakers in the country will gather in Los Angeles with the hope of being crowned the national champion—and a chance to head to New York for the world final in November. Could a brand-new talent come out of nowhere and take home the trophy? That was certainly the case at the Las Vegas cypher, where Jeyna Ponce (pictured) crushed her very first battle. Read more about Ponce on page 9. redbull.com
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October RED BULL BATALLA NATIONAL FINAL
This year, the nationals for this Spanishspeaking freestyle competition will go down in Miami. As talent continues to rise in the U.S., could last year’s winner, Reverse, defend his title and go all the way at the world finals in Mexico? If he advances, the young Cuban MC from West Palm Beach will certainly have strong competition, especially from the host country, which has nabbed the world title for the past two years. No matter the outcome in the U.S. and in Mexico, it's gonna be lit. redbull.com
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October U.S. GRAND PRIX
As F1 fervor continues to rise in the U.S., there’s no better time to jump on the bandwagon and catch the action in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas. With the season nearing the end, the points from this race can often have a major impact on who takes home the world title. (Pro tip: If you want to know more about the history, the fandom, and the technology of F1, our podcast Ready for the Big Time is an excellent primer. Tune in wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.) formula1.com
VAN DER WAALS FERROMAGNETIC SPEAKER
Thanks to sound-sensitive ferromagnetic fluid, this wireless speaker puts the visual into audio-visual. Developed by NASA, ferrofluid stabilized rocket fuel in zero gravity. Now it moves to the beat, pushed and pulled by magnetic forces emanating from the speaker as LED lights pulse. The 360-degree sound comes from four speakers that deliver crisp notes and move the fluid. $399; kickstarter. com/projects/skuznetsoff/van-der-waals
SOUNDS PERFECT
The advent of wireless streaming music has opened up how you listen to your music to a whole other level of tech and gear. Listen for yourself.
Words GRANT DAVIS
The Van der Waals ferromagnetic speaker lets you see and feel your favorite tunes.
AUDIOENGINE A2+
Elevate the quality of Zoom meetings or your work-from-home ambiance with these speakers. These 6x4-inch micro-mites connect via USB or extended-range Bluetooth to your computer or mobile device. Their relatively deep bass comes by design, not any digital magic. The speakers connect to each other with an old-school analog wire, but otherwise can be placed anywhere on your desk, deck, bedroom, boardroom— wherever. $269; audioengine.com PLATIN AUDIO MONACO 5.1 WITH WISA SOUNDSEND
Many surround-sound setups are designed with home theaters and a bigger-is-always-better mentality. Not so with this wireless setup. Rightsized for smaller apartments or rooms, it comes tuned by the movie-theater sound pros at THX. The WiSA SoundSend high-definition wireless transmitter lets you place the mini speakers anywhere you like around your TV without the mess of cables. $999; platinaudio.us
ZUMA LUMISONIC
Zuma had a brilliant idea: combine the ubiquitous ceiling light with a wireless 75-watt speaker that can connect to your digital music via WiFi, Bluetooth, Alexa, AirPlay or Spotify Connect. Set up one in the kitchen, one in the living room, or wherever you’d like; turn on one room or all—Amazon Alexa or AirPlay let you move the music where you want. Zuma’s dimmable LED light lets you set the level to match the musical vibe. $443; zuma.ai FLIP RECORD DISPLAY SHELF
For all the renewed attention given to the album covers of vinyl records, it’s a shame they still spend most of their lives hidden in a crate or stacked on a shelf unseen. The brains at Deep Cut who created the Flip shelf want to change that with these wall-mounted arms made from 100 percent hardwood, either walnut or maple. Each set holds up to 20 records, face out, so you can display your favorite album art for you and all your friends to see. $70; deepcut.co FENDER MUSTANG MICRO
Unleash your electric guitar at whatever volume you desire—with help from Fender’s mini version of the popular Mustang amp. It packs 12 amp models and 12 effects, just like its big-box siblings. Plug it into the guitar’s amp jack, connect it to your wired headphones and go for it—without waking up the rest of the house. It has adjustable EQ and volume controls and offers four hours of run time on its USB-rechargeable battery. $120; fender.com
HYPERX CLOUD ALPHA HEADPHONES
These wireless gaming headphones have been around for a while, but a battery upgrade has us talking about them now. The ’phones will go 300 hours on one charge—that’s a lot of gaming action. HyperX’s dual-chamber drivers and DTS spatial audio deliver 3D surround sound straight to your ears. Memory foam and breathable leatherette ear coverings keep things comfy for long sessions. $180; hyperx.com
Thanks to new battery tech, the HyperX Cloud Alpha headphones can go 300 hours on a charge.
MARSHALL EMBERTON II BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Guitar heroes have been running their electric guitars through stacks of Marshall amps for decades. It makes sense, then, that the amp maker would bring its signature sound and look to a splashproof and shockproof wireless speaker with 360-degree true stereophonic sound. It pumps out music with more depth and power than you’d think possible from a speaker this small. $170; marshallheadphones.com
SONY XPERIA 1 IV SMARTPHONE
Cameras and screens dominate the smartphone arms race, but Sony paid close attention to sound with this new flagship phone. It features stereo speakers encased in a new design to improve low frequency and bass sounds. And for audiophiles still tethered to wired headphones, it has a 3.5 mm audio jack. The mic and cloudbased “Music Pro” recording software allows recorded tracks to be mixed and manipulated on the phone. $1,600; electronics.sony.com THE MONKEY FM RADIO/WIRELESS SPEAKER
Thank you to the creatives at Palomar for adding an FM radio to a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker. Its strap, which lets you secure the Monkey to a fence, handlebar, wrist or other object, doubles as the FM radio’s antenna. Since sports and news broadcasts still live on radio, now you can listen to the game and your streaming music with one compact device. $69; palomarweb.com BENQ GS50 OUTDOOR PROJECTOR/SPEAKER
Here’s the ultimate party in a box. It’s a 1080p HD projector with 2.1 channel Bluetooth audio blasted through separate high/mid-range drivers and a 10-watt woofer for deeper bass. Choose “Cinema” mode for vibrant contrast and hi-def detail for what you see and what you hear. The rechargeable battery will last 2.5 hours. Onboard Android TV lets you stream directly through the BenQ. $749; benq.com
JABRA ELITE 7 ACTIVE EARBUDS
Dutch techies Jabra rolled out the Elite 7 Active series wireless earbuds with their trademarked ShakeGrip silicone rubber coating, designed to hold the earbuds snug in your ears during vigorous sweat sessions (indoors or out) without needing to ram them deep into your noggin. They even upgrade your on-the-go phone calls with a four-microphone setup and active noisecanceling tech to tune out ambient sounds. $140; jabra.com
Now Marshall makes a compact, splashproof wireless speaker for guitar heroes on the go.
These Dyson headphones filter the air as they filter out noise.
DYSON ZONE
Think of these headphones as a dual-threat pollution-fighting machine. Dyson’s proprietary active noise-canceling tech mitigates modern life’s aural assault on your senses. And the visor in the front purifies the air you breathe. Two air filters hidden in the headphones filter out allergens, dust and other particulates along with ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide gases. Fans push the scrubbed air into the area covering your nose and mouth. Price TBD; dyson.com
ANATOMY OF GEAR
An innovative audio product, deconstructed.
Words GRANT DAVIS
The turntable that helped turn DJs into artists in the early 1970s turns 50 this year. This limited anniversary edition of the music icon keeps the legend alive.
CLASSIC FORM
The 50th Anniversary Edition comes in seven colors, all paired with a gold tonearm and unique serial number. It still has the robust and reliable performance in a slim package that made it easy to transport to house and block parties as hip-hop was born in the ’70s.
FIND YOUR GROOVE
A high-brightness, long-life LED shoots a focused white beam on the stylus tip, enabling a DJ to place the needle into a record groove accurately even in lowlight environments.
REVERSE GEAR
Direct drive also helps make reverse play easier and faster and smoother—so it’s easier to find those hidden messages.
TECHNICS SL-1200M7L
$1,100; technics.com
DRIVETRAIN
Technics made history in 1972 with a brand-new idea: a direct-drive motor to turn the platter instead of a belt drive. This made the rotation more consistent and accurate, with a unit that was more durable and got a record up to playing speed faster.
ARMED FOR SOUND
Technics’ signature tonearm is balanced yet tuned for high motion sensitivity. The result accurately tracks the record groove under extreme DJ use such as scratching.
GOOD VIBRATIONS
The chassis is built from die-cast aluminum integrated with a rigid mixed polymer that offers vibration-damping performance. And the turntable’s feet, called insulators, contain a coil spring and rubber dampener. The design delivers high-quality sound without letting external vibrations (say a crowd jumping on a dance floor) affect playback.
THE RED BULLETIN
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Structured Play
Now this is what we call a major show of support. The flying buttresses of the imposing concrete breakwater at Puerto de Tazacorte on the Spanish island of La Palma give this image weight, composition and a palpable feeling of flight. The visually arresting interplay of skate and shade, starring local boarder Abraham Cedrés, earned Tenerifeborn photographer Jairo Díaz Dévora a semifinal spot in Red Bull Illume. redbullillume.com The next issue of THE RED BULLETIN is out on October 11.
