Three massive storms with winds measuring more than 10 on the Beaufort scale and tough duels featuring man versus man versus nature: Red Bull Storm Chase 2012 will give 10 of the world’s best windsurfers the ride of their lives.
The most challenging windsurfing contest of all time will discover the storm surfing champion. Starting May 1, everyone is invited to suggest their favourite venue for the competition via redbullstormchase.com. In July, amateurs and pros alike can register to take part, with a community vote deciding the 10 finalists. From August to November, the global hunt for the storms begin!
Extremely high waves with overhanging crests, and large amounts of spray reducing visibility: these are some of the characteristics of a storm registering 10 on the Beaufort scale. In 2006, Red Bull Storm Chase Europe created the concept of windsurfing in stormy conditions and, in 2012, the event is going global and evolving into a competition.
The format of Red Bull Storm Chase is simple: 10 riders will compete in the first mission, after which six will advance to the second mission. In the final mission, the top four riders will battle for victory. To guarantee raging conditions, Red Bull Storm Chase 2012 will be mobile, with a four-month holding period and just 48 hours to mobilise riders and global contest crew on-site before the storm strikes. The starting flag will drop as soon as the wind exceeds 100kph.
Red Bull Storm Chase will be held in association with the Professional Windsurfers’ Association (PWA), with World Tour head judge Duncan Coombs overseeing the contest: "Red Bull Storm Chase gives us a dream contest. We’ll travel to the storm instead of waiting for it to find us. We can expect to pull off a competition in the most extreme wind and wave conditions, in new found places. We will do our best to push the boundaries of competition and to explore the world’s most radical conditions."
Top PWA wave rider Klaas Voget (GER), a participant in the first Red Bull Storm Chase back in 2006 and location explorer for the current event, loves the new format: "The first round in Europe was a real blast. Now, storms can be chased all over the world with the chance to fight against the world’s best windsurfers in awesome conditions. This Red Bull Storm Chase is the ultimate challenge."
Red Bull Content Pool
Comments
Add a comment