Where, in her day, Empress Sisi used to chill out, freeskiers from three continents will be entertaining the common folk with a unique sightseeing tour on February 16. As part of Red Bull Playstreets they’ll explore Bad Gastein, Austria, on skis – on a course that will take them over roof-tops, staircases and road-gap jumps.
To start with, an eight-meter drop. Followed by bridges, stairs, gaps and roof-tops. “It’s really sick,” said Martin Misof, the local hero, delivering both a succinct and accurate characterization of Red Bull Playstreets in 2007. Back then, 5500 spectators lined the 450-meter course in Bad Gastein’s town centre. Many of the participants – the world’s best 16 new school skiers, after all – found it simply un-negotiable. The good news for the crowd: This year, because the course has been extended by 50 meters, more people will be able to cheer the skiing artists on during their attempt to accomplish the impossible. The bad news for the skiers: the course, which now begins with a monstrous kicker, has become a tad more difficult.
That the course is by all means surmountable with the necessary amount of courage and ability was proven last year by Canadian Charles Gagnier, among others. Gagnier received the most points in the categories creativity, acrobatics, style and secure landing, and won the first Red Bull Playstreet. On February 16, last year’s second-place-winner, Australian Russ Hanshaw, and the French third-placed Thomas Krief, just 14-years old, are hoping for revenge.
However, there’ll be a few others trying to hinder Gagnier from defending his title: X Games and Triple Crown champion Canadian JP Auclair, for example. Among the others are X Games 2008 silver medalist Simon Dumont from the USA, Swedish slopestyle specialist Jacob Wester and freerider Sven Kueenle. The German recently accomplished a backflip over the legendary ‘Mausefalle’ – a particularly feared jump for downhillers – during the World Cup Downhill race in Kitzbühel, Austria. Incidentally, those particularly sure of their success can be distinguished by the fact that they’ve bought a one-way ticket to the event. The prize is namely a Suzuki Vitara.
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