Heavy rain and wind may have ruled out any chances of aerial training on Red Bull’s customised skate ramp, but the team performance coaches were rubbing their hands in anticipation at day three’s specially scheduled 'hell session' for Project Air. Was it appropriately named? Some surfers will say ‘yes’ having survived a gruelling two hours of mental and physical testing.
A subdued theory session in the morning, in a nice air-conditioned seminar room, preceded the ‘real deal’. This was a session led by high performance psychologist Michael Gervais in the wind and beating rain of Lennox Head’s northern beach in New South Wales, Australia.
The session was structured specifically to push the surfers to their limits, putting them in a “very uncomfortable space” where they would need to challenge their regular coping patterns.
"Then when they tire? We push them even further,” explained Gervais.
Dozens of push-ups, sprints, crawls, swims, sit-ups and other annoying tests of endurance were performed before the surfers were required to take complex mental tests, which included problem-solving and memory assessments, under duress.
As Gervais explained: “The design hope is to help the team riders explore a second and possibly third gear they’ve always had, but hadn’t really known it.
"We examine their body language, try and help them understand and recognise their own internal dialogue and how they speak to themselves in pressure moments.”
Gervais described the surfers as “self-starters” in an individual sport who were regularly required to make decisions with high danger involved. As a result, they were well prepared, knew how to ‘dig deep’ and were committed to the process of growing and challenging themselves.
He continued: “There is danger involved in surfing, there are choices to be made around commitment. I can say these surfers have a similar capacity to face intense situations that I have found working with Ultimate Fighters (and the UFC).”
A full debrief session and post-analysis will take place tomorrow, and it will include the results from the many curious puzzles that required solving. But, until then, there will be a few ice baths, dinner and lots of sleep to catch up on.
Oh, and the jet-skis came out briefly, but we’re too tired to talk about that right now ... Guess that means the UFC fighters are safe from any new competition for the time being!
Luckily, we caught the best bits of day three on camera – check out the pictures below!
Tahitian Michel Bourez was certainly man-enough for Gervais’ intense training session. But how did he go at the mental challenges?
shortyphotos.com / Red Bull Photofiles
Into the water, out of the water, back into the water ...and yup, you guessed it, back out. Drop and give me 20!
shortyphotos.com / Red Bull Photofiles
Mick Fanning on day two of Project Air practices his ‘slob’ grab and launches into the safety of the foam pit.
Mark Watson - inciteimages.com
For more news and action from the beaches, head to Red Bull Surfing.
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