Title: Red Bull Ride 2
Author: Zest Productions
Running Time: 40 minutes (+DVD extras)
Format: DVD and VHS (NTSC and PAL)
Action: Red Bull Ride 2003 (Duh!)
Just about every downhiller or freerider in the world today knows the story of the Red Bull Ride by now. If you don’t, it goes a little something like this;
1) A group of dedicated and moderately unhinged Australian guys build an insane downhill freeride course on the slopes outside of Jindabyne.
2) The worlds best freeriders and downhill racers are invited to come ride the course over a few day of practice and competition
3) Australian downhill racers clean up and put the worlds best freeriders to shame
The Red Bull Ride 2 DVD captures all the action from the third annual Red Bull Ride held in Jindabyne earlier this year. Featuring interviews with riders, course designers and marshals as well as slick footage from the event proper the video gives a good insight into what goes into putting on a world class freeride event from both and organisers and competitors point of view.
Action:
The action featured in the video is, not surprisingly, 100% footage of the Red Bull Ride 2 course. It gives the viewer a great understanding of the layout of the course and how the 13 sections linked together to test different aspects of a riders skill.
As mentioned before, the team who built this course must have been a seriously crazy bunch, as some of the stunts make even the most talented of riders look like hubbards on a number of occasions. The seriously testing course obviously makes for some spectacular riding as well and seeing riders like Shane Wode and Steve Marsh cleaning the ‘Not Shore’ section is flat out inspiring.
Other highlights include Grant Allen punching out the biggest drop on the ‘Gravity Slave’ section and seeing Dave McLaughlin bust the P-H-phattest, rear-wheel-in-front-of-the-front whips I’ve ever seen on a mountain bike, this boy’s got style.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the majority of the riding in this vid isn’t totally off the wall and really highlights the skill it takes to be a professional bike rider these days. How Mike Shaw and Mike Atkinson will make a more testing course than this for the next Red Bull Ride is beyond me.
Dom's Comment : This video managed to capture what it set out to do ! CAPTURE THE ACTION ! There is no shortage of riding in this film. I was impressed with how the producers managed to mix up all the action and package the event into a video production.
Camerawork / Cinematography:
The camerawork in RBR2 is awesome with cameras placed strategically along the course to catch each section from the best possible angle. This is coupled with a monster cable run along the ‘Gravity Slave’, step-up to step-down and 6-pack section that gives an awesome look at , how big the riders are going and how smooth they are flowing.
There are also tower cameras that give an overview of the course and allow you to see the riders linking a number of sections together in the top part of the course and a great helmet-cam with commentary complete with a mid run crash.
Dom's Comment : What can you say ? These people know their stuff ! You cannot fault the camera work, there are camera's everywhere all over this track. The guy who rode the flying fox at the bottom had the best job !
Soundtrack:
RBR2 kicks it with a mixture of heavy tunes, punk and hip hop beats that match the riding well. Not much else to say really, a good mix of tunes that’s sure to suit just about any taste.
Dom's Comment : Superheist Rule !!
Originality:
If there’s one area the video falls down in it’s originality, though this can be attributed to the fact that the producers are limited to showing a fixed course and a fixed group of riders. What this means is that you’re going to be seeing the same stunts / sections again and again, just with different riders but hey, that’s what you paid for, a video of the second Red Bull Ride. It does however mean that the re-watchability of this video is somewhat lower than your typical DH/freeride movie.
Overall:
Red Bull Ride 2 is a great roundup of its’ namesake event, with high production values and a great soundtrack. It gives a fantastic look at the skill and balls of some of the worlds best downhill racers and freeriders on a unique and challenging course and great insight into the planning and thinking that goes on behind the scenes of a world class freeride event. Don’t forget however that it’s Red Bull ride and nothing else, so if you’re after a DVD that’s going to melt into your player from constantly being on repeat; this might not be the video for you.
You can order Red Bull Ride 2 online or have your LBS order it in for you.
4 out of 5
