Blog Archives

Jun 17 2014

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2014

This highlight video shows the best from the second stop of the 2014 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, at gorgeous Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas on June 6-7. The divers plunged from 27 meters into Hell’s Gate Cove. 14 of the best cliff diving athletes in the world competed in the event, and this video highlights the top four dives along with awesome shots of Texas, the lake, and the many fans on hand for the event. Fans line the competition area in boats, rafts and jet skis, taking advantage of the fantastic summer weather and the amazing, top-level diving.

+ Who

Red Bull, an energy drink company known for their many sponsorships in extreme and action sports, takes divers through seven world-wide stops for its 2014 Cliff Diving World Series, including Cuba, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain Brazil, and this stop in Texas. The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series was founded in 2009 and features the top talent and most promising newcomers in the sport. The four dives in the final round are featured in this video, Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic, Steven LoBue of the United States, Artem Silchenko of Russia and, the winner, Gary Hunt of the UK.

+ Where

The United States stop on the world tour takes place at Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County, Texas. Possum Kingdom Lake is a reservoir of the Brazos River and features two towering cliffs that m ark the entrance to a small cove, called Hell’s Gate, where the event took place.

+ What

The video beings with some scenic and appropriate shots of Texas, to set the scene. At the ten second mark, the narrator sets up the event over shots of the beautiful lake and cove where the event will take place. At (0:15) we begin to see shots of the divers and the massive amount of fans who have arrived by boat to see the event. (0:30) brings us the first shots of actual dives, and we get a sense of the immensity of the 30 meter platform. (0:39) we see fourth place finisher Michal Navratil’s final round dive, which scores him a host of 9.5s and a 10. (0:46) is an interview with Navratil, where he says he is happy to score the 10. (0:51) is the American diver’s Steven LoBue’s dive, which earned him third place. His interview, and a slow-mo replay, follow. (1:24) is Artem Silchenko’s second place dive, and (1:33) is the final round dive of our event winner, Gary Hunt. At (1:40) we see shots of the other divers celebration, and then Hunt’s interview. The podium shot and more shots of the fans follow.

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Feb 18 2014

Cranberry Field Wakeboarding

The Red Bull Winch Sessions used a high-powered winch to explore action sports in unusual locations, and this short video is no exception. They take the winch and wakeboarder and snowboarder Josh Tranby to a Wisconsin cranberry bog. This short but beautifully-shot high definition video has over 300,000 views and shows Josh wakeboarding through the red sea of cranberries. The winch makes the boat unnecessary and Josh is pulled at a rapid pace from one end of the bog to the other, making his own waves and a visually stunning video that became a classic among action sports enthusiasts.

+ Who

Josh Tranby is the star of this video. He is a wakeboarder and snowboarder from Minnesota who is very active in the wakeboarding scene. He is sponsored by Slingshot Wakeboards, Reef, Bern Helmets, Lake-Life Apparel, Pinewski’s Boardshop and Vision Wake Park. The video was shot as part of Red Bull’s Winch Sessions, which featured action sports athletes such as paragliders, wakeboarders and snowboarders filmed performing their sport with the help of a high-powered winch. The videos were featured on Red Bull’s website, and Josh became more well-known because of his participation in the project. Red Bull is an energy drink and one of the primary sponsors of action and extreme sports.

+ Where

Wakeboarders are normally towed across the water tethered to a motorboat, but this video makes use of Red Bull’s winch and takes place in a cranberry bog. The bog in this video is located in Tomah, Wisconsin. The blanket of red fruit covering the water makes the video somehow intensely appealing to watch.

+ What

“I’m headed to the frickin’ cranberry fields right now,” Josh begins in this video. As he travels in the Red Bull van towards his destination, he continues, “I don’t know what to expect but I know if you look to my right you’re gonna see one!” Some beautiful shots of the cranberries and surrounding fields are overlaid with Josh talking about the project. At (0:35) he begins his session, wakeboarding back and forth across the ripe cranberries. The beautiful, high definition, slow motion shots are interspersed with shots of the Red Bull winch at work, close-ups of the cranberries and the stunningly beautiful area surrounding the cranberry bog. (1:11) features a wonderful shot of the wakeboard floating among the bright red cranberries. At (1:15) the Red bull logo is floating in the berries and at (1:20) the van is loaded and rolling away from the bog. Music throughout is the song “909s and Half Minds” by Jack D. Elliot.

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