ALTITUDE IS AN ATTITUDE
posted by Jeep® on 2012-02-29
A video report of the most exciting ski cross relay race ever.
On February 2011, the Red Bull Kronplatz came to a close: an adventurous Ski Cross race held in the picturesque setting of Val Pusteria, where the most talented athletes in the field competed to bring home the gold medal.
Among these were our very own Alex Bellini, Maria Jose Dias Sancho, and Nicolas Salencon, who held the 7-slot grille honor high, and along with the athletes were the event’s official vehicles, Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, who proved their exceptional abilities.
Adventure, Adrenaline and Freedom!
posted by Valentina Bonfanti - on 2012-02-14
Arrival in Kronplatz at 7 p.m.. The scenery is surprisingly bright and spectacular, typical of a Red bull event! Colors, lights, sounds and almost 5000 people!
The qualifications begin at 8 p.m.. There were 29 teams of amateurs, and we got the chance to see so many athletes compete on a very difficult track… jumps and hairpin turns made each run more and more exciting!!
At the end of the evening, the rankings were complied, as we enjoyed a warm glass of mulled wine. The 19 teams that qualified after the first round, participated in the final the next day, where they joined the 5 wild card teams (professional athletes invited to participated).
Afterwards there were 2 parties: one for the riders where all of the athletes who had qualified for the finals relaxed and unwinded… the other party was a bit more lively… In other words, the event went on until 3 a.m. and the everyone went back to their hotel rooms to get some rest before the exciting finals.
February 11th, day of the finals, our day began at 9 a.m. in order to organize all of our tasks for that day. At 3 p.m. I have my first appointment with Jeep… I had the honor of meeting and interviewing Alex Bellini, Maria José Dias Sancho and Nicolas Salencon, three athletes that are very different, yet very motivated and determined! The values these three guys conveyed in just a few hours spent together, were very strong and as an ex-athlete I could really understand what they were saying.
Maria was the only woman who was participating in the competition, a strong, motivated and competitive woman, was conveyed freedom and determinarion. A greeting and suggestion from Maria: “Ride Hard”! Nicolas, was a bit sweeter, but just as motivated, as he told me what the mountains and adrenaline mean to him, focusing on his magical relationship with nature. The young Argentine suggests we continue to ski and as he says goodbye he gives me a tip, which I personally found of great importance: “even if you get lost, don’t worry, because you could surprisingly find yourself in an even better place!”. At the end of the afternoon we even got a chance to exchange a few words with Alex Bellini, the ultimate adventurer… he says we shouldn’t waste our lives doing something that doesn’t gratify us, rather we should live doing what our heart desires. For a few hours I dived into the Jeep spirit, surrounded by people that were honored to support the brand and its values. They conveyed a lot of positive energy and the desire for freedom.
At around 6 p.m. the riders began their training, to then begin the contest around 10 p.m.. It was freezing cold, but the atmosphere was truly incredible thanks to the deejay’s music and the beautiful play of lights created by the Red Bull crowd!
For the finals, the 24 teams were divided into 8 groups of 3, to then compete in teams of 4. They then went on to the quarter finals and semifinals, up until the final. Among the amateur teams, there’s also a trio of skiers from Australia, “Rick Ross”! Fireworks, sounds and colors throughout the finals. The Red Bull team took the victory home, and unfortunately the Jeep team riders didn’t qualify.
Around 6 p.m. there were more than 5000 spectators, many of them were also at one of the two parties that began at around 10 p.m. … The event closed with a bang! Lots of people, good music and fun! The riders enjoyed the party after an amazing adventure, despite the classifications… that’s the right attitude that you should expect from an event of this kind.
We are ready for Red Bull’s next event powered by Jeep. Are you ready?
Remember that the keywords are: Adventure, Adrenaline and Freedom!
See you soon!
posted by Jeep® on 2012-02-29
