Earlier this year I shot an assignment for Red Bull with X-Alps contender Honza Rejmanek (above) and fellow paragliding phenom Chris Santacroce in Salt Lake City, Utah. it was a full on adventure and I even shot air-to-air with the paragliders. Right now (as of this posting), Honza is still racing in the Red Bull X-Alps competition in Europe.
The X-Alps competition is an epic adventure race where thirty-two of the world’s best endurance athletes and paragliding pilots “race non-stop through the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea, with just a paraglider and a pair of hiking boots to help them, and with their every is move tracked by advanced technology and broadcasted to an audience of millions. The race goes on day and night, sun or snow, until 48 hours after the first pilot reaches the finish in Manaco. Motorized transport is forbidden but they can select a supporter to help supply food, equipment and information.” The racers cover over 530 miles (850 km), fly in extremely dangerous conditions and end up hiking huge portions of the race with a minimal kit. This isn’t a race for the meek. This is a race that rewards good planning and tactics; one mistake can mean losing the race.
If you’d like to follow the race online you can see the latest updates, including videos and diaries from the racers at www.redbullxalps.com.
Look for a behind the scenes feature on this assignment in the next issue of the Newsletter. But right now you can check out some images from this assignment and others with the Red Bull Air Force on my website in the Projects section entitled Red Bull Air Force.
