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Red Bull New Zealand Presents The Human Trailers Project Date: 02-27-2007
Author: Wakeskating.com Staff
For the third year in a row, the art of wakeskating, Red Bull New Zealand and five of wakeskating's classic riders will have the chance to meet up and have a dance with destiny...
OK, so it's not quite that dramatic. For 2007, The Human Trailers project is getting ready to launch this week in Auckland, New Zealand. Brian Grubb, Thomas Horrell, Jim Leatherman, Aaron Reed, and Danny Hampson, a new participant with the Red Bull projects, will have the privilege of taking part in and witnessing a progressive, one of a kind event, courtesy of Ivan Mennim and Red Bull New Zealand. The event will also see the return of their official photographer/part time dancer, Josh Letchworth.
So, what exactly is the Human Trailers project? The aforementioned riders and a small number of select crew members will get the chance to experience a New Zealand Road trip while trying to find some interesting backdrops and a wide variety of features that will allow for some unique wakeskating through adaptation. Ivan said, " The plan is quite different from Step Up and Adrift, in that we don't want to stick in one place, but see more of the country and adapt to things as we find them."
With resources that include two trucks, two trailers and a week of varied locations, the participants are planning to drive the entire length of the country in one week. When it came to deciding what kind of rails to build for the trip, the choice was made to keep them basic so a focus could be put on tricks and variations that come with time and comfort. So, what do you do? Why, you add a long flat bar and a ledge box/mannual pad to the Human Trailer project. Perfect!!
All of the boys are set to arrive in New Zealand at various times throughout this week, with the Human Trailers road trip officially kicking off on Thursday, March 1. The wakeskating will begin with a winch session at an Olympic sized swimming pool, and it will be followed up with a PWC filming session at a local estuary. The next day will reunite the riders with a location that's been kind in the past and is all too familiar, Orakei Korako. There they'll meet up with some old friends and take advantage of the scenic waterway to do some boat riding for the day. The next stage of the trip will lead them to Wellington, where they'll catch a ferry ride to the south island of New Zealand to Kaikoura, whereupon they'll find their next temporary home, and hopefully some nice waves for Brian to tow into with his wakeskate. Finally, after nearly a week's worth of travels, everyone will arrive in Queenstown, their final destination. They'll be put up at Red Bull's base camp house, which is conveniently situated in an area that has a number of waterways (which is a "must have" for any river lover), with Lake Unknown being the sweet mistress that's on everyone's mind.
The humble establishment in Queenstown that will house the band of "Human Trailers" nomads...
Descriptions of the lake sound picturesque and unlike anything that's ever been seen in wake film before. (Rumor has it that scenes from "Lord of the Rings" were shot near the area.) The lake can be found just below the snow line in Mount Aspiring national park, which is located in the Southern Alps on the South Island. The lake was named appropriately, since it is well off the beaten path and requires a lot of work in order access it and gaze upon her intoxicating beauty. (Because she's a mistress, remember?) A helicopter is the only method the crew can use to gain access to the lake for themselves, two winches and a PWC or two. Good planning and some creativity should result in some epic PWC and winch sessions at a breathtaking, untouched location. And in spite of all of the work it takes to access the lake, it will be well worth it to Ivan, since "I really wanted some super startling landscapes for the images for this project." The idea to film at such a unique location was inspired by a previous trip he took:
"I got the idea to go here from a trip to the Alps a few years back. I was in a place called Paradise on the Dart river when a gnarled old guide told me there was a lake on top of a huge cliff in the mountains [that] you can only get to by air. It's like 1.7 km up in the sky. It's cradled by a crown on cliffs with a waterfall at the end. I had this planned in my mind but hadn't seen it on anything but maps until yesterday. Nobody has photos, but now I do."
Lake Unknown and her fortress...
So there you have it--the full itinerary for the third Red Bull wakeskating event. Keep your eyes peeled to see what progression and imagery is produced from this event. If it's anything like the Step Up and Adrift projects, it would be hard to ask for anything more...
Want to "get your bearings?" Check out
these maps of New Zealand.
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