Red Bull Roller Coaster: All-New Skate Contest Format To Debut At Munich Mash 2018
Red Bull have introduced the Red Bull Roller Coaster; a brand-new skateboard competition coming to Munich, Germany on June 23. The Red Bull Roller Coaster is a 400-metre downhill course combining street, bowl and vert elements, bringing 18 of the world’s best skateboarders together to compete.
Press Release: Munich, May 17 – 18 of the world’s top skateboarders, an innovative concept and a location that is perfect for riders and spectators alike – these are the elements that make up Red Bull Roller Coaster. On June 23, as part of the three-day action sports festival Munich Mash, Red Bull Roller Coaster will ultimately determine the most versatile skateboarder of the new generation. Unlike other skate competitions, the 400-meter slopestyle course is designed to combine street, bowl and vert elements, challenging athletes to display a wide range of skill to win. Already confirmed are the top U.S. skaters Jamie Foy (street) and Zion Wright (all-terrain), as well as the European elite Alex Sorgente (bowl), Barney Page (street) and Jaakko Ojanen (street).
Jamie Foy surely needs no further introduction since he has been named Thrasher Magazine’s “Skater of the Year 2017”. Zion Wright came out with a bang in 2017 as well, earning him pro status on Real Skateboards. Hailing from Italy, Alex Sorgente has been killing it in bowl competitions all over the world for years while Finland’s Jaakko Ojanen brings creative street skateboarding to a new level on the regular and Barney Page (UK) has been a veteran of the European scene for years. Together with 13 other top skateboarders, they will enter the international qualifiers on Friday to score a ticket to the finals, along with the winners of the national qualifiers on Thursday. Difficulty, originality, airtime, style and flow are the main criteria when ten of the world’s best skateboarders enter the Red Bull Roller Coaster finals on Saturday, June 27th, to battle it out under the watchful eyes of five renowned judges. What does it take to make it to the top in this kind of contest? Versatility, persistence, quick reactions, confidence and – of course – having fun riding a skateboard!
Skateboard veteran and mastermind behind various international skate events such as European Skateboard Championship (ESC), Oli Bürgin, is the man behind the event’s concept and design. Together with the well-respected skatepark designer Andreas Schützenberger of IOU Ramps, Bürgin’s vision of a roller coaster-like downhill slope incorporating handrails, gaps and transitions ending in a skatepark will come to life this summer in the hills of the Olympic Park.
“Just like any other roller coaster, the course will start at the highest point and then it’s all about going downhill with speed and style to the finish,” says Bürgin. With Red Bull Roller Coaster, Bürgin has created a concept that mirrors the zeitgeist of contemporary skateboarding perfectly: “Slopestyle contests are not yet a thing in skateboarding, but the mixture of obstacles is perfectly tailored for the current generation of all-terrain skateboarders.”
Red Bull Roller Coaster is free to attend. For those unable to make it on-site, the finals will be broadcast live on Red Bull TV.
Schedule:
- Thursday, June 21: National qualifiers
- Friday, June 22: Qualification for Finals
- Saturday, June 23: Finals
