Quotes on Red Bull Speedride

Antoine Montant, FRA:

When we were flying to the start today I was trying to find the perfect line for me. It makes me really happy that I finally managed to win. I’m currently enjoying the situation of standing on the podium together with two really good friends. Just like we’ve often been able to enjoy in the past, and as will frequently be the case in the future as well. This event has certainly set new standards for our new type of sport!

Mathias Roten, SUI:

After qualifying, I thought to myself it would be nice to sit in the chopper with Antoine and Francois and glide over fresh powder down into the valley. It actually turned out like that, and I am absolutely delighted with my result.

Francois Bon, FRA:

Firstly, I’d like to congratulate my two co-competitors and friends. They’ve shown our sport in all its glory and it's an honour for me to be on the third place! Speedriding is like a third dimension – speed, curves, gliding. Playing with the slopes and feeling the mountain. It’s a combination of skiing and gliding, a thrilling sport with a lot of potential in the future. The Red Bull Speedride was great come together with a perfect event format. I think it has opened new oportunities for this sport and it has also put the sport into the right direction.

Helmut Eichholzer, AUT:

I’m actually a paraglider. I was at the start for the Red Bull X-Alps and other events, and for me, Speedriding is the perfect combination of skiing and paragliding. Speedriding is a risky sport. You depend on external conditions like the wind and the weather, and therefore need some experience of these things. Speedriding is still in its infancy, but has great potential. The event format of Red Bull Speedride is very good. There are no restrictive rules, so the focus is on freedom. The Red Bull Speedride is the first get-together of the best athletes from various countries, with different styles and chutes. You learn from each other, which develops the sport.

Pierre Malbet, FRA:

I’ve been an absolute Speedride freak, ever since I tried it out three years ago. The Red Bull Speedride gave us the opportunity to see and learn about all the riders, their techniques and styles for the first time. The very best athletes were at the start, and the riding was at a very high level.

Daniel Kofler, AUT:

Speedriding is childhood dream that became a reality. I’ve always wanted to fly down into the valley like the birds in the mountains, skimming over the ground. This sport now makes it possible. I think the open format and direct judging of the Red Bull Speedride has resulted in the birth of a new sport. As the athletes themselves decide what should be assessed as good and who the best riders are, new styles and therefore new objectives have probably been defined.

The event was friendly, and you could see the direction the sport is going to develop in. The icy snow and favourable wind conditions were ideal, as riders from the skiing scene were forced to fly more, and riders from the flying scene had to ski more. It was a meeting half-way between the two, which resulted in new styles.

Red Bull has enormously enriched the scene with this event.