Red Bull Storm Chase 2012 - Preview

After the first Red Bull Storm Chase in 2006, the Storm Chase is back!

By hunting down 3 massive storms anywhere in the world, 10 athletes will battle for the crown of the ultimate storm windsurfer.

THE CONTEST FORMAT
The contest format is simple: Everybody can register, 50 applicants will be shortlisted by a jury, 10 riders will be selected with an online voting and these 10 riders will compete in the first mission. Six of them advance to mission number two and in the final mission the top 4 riders will battle for the ultimate Storm Chaser’s crown. To guarantee raging conditions, Red Bull Storm Chase 2012 will be mobile to the max, with a 4-month holding period and just 48 hours to mobilise riders and global contest crew on-site before the storm strikes.

SUGGEST A DESTINATION
To make sure the 3 missions match the most perfect storms at the perfect time, everybody is invited to nominate their favorite destinations until May 31st. An team of experts will go through all the nominated destinations and assess them regarding their suitability for the competition. Six destinations will then be shortlisted and announced as possible competition locations on July 16th, three of them will be sailed.

“The starting flag goes up when the winds exceed 10 Beaufort (54 knots / 100 kmh / 62 mph), “ says Red Bull. To date, 63 riders like Philip Köster, Alex Mussolini or Thomas Traversa have already registered and feel ready to challenge these 54 knots. The registration is open until June 28th. After the registration is closed, 50 applicants will be shortlisted by the jury containing of Robby Naish, PWA head judge Duncan Coombs and PWA photographer John Carter. If you are also ready to chase the storm, you can register here.

World-class windsurfing needs first-rate judging and so in association with the PWA (Professional Windsurfers’ Association), Head Judge Duncan Coombs will oversee the contest. “The Red Bull Storm Chase opportunity gives us a dream contest. On tour, we usually arrive somewhere in the hope of scoring good conditions. Now we’ll travel to the storm instead of waiting for it to find us. We can expect to pull-off a competition in the most extreme wind and wave conditions, in new-found places. We will do our best to push the boundaries of competition and to explore the world’s most radical conditions.”

Red Bull Storm Chase 2012