Red Bull Project Air

For the first time ever, the Red Bull surf team has built a skateboard aerial training facility specifically for surfers. They’ve set up shop in Lennox Head,  NSW, Australia for a two week aerial camp for a handful of pros including: Mick Fanning, Jordy Smith, Shane Beschen, Michel Bourez, Sally Fitzgibbons, Julian Wilson, and Sofia Mulanovich. The concept behind the project is to let the surfers expand their tricks by experimenting and trying different techniques in an controlled environment out of the water. The “surf bowl” is built to fit surf style moves with different right and left ramps called “breaking points”, that send the surfers into a foam pit.

Along with the ramps and foam pits, there are a number of aerial skateboard coaches there to guide them with their different styles and different tweaks on their approach on tricks. This allows the surfers to perfect old tricks and attempt new ones, that in the water would normally take months or even years to accomplish.

“I’m psyched, the future of surfing is definitely going to be more about fully, functional aerials and functional air combinations” said Jordy.

Red Bull has really made an impact in all action sports these past few years and it is awesome to see them thinking out of the box for ways to keep progressing surfing as a sport. You can keep up with the project on Red Bull’s blog, where they have been posting daily updates.

SURFBANG has video of the first skate session of the project, watch it here.

Source: redbullsurfing.com

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