Windsurfing may have been replaced for the 2016 summer olympics Olympics, but Red Bull (in typical fashion) has found a way to max out the extreme potential of the sport with their 2012 Storm Chase competition. As the name suggests, Red Bull Storm Chase will hunt down three massive storms anywhere on the globe and hold a windsurfing competition in the gale force winds and towering waves. This comp will have:
“a 4-month holding period [August to November] and just 48 hours to mobilise riders and global contest crew on-site before the storm strikes. The starting flag will drop as soon as the wind exceeds 10 Beaufort” – Red Bull Media House
The Beaufort Wind Force Scale combines windspeed and observed conditions at sea or on land to determine the strength of storms. On the Beaufort Scale a hurricane is a 12. A 10 on this scale is a true “storm” and characterized by 55–63 mph winds (89–102 km/h), 29–41 ft waves (9–12.5 m), and “Very high waves with overhanging crests. Considerable tumbling of waves with heavy impact.”
Red Bull is accepting suggestions for competitors and locations which opens the door for amateurs to prove their skills in a unique competition.
Check out more or suggest someone for entry at www.redbullstormchase.com
Do you have the balls to throw dawn in a storm?