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Behind The Scenes Of Red Bull Air Race: Pilots, Technicans And Nightclub Promoters…

Kuba — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:12:20 +0000

Flying in the Red Bull World Championship is very much a team effort according to the pilots who compete. It’s non-stop for everyone involved and with every year that passes, the pressure on team members increases as the sport fast becomes a global phenomenon.

As in all motorsport disciplines, the person at the controls tends to get the most attention as the ‘ambassador’ of the race team but in reality the pilot is supported by key people who make it all happen long before they hear the ‘Smoke On’ signal to fly into the track.

Aside from the actual flying – which only represents the tip of the iceberg – there are continuous technical refinements being made to the aeroplanes behind the scenes, never-ending media requests to deal with and strategy meetings to be held.

Range of expertise

“The Red Bull Air Race really is all-consuming for pilots and teams,” says Nigel Lamb (UK), now in his fifth year of racing. “There’s so much to do in between races as well as during the off season that you need a solid team around you to get everything done properly and on time.”

Generally the teams comprise pilot, technician and team coordinator (known as a TC in the trade). This trio should equate to a well-balanced combination of expertise across the relevant disciplines but in many cases, the knowledge overlaps. Many of those involved have a flying background and often this shared interest provides the setting for how friendships and business relationships first formed.

Paul Bonhomme’s TC Nigel Warren – who the UK pilot describes as the team’s “travelling quartermaster” – is famed for his ability to multi-task and admits he’s fanatical when it comes to paperwork.

The former corporate jet pilot, who has “known Bonhomme for years”, points out just how varied the TC’s backgrounds are and says: “There are people from all walks of life doing this job – you’ve got a lawyer, a wine merchant, a propeller salesman, an online entrepreneur, a nightclub promoter… it just proves that there are many different skills that can be of use in this role.”

Team building

Choosing the right people to support the campaign for championship success is essential and one that 2009 newcomer Pete McLeod is all too aware of. “If you have one weak link in the team then it’s just not going to come together,” says the youngest ever competitor in the championship who secured his first point in Windsor, Canada, last month.

“For me this isn’t a ‘one shot, one go, one year’ thing so I looked for young, hungry people like me who I think have a lot of talent. I selected them with a view to us growing together as a team.”

Nathan ‘Nate’ Herbert, a professional snocross rider and recreational pilot, is McLeod’s team coordinator. He has shown great marketing and PR aptitude in his inaugural season and as someone that McLeod says he “trusts and can work with” Herbert has helped to put Team 84 in the spotlight.

He’s not alone. All teams have realised that they must play ball with the media, give interviews, be photographed… and generally allow the public access to them as people. To ensure this is dealt with in an appropriate manner, one of the main responsibilities of the TC is to field journalist enquiries.

Current world champion Hannes Arch has decided to include an additional team member to help with this task. Fellow Austrian Mario Schoby coordinates the pilot’s media appointments, photoshoots and generally ensures that Arch remains high on the sports news agenda without encroaching upon his TC’s time.

Good diplomacy skills are often required in the team coordinator role and having a commercial mind is a definite advantage in terms of keeping sponsors happy. There is also a very different side to the role, however, which involves dealing with the operational side of running the team.

Good time management and organisational skills are a must and a driving licence essential as there is plenty of ferrying around to be done during race week.

“It’s a case of booking flights, hotels, working with the official schedules and generally making sure that your pilot is where he’s supposed to be at the right time,” says Lamb’s TC Becci Allen, who has been praised for her willingness to pick up a spanner and help out team technician Nigel ‘Hux’ Huxtable. “Sometimes you’ve all got to get stuck in to get the job done!”

Under the cowlings

All the technicians are pilots and bring a deep-rooted knowledge of aviation engineering which is complimented by hands-on experience and a passion for aeroplanes. Many are involved in restoration projects at home having rebuilt many weird and wonderful classic machines over their careers.

Bruno Marlière, tech to Nicolas Ivanoff, is involved in the restoration and preservation of historic aircraft in France, while Sergey Rakhmanin’s tech is a top level aerobatic pilot from Lithuania called Antanas Marciukaitis.

In addition, some technicians – like Team Goulian’s Tim Hess – have specialist technical motor racing experience to bring to the party. There’s also a hint of ‘tech swapping’ that goes on, with some technicians having worked across different teams since the championship began. It seems some pilots are happy to share and share alike!

For rookie teams like that of Germany’s Matthias Dolderer, previous race experience on the technical side is proving useful. His technician, Kelley Brow, is completely familiar with the Edge 540 and the race environment, having been involved in the championship since 2007. It’s a clear technical advantage over some of the other rookie teams who only have limited race experience to draw upon.

Tailor-made teams

A fresh approach to shaping a successful race team this year has also seen new roles created. Spain’s Alejandro Maclean was the first to enlist the services of a dedicated sports coach. As a somewhat emotionally charged competitor, Maclean admits during the 2008 season he became distracted and was unable to remain fully focused on his flying.

He stresses that his team is looking to achieve the necessary synergy between the physical and psychological factors that have an impact on race success.

“I decided to find a professional sports psychologist to help me push the distractions outside of racing from my mind. I went to one of the universities in Spain where I found Eneko Larumbe, a Doctor in Psychology with a special interest in sport psychology. We have been looking at all aspects of racing and concentrating on how we can improve and work better as a team with specific goals and objectives.”

Maclean’s decision highlights the point that each team has a different set of strengths and weaknesses which can benefit from a bespoke solution. With that in mind, Bonhomme has also enlisted the help of a carbon fibre expert from California who has assisted technician Wade Hammond throughout the off season and also at the first three races of 2009.

Selecting this additional expertise underlines Team Bonhomme’s focus on improving aerodynamic efficiency of the Edge 540 and signals a growing trend of teams trying to get ahead of each other with more creative strategies. Having a second tech with a specialist knowledge of aerodynamics has definitely allowed the team to ramp up technical activity as four hands are certainly better than two.

It will be interesting to observe over the coming months how teams try to gain an advantage over their race rivals and whatever focus they take, there will be little sharing of advice. The pilots – and the teams that support them – are all focused on success but the right combination will inevitably vary from hangar to hangar.

The winning formula of personalities and skill sets will remain open to interpretation but a shared goal is the unifying theme. So when the fans see the smiling face of a victorious pilot on the podium after a race, they can rest assured that those back at the hangar will be sharing that sense of achievement.

And later on, when the celebrations are in full swing, the other members of the winning team will be basking in their well-deserved glory.

Anyway, if reading a big post gives you pain, watch those two videos:

Behind the Scenes of Racing: Red Bull Air Race Logistics

Click here to view the embedded video.

Behind the Scenes, Red Bull Air Race, San Diego, 2007

Click here to view the embedded video.

Red Bull Air Race, San Diego, 2007 — Behind the Scenes

Ivanoff Chases Arch After Stirring San Diego Win

Kuba — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:32:36 +0000

Note: This Is A Press Release by Redbull Air Race

Nicolas Ivanoff jumped ahead of Paul Bonhomme into second place in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship with his stirring victory over the British ace in San Diego on May 9/10 and the red-hot Frenchman will be looking to move ahead of championship leader Hannes Arch of Austria in the third race of the season in Windsor, Canada on June 13/14.

Denis Poroy/Red Bull Air Race via AP Images (both)

The San Diego Challenge

San Diego was the second career victory for Ivanoff, who had never finished higher than seventh place in his first four years in the championship but has now turned into a bonafide contender for the 2009 title with back-to-back podiums for the first time in his career.

Arch, who was slowed by a bird strike in a dramatic Final 4 race in San Diego and fell to third place, still leads the championship with 23 points from the two races this year ahead of Ivanoff in second with 21 points and Bonhomme, who was second in both Abu Dhabi and San Diego, on third with 20 points. Canada’s Pete McLeod, one of four rookies in the 15-pilot field this year, will be searching for his first championship points at his home race.

“It’s a new plane and the whole team has worked very hard to make it a really good plane,” Ivanoff said after his first victory since the final race of the 2007 season in Perth. Ivanoff had a superb run in the final and his time of 1:17.21 was the fastest of the weekend, a massive 1.11 seconds ahead of Bonhomme. After finishing seventh overall in 2005 and 2007, Ivanoff fell to a career worst ninth in 2008. After only making it to the top eight in three of last year’s eight races, Ivanoff abandoned his Extra 300SR in favour of a new Edge 540.

“It’s a really good plane. This year I’ve tried to learn how to fly without penalties. That has been the key.”

It’s Only The Beginning Of Season

Ivanoff, who was third in Abu Dhabi only after getting hit with a painful two-second penalty in the final that cost him the victory, said he could hardly wait for the next race in Windsor yet the 41-year-old based in London was guarding against overconfidence with only a third of the season completed. “It’s only the beginning of the season. Everything is still wide open.

It’s important to be in the top three in every race if you want to accomplish anything. Consistency is the key. Clearly that’s what’s important.” Ivanoff would have won in Abu Dhabi as well with the fastest raw time in the Final 4 of 1:24.34 but he picked up a two-second penalty that dropped him to third.

Arch, who proved that axiom about consistency by winning last year’s championship with seven podiums in eight races, was disappointed that his collision with a pelican in the Final 4 which left a grapefruit-sized hole in his horizontal stabilizer cost him the victory in San Diego after he had won one championship point the day before by posting the fastest Qualifying time.

He could have opened a seven-point lead at the top (26-19) over Ivanoff with the victory in San Diego but was forced to settle with nine points for third instead of 12 for the victory and now leads by a narrow 23-21. It was the eighth straight podium for the Austrian.

Lost by hitting a bird

“I got off course by that (bird strike) and was then penalised two seconds at the next gate,” Arch said. “I didn’t have a chance to keep the plane flying on the right line, and had to check to make sure everything was still working. I felt sorry for the bird. It made a loud bang. I checked to make sure everything was still functioning and continued on.”

Arch said he was pleased with the speed of his Edge 540 throughout the race weekend, which gives him plenty of confidence going to Windsor: “I was the fastest in all the training sessions and Qualifying. Obviously I would like to have won. But after hitting the bird the race was lost. At the end of the day I was happy that nothing happened to me and that I was able to finish the race.”

Bonhomme, who had posted the fastest time in the Top 12 competition before slipping to third fastest in the Super 8 and second in the Final 4, said he had long had his eye on the talented Mr. Ivanoff, who has for years been considered one of the most skilful pilots in the competition if not always the most successful. “Nicolas proved that he and his machine can win, something we’ve known for a long while. But it just took time to find the right machine. I think we’ll see lots more of Nicolas this year.”

The British ace acknowledged that Arch is still his main rival. “We mustn’t forget that despite the bird strike Hannes still flew an astonishingly fast round. He’s got something under his bonnet and we’d love to know what.”

Bobby Martinez Defeats Taj Burrow In Billabong Pro Tahiti Final

Kuba — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:22:55 +0000

Note: This Is A Press Release by ASP World Tour

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Tuesday, May 19, 2009) – Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, has taken out the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui, defeating fellow Finalist Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, in clean three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) waves at Teahupoo.

Event No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti survived a marathon waiting period, culminating on the second-to-last available day in improving conditions that peaked for a climactic Final.

Photo by aspworldtour.com

Martinez surfed a near-flawless heat, opening up with an impressive 8.73 out of a possible 10 before putting his opponent in a combination situation with a Houdini-esque 9.73 out of a possible 10. Netting the highest heat total of the event, an 18.46 out of a possible 20, Martinez claimed his second Billabong Pro Tahiti and fourth elite tour win, establishing himself as one of the premier tube-riders in the world.

“I feel great and a bit emotional,” Martinez said. “I feel wonderful. I waited for the good ones out there and just got lucky. There weren’t too many waves and I was lucky enough to get a couple of good ones and not fall. Things just seemed to work out for me today. I really don’t know what to say. It feels really special.”

Winner on borrowed gear

The form surfer of the event, Martinez surfed the majority of his heats on borrowed equipment, having broken most of his surfboards early in the waiting period.

“I actually borrowed a board from Alain Riou (local Tahitian surfer),” Martinez said. “He rides Darren Handley shapes and the board was the same dimensions and pretty much the same board I ride. It was great to find that as yesterday, I was a bit skeptical about today in terms of the conditions and my equipment, but everything worked out perfectly.”

Martinez, who is without a major sponsor at the moment, has rocketed himself from 19th to 7th on the ASP World Tour ratings with today’s win, putting him in excellent position for the remainder of the year.

“I’m not thinking about money right now, but rather I’m thinking about the feelings I have,” Martinez said. “I didn’t start surfing to make money. I started for me, and to win today, you cannot put a price on the feelings I have. I’m really going to let it sink it and enjoy it. It’s a great result, but it’s a long year and anything can happen. Joel (Parkinson) has a great lead, and now that this event is over, my focus goes to the next one.”

Burrow’s efforts in the Final were nothing short of spectacular, collecting an 8.17, a 7.93 and a 7.33, but they were not enough to overtake the Martinez stranglehold on the event.

“I definitely had fun but it was tricky against Bobby (Martinez),” Burrow said. “He had a dream heat. The conditions looked pretty good for your forehand because the judges like seeing you pump on your forehand in the barrel. On your backhand, you just have to park it in the pit and you can’t do much, but Bobby did everything he had to out there and deserved the win. I still had a fun Final, but hard to enjoy out there because I was in a combination situation the whole time.”

Burrow now moves into the No. 2 position on the ASP World Tour ratings, setting the Western Australian up well as he eyes up the next events.

“I’ve had two keepers in terms of results and I’m hungry,” Burrow said. “I’m still kicking and I’m looking to win. The next few events, I feel really strong at and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. I’m stoked to get a result at Teahupoo, I haven’t done well here in a few years so it sets me up really well for the rest of the year.”

A motivating draw

Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, former ASP World No. 39, was the “Cinderella Story” at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Having failed to advance through a heat in the opening two events of the season, the Basque Country’s first ever ASP World Tour competitor stormed past Californian sensation Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, former event winner Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, Australian veteran Tom Whitaker, 29, and reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, en route to a Semifinals berth.

“I’ve had a tough draw throughout the event, but that’s what has kept me motivated,” Aranburu said. “Coming up against the best guys out there, you need to lift your ability. Beating Kelly (Slater) for me is one of the biggest achievements I’ve ever had. I’ve been looking up to him for so long, and just being on tour with him is an honor. To beat him is a major achievement for me.”

Want to go home

The career-best result was halted at the hands of eventual winner Martinez during one of the most exciting heats of the event. Despite coming up short to Martinez (15.23 to the Californian’s 17.17), Aranburu’s equal 3rd place finish boosts the European to 19th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“Bobby (Martinez) is one of the best out there,” Aranburu said. “I had one good one, but he got two good ones, and that was it. It’s my best result ever and I am stoked. I have lots of confidence going into the next events. I just want to go home and train and try new boards for Brazil and J-Bay. The biggest thing for me is to know that if I can do it once, I can do it twice.”

Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, opened his final day affair with a close win over fellow ASP Dream Tour veteran Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, but the goofy-footer’s precision forehand approach wasn’t enough to overtake a rampaging Burrow in the Semifinals.

“It felt like I was a bit out of rhythm in the Semifinal,” Campbell said. “I wasn’t able to capitalize on the waves I got and Taj (Burrow) posted a couple of really strong scores mid-heat that left me wanting.”

Although falling short of a Finals berth, the journeyman competitor’s equal 3rd place finish boosts him from 29th to 16th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“This is going to do a lot for my cause,” Campbell said. “I’ve had average results this year and last year too, so a third is pretty special for me. All of the heats have been hard and sometimes the luck goes your way. I’ve had a bit of luck this time around, but I’ve also spent some time here and I know it pretty well. Stoked to get a result and looking forward to the next one.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, suffered an unfortunate Round 3 loss at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, but after two event wins to open the season up, the Gold Coaster remains the frontrunner on this year’s ASP World Tour ratings.

The next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil from June 27 to July 5, 2009.

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui will be available via www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 18.46
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.86 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 10.00
SF 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 17.17 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 15.23

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.33 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.06
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.84 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.17
QF 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.93 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.67
QF 4: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.66 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.66

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.17 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 10.16
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.57 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.67
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 12.56 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.16
Heat 8: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.43 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.40

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3000 points
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 2318 points
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2208 points
4 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 2196 points
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2174 points
6 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2076 points
7 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2025 points
8 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 1932 points
9 – Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 1886 points
10 – Kieren Perrow (AUS) 1742 points
10 – Taylor Knox (USA) 1742 points
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 1742 points