Celebrate New Year’s With Maddo Again
November 20, 2008 – 2:37 am PT by GregTags: Red Bull, Robbie Maddison —
cr. Vitek Ludvik/ Red Bull
Aussie Robbie Maddison continues to build his reputation as this generation’s Evel Knievel with his second-straight New Year’s Eve stunt.
Last year it was a world-record breaking jump (since broken) in the parking lot of the Rio. Not bad, but any Vegas regular will tell you that no matter how nice it is, Rio is still decidedly “off-strip” and therefore always going to be a red-haired stepchild to the likes of Caesar’s Palace (site of Knievel’s most famous jump).
This year, Maddo moves up in the world by setting up shop with Red Bull at Paris, which definitely ranks as strip-worthy. The hotel has a replica of the Arc de Triomphe that is about 100 feet high and Maddo will jump on top of the Arc, ride along it, then do a freefall of 50 feet onto a landing ramp below.
This isn’t exactly a world record — unless you count doing something for the first time a “world record.” But it should be pretty cool to watch.
Maddo won’t be alone on the night. Kiwi Rhys Millen is going to pull off the stunt he couldn’t attempt last New Year’s Eve due to injury. He’ll be the first person to attempt to land a backflip in an off-road truck. Unfortunately, the backflip attempt will take place at a different (as of yet undisclosed) location than Maddo’s jump.
ESPN, as it did last year, will broadcast the event live — assume it will take place around 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET (details forthcoming).
Find out more about the event at www.redbullnewyearnolimits.com or keep reading for the full press release.
RED BULL: NEW YEAR. NO LIMITS.
New Year’s Eve Event from Las Vegas to Feature 100-Foot-High Motorcycle Jump and Truck Back Flip By Motorsports Stars Robbie Maddison and Rhys Millen, Telecast Live on ESPN
Santa Monica, Calif. (November 18, 2008) – Deviating from the standard New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking or save more money, two world-class athletes have resolved to break boundaries before the clock strikes midnight on December 31, at Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. in Las Vegas. Robbie Maddison will follow up his history-making motorcycle distance jump with another world-first performance. Rhys Millen seeks redemption for what was supposed to be a New Year’s celebration a year ago before a training accident derailed his plans, but only temporarily.
Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. will be televised live on ESPN/ESPN HD immediately following the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (approx. 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT). The show will also be simulcast live on ESPN360.com. Viewing of Maddison’s jump at Paris Las Vegas is free to the thousands of revelers on the world famous Las Vegas Strip.
LET IT RIDE Having broken the Guinness World Record for a motorcycle with a leap of 322 feet, 7.5 inches over the length of a football field during the 2007 Red Bull New Year’s Eve event, Maddison will attempt a more finessed, but equally challenging jump this time. The 27-year-old Aussie will jump his bike more than 120 feet high and land on the top of the 96-foot-high and 40-foot-deep replica Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas. What goes up must come down, and Maddison’s not going to argue with physics. Upon completing the jump, he will then drop off the Arc and freefall 50 feet to a massive landing ramp below. Maddison’s impressive resume, in addition to his record-breaking distance jumps, includes a very successful freestyle motocross career. In March, Maddison leapt an astounding 378 feet in Australia.
“I had some doubts last year whether or not I could jump a football field,” said Maddison. “But as I practiced, I got more and more confident and realized I could pull it off; and I did, twice. This year, the doubts are way bigger. The jump has never been done before, but I’m confident in my ability and I believe that as I start training, the dream that seems impossible will become a reality.”
Millen will attempt to become the first person to complete and land a backflip in an off-road truck. The flip will take place at a location to be determined in Las Vegas. Millen’s flip demands the truck to travel a distance of 80 feet at a height of 50 feet. During his final practice before the 2007 New Year’s event, Millen overshot the landing, resulting in injury, damage to his vehicle and his withdrawal from the event. The 36-year-old New Zealand native is fully recovered and more determined than ever. Millen’s motorsports credibility is unrivaled. He was the 2005 Formula Drift champion and 2008 Red Bull Drifting World Championship winner, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb world record holder and has been the lead stunt driver in several commercials and movies, such as Dukes of Hazzard and Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift.
“Last year we attempted what was before then thought impossible,” said Millen. “Laws of physics and vehicle dynamics were pushed to the limits with success, but failure came in one small miscalculation. My body can be broken but my mind cannot. This year, people will witness the first ramp to ramp back flip in an off-road truck - ever!”
Maddison and Millen will be practicing for their epic night at the Red Bull Compound training facility north of Los Angeles, which features massive foam pits for each athlete to safely prepare to make history.
Additional details for Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. will be released in the coming weeks. For event information, as well as information on Maddison and Millen, visit www.redbullnewyearnolimits.com.
