Red Bull Rings in 2009 with History-Making Feats in Las Vegas as
Motorsports Stars Rhys Millen and Robbie Maddison Successfully Complete
Truck Backflip and 100-Foot-High Motorcycle Jump
Las Vegas, Nevada (December 31, 2008) – On New Year’s Eve, two world-class
athletes made history in Las Vegas, kissing 2008 goodbye and welcoming in
2009 with a bang. Unsatisfied with traditional resolutions, these athletes
broke boundaries and propelled themselves in to the history books with
amazing feats of skill and calculated risk at Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. At approximately 8:30 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. ET), Rhys Millen
performed the first-ever backflip in an off-road truck at the Rio All-Suite
Hotel&Casino. Not to be outdone, Robbie Maddison, who set the world
record for a distance motorcycle jump on New Year’s Eve last year, followed
up this year with a 10-story-high jump, landing on the top of the replica
Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas shortly after 9:00 p.m. local
time (midnight ET). Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. was telecast live on
ESPN to a worldwide audience.
Millen’s backflip in an off-road truck was the realization of a goal set in
2007. During his final practice before the 2007 Red Bull New Year’s Eve
event, Millen overshot the landing, resulting in injury, damage to his
vehicle and his withdrawal from the event. But along his road to recovery,
the 36-year-old Kiwi kept the backflip in his mind, and his determination
drove him to attempt – and complete – the feat this year. During the flip,
Millen’s truck hit a specially-designed ramp at 36 miles per hour and once
airborne, travelled a distance of 80 feet at a height of 50 feet, landing
heavily on all four wheels before rolling upside down. Millen exited his
truck unscathed. Millen has an extensive motorsports background. He was
the 2005 Formula Drift champion, 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 and Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
“You come as prepared as you can, knowing all your numbers - speed,
distance and height,” said Millen. “But you get only one opportunity to get
it right. I landed, but I landed with a twist. Unfortunately the suspension
that is needed to leave the ramp is not same as to land. There were so many
factors to calculate. When Carey Hart completed the first backflip on a
motorcycle in competition, he crashed. I really wanted to finish 2008
driving down that dirt pile and pumping my fist in the air, but am very
proud of what I did accomplish.”
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 had nowhere to go but up – more than
100 feet up. In front of a crowd of more than 300,000 New Year’s Eve
revelers chanting his name, the 27-year-old Aussie accelerated to 55 miles
per hour and launched his bike 105 feet high, landing on the top of the
96-foot-high and 40-foot-deep replica Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las
Vegas. After successfully landing on the top, Maddison swung his motorcycle
around and dropped a dizzying 60-plus feet to a landing ramp below, the
immense force of the impact lacerating his left hand, which was sutured at
a local hospital. Maddison’s impressive resume, in addition to his
record-breaking distance jumps, includes a very successful freestyle
motocross career.
“I just cheated death again,” said Maddison. “I’m ready to live another day
and am extremely excited to see what 2009 holds for me. The risk level of
my jumps was extremely high, and although I was confident in my abilities
and preparation, I knew there could have been major consequences, but that
is what pushing the limits is all about.”
For additional event information, as well as information on Maddison and
Millen, visit www.redbullnewyearnolimits.com.
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