Red Bull Fuel + Fury, The Final Chapter
“Big Air” Soars to Big Win as Video Segment Judged Best Overall by the Public
ANCHORAGE, AK (April 16, 2006) – Shortly after the stroke of midnight,
the final public votes from across the country were tallied at the
historic 4th Avenue Theater, and Chris Burandt (Kremmling, Colo.) and
his videographer, Rich Van Every (Carlsbad, Calif.), hoisted their
moose antler first-place trophy above their heads, bringing the curtain
down on the Red Bull Fuel + Fury backcountry freestyle snowmobile video
competition. The duo won the “Best Overall Segment” prize, along with
$7,000, with their entry “My Hot Pocket Sponsor Me Video.”
“I’m feeling really good,” said Burandt, who also won the 2005 Red Bull
Fuel + Fury in Milwaukee. “It was about teamwork. Rich and I put a lot
of effort into our video. We were the first ones into the editing rooms
and the last to leave, and it showed.”
ALASKA AS THEIR PLAYGROUND
From Sunday, April 9 to Thursday, April 13, sixteen teams of the
world’s best freestyle snowmobilers and videographers spent their days
riding and shooting in the majestic Alaskan backcountry at locations
ranging from nearby Turnagain Arm to Valdez, some six hours south. When
the sun set, the teams headed to their editing rooms - some until the
sun rose – to produce their two- to four-minute original video segments.
The teams had one last chance to add content to their videos at
Friday’s Red Bull Fuel + Fury jam session at Alyeska Resort. The riders
threw down their best tricks on a sprawling natural terrain course,
built by SCS Racing, in front of an enthusiastic crowd. In a sign of
things to come, “Big Air” Burandt went big in his two runs and was
voted the winner of the jam session, and $5,000, by top snocross racer
Levi Lavallee, Zach Kirk of HMK and his fellow riders. After the jam
session ended, the teams charged back to the editing rooms to meet the
11:59 p.m. video submission deadline, at which time the videos
were digitized and posted online.
“This is such a unique event for not only the riders but for the
filmers,” said Van Every, winner of the 2006 X-Dance best picture
award. “I’m so proud to be a part of this competition. It was a lot of
fun to feel the pressure of competition by having to make our video in
a week.”
ELECTION DAY
All of the teams’ videos were turned over to the court of public
opinion on Saturday, April 15. Via www.redbullfuelandfury.com and at
parties across the country, the public had the opportunity to view and
vote for their favorite segments, which were announced Saturday night
at the 4th Avenue Theater at the Red Bull Fuel + Fury “Vision +
Decision” party, where a capacity crowd gathered to watch all of the
videos.
Cody Borchers and his videographer, Dave Craig, won $3,000 for their
second place entry. Kyle Armbrust and Andy Baugh tied for third place
with Randy Sherman and Clayton Stassert, each team winning $1,000.
In the Fuel + Fury “preem” categories, also judged by the pubic,
Borchers won “Best Run,” Christoph Von Alvensleben soared to “Biggest
Air” and Jay Quinlan made his “Worst Wreck” pay off, as each rider took
home $1,000.
All of the videos, along with photos of the competition, can be viewed at www.redbullfuelandfury.com.
