SAO PAULO (Brazil) – On a thrill-filled night in South America’s largest city, top international free running stars were joined by a selection of Brazil’s best to compete on a challenging course that included jumps of up to 4 meters down as well as sprints straight up walls without any help. They also crossed multi-meter wide gaps with back flips and other daredevil tricks.
The urban playground, a ruin next to the “Paco das Artes” building which has been embellished by Brazilian graffiti artists over the years, duly impressed the athletes – including free runner Jason Paul (GER), who has gained worldwide fame for his performances. “This city offers us unlimited possibilities,” he said. “You could spend your entire life here working through every quarter with the great variety of flow and style.”
Ryan Doyle, who won the competition, was quite literally over the moon with the victory – on a fantastic night illuminated by a bright full moon. “You’ve got to budget your energy quite carefully. After the run your body is exhausted. The most dangerous part of our sport is over-estimating yourself. Every step and every movement has to be spot on.”
Free running is the number 1 sport on YouTube with more than 20 million uploads each year. It was first organized as an event in 2007 and Red Bull Art of Motion has developed it into the free running scene’s state of the art competition. In 2011 Tim Shieff (UK) won the competition in London with a dominating performance. End of July in Yokahama, Jason Paul (GER) came out on top in the event staged in front of Japan’s tallest building.
