FOUR-CROSS SLALOM LAUNCHES NEW ERA IN WINGSUIT RACING

FOUR-CROSS SLALOM LAUNCHES NEW ERA IN WINGSUIT RACING

CLOVERDALE (USA) – Streaking through an aerial slalom course above Northern California this weekend, Andy Farrington of the United States fought off a fierce challenge from an international field of 40 men and women from 18 countries to be crowned Red Bull Aces champion for the second consecutive year. The event takes the concept of snowboard cross to the skies as athletes jump four at a time from a helicopter at 8,000 feet/2,440 meters above sea level and fly – head-to-head – through a twisting course of five gates positioned at descending altitudes between 6,500 feet/1,980 meters and 3,500 feet/1,065 meters. Fellow American Noah Bahnson had a repeat second place in the competition that has launched a new age in wingsuit flying, while a newcomer to the Red Bull Aces podium, Matt Gerdes, completed the American sweep in third. Athletes from Norway, Sweden and Australia also clinched finishes in the top 8.

By the time the lineup of only the best athletes from five continents was narrowed down to the Final 4, the race was almost too close to call. Farrington and Bahnson were neck and neck through the 112-foot/34-meter long gates suspended by helicopters. Because both pilots passed through the gates with perfect accuracy, it all came down to time, and Farrington edged Bahnson by less than four-tenths of a second.

Combining speed, precision and agility, Red Bull Aces was developed to determine the world’s best all-around wingsuit pilot in a competitive environment that has inspired new training methods for the athletes as well as visionary designs for the suits, which enable swift and agile flight thanks to their ingenious construction.

“This is such a unique event, and a previous win doesn’t guarantee you anything against the talent here,” said Farrington, who has logged 24,000 jumps in his 33 years. “I raced Noah [Bahnson] three times today, and if the slightest thing had changed, he could have been at the top of the podium in a heartbeat. We’re going up against the top caliber of competitors in the world and the field is only getting stronger.“

About Red Bull Aces
The world’s first-ever wingsuit four-cross competition, as well as the first with air gates, Red Bull Aces was introduced in 2014 and returned in a new Northern California location this year with all the excitement of the pioneering 160-mph (260-kmh) race, plus improved technology besides. The goal of the contest – where athletes jump four at a time from a civilian Bell Huey helicopter to fly simultaneously through an aerial slalom course of five 112-foot/34-meter gates – is to find the world’s best all-around wingsuit pilot. 

Final Ranking Red Bull Aces 2015: 1. Andy Farrington (USA), 2. Noah Bahnson (USA), 3. Matt Gerdes (USA), 4. Scott Palmer (USA) 5. Espen Fadnes (NOR), 6. Petter Mazzetta (SWE), 7. Rex Pemberton (AUS), 8.     Scotty Bob (USA);  10. Tony Uragallo (GBR), 11. Pablo Hernandez (ESP), 12. Julian Boulle (SRA), 15. Carlos Briceno (VEN), 19. Sebastian Alvares (CHI), 20. Vincent Descols (FRA), 21. Gilaad Elstein (ISR), 22. Jason Moledzki (CAN), 26. Vincent Cajiga (MEX), 30. Tim HeHedderich (GER), 32. Roberta Mancino (ITA), 33. Michi Schwery (SUI)

Red Bull Aces Course Facts

Approximately 1 mile/1.6 kilometers in length, the Red Bull Aces slalom course for 2015 is created by five air gates suspended from helicopters. Made specifically for the race from the type of zero porosity fabric used in high-performance parachutes, the unique 112-foot-long/34-meter-long gates are printed through an exclusive process in New Zealand and assembled and counterweighted in the United States. On race day, the athletes jump four at a time from a civilian Bell Huey helicopter at an altitude of 8,000 feet/2,440 meters above sea level. The gates are positioned at descending levels between 6,500 feet/1,980 meters and 3,500 feet/1,065 meters. All the gates are equipped with GPS positioning, and the competitors each wear a GPS transmitter to determine whether they pass through the gates properly. Computer systems on the ground receive the information in real time, making the judging immediate. The winner is based not only on how quickly the finish line is crossed, but also on how many gates he/she correctly passes through. The athletes make a parachute landing back at the take-off area after finishing their run.

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