The Red Bulletin UK 07/21

UK EDITION JULY 2021, £3.50

BEYOND THE ORDINARY

SUBSCRIBE: GETREDBULLETIN.COM

THE FOOTBALL ISSUE FUTURE KICKS

BIOHACKING, CRYOTHERAPY, PIANO SKILLS, CRISTIANO’S SUPER SLEEPS

AMERICAN DREAM

USA’S VICTORY STRATEGY FOR WORLD CUP 2026

FARA WILLIAMS

ENGLAND’S MOST-CAPPED PLAYER ON THE WOMEN’S GAME

FAN STANNING CELEBRATING FOOTBALL’S TRUE STARS

FIELD OF VISION

Trent AlexanderArnold trials the sports science that can win a match

Editor’s letter

GAME OF LIFE To the unenthused, football is just a bunch of folk fighting over a ball. For the fan, it’s the very air they breathe. But, regardless of your stance, it is unquestionably a global force that generates entertainment, powers industry and evokes emotion, connecting people from every walk of life, democratising opportunity, and bringing together humans across the planet like few things can.

With Euro 2020 finally kicking off, we celebrate all these facets in this Football Edition of The Red Bulletin. Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold (page 32) participates in an eye-opening trial of performance-vision sports science.

Most-capped England player Fara Williams (page 50) signs off a landmark 23-year career with her vision for the future of women’s football. We also look at the reinvention of USA soccer (page 46), investigate the biohacking extremes (page 40) the elite go to for that extra edge, and celebrate those who, through good times and bad, keep the game alive and ensure its survival: the fans (page 56).

Still unenthused? We have non-football content for you, too…

Enjoy the issue.

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

JANE STOCKDALE

She may label herself “a photographer from a small town in Scotland”, but Stockdale’s work, including campaigns for the likes of Nike, and an access-all-areas Wimbledon feature for The New York Times, belies that humble tag. Her fan pictorial this issue was a personal project. “I love to document the energy and good vibes of a crowd,” she says. Page 56

FLORENCE LLOYD-HUGHES

GREG COLEMAN (COVER)

The London-based sports journalist and broadcaster produces the only women’s football show on national radio, Women’s Football Weekly on Talksport2, so she was the perfect candidate to interview Fara Williams for this issue. “Growing up, Fara was a hero to me,” she says.

“I feel lucky to have been able to sit down with this legend of the game.” Page 50

Second sight: Trent Alexander-Arnold takes a shot under the watchful eye of vision scientist Dr Daniel Laby and our cover-feature photographer Greg Coleman Page 32

04

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CONTENTS July 2021

56

Flare play: the highs and lows of football fandom, caught on camera

08 Gallery: fantastical F1 in Bahrain;

skating off-limits in Melbourne; a Viennese whirl, B-Girl style; and a long-awaited bridge leap in France

15 Playlist: a vocal masterclass from

Awolnation’s Aaron Bruno

17 The ReefLine: Miami’s coastal

conservation art project

18 Revolve Air: the revolutionary

ultra-compact folding wheelchair

20 HUSH: a snapshot of Berlin club

culture in lockdown 22 Silver Stallion: providing vital

bike repair in the Navajo Nation

24 H eroes

US singer-songwriter Liz Phair; British tennis hopeful Paul Jubb; Swedish archaeologist and parttime model Terry Madenholm

32 Trent AlexanderArnold

Dropping science on the pitch

40 B iohacking

Making the perfect footie player

46 U S Soccer

Gunning for World Cup glory

50 Fara Williams

JANE STOCKDALE

A true football legend bows out

56 Football united

Joy, pain, unity: fans in the frame

66 Fan mail

Supporters share their passion

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69 The Great Escape: one man’s

determination to complete his extreme adventure backpacking journey across the British Isles

74 It Takes Two: the co-operative

video game bringing us together

75 Pixelkabinett 42: a labour of love

in retro arcade-machine form 76 The science of language learning

– and its limitless possibilities 78 Hydrow: the indoor rower that

takes you to the river

79 CrossLIFT: all the fun of CrossFit,

none of bodybuilding’s negativity 80 Espresso yourself: join the café

racer set with our edit of the best urban-biker gear 94 Essential dates for your calendar 98 Costa living: a celebratory BMX

odyssey in Central America

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SAKHIR, BAHRAIN

Speed of light Few photographers can capture the essence of F1 quite like Clive Mason. The veteran Brit has an eye for a killer image – take this dazzling shot of Pierre Gasly in qualifying for March’s Bahrain Grand Prix. The AlphaTauri driver was one of the stars of the round, though a broken front wing later effectively ended his race at the GP proper. But the following month, at Imola in Italy, the Frenchman was back on track in both respects, finishing seventh. clivemason.com

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GETTY IMAGES

DAVYDD CHONG

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

No limits Finding a location that’s out of bounds is bliss for Kiwi lensman Jake Darwen.

“This spot was closed for years,” he says of this pic of skater Kayle Lawson.

“Then the locals removed the barriers and you could skate for two weeks.”

Just rewards for staying ahead of the curve… Instagram: @jakedarwen

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Breaking borders

JAKE DARWEN, CHRISTIAN ANWANDER

DAVYDD CHONG, LOU BOYD

Talent can take you around the world, but for Sina travel was always in her blood. The 26-yearold B-Girl split her childhood between Morocco and Austria, and the two differing cultures in her breaking – applying Moroccan break styles to European moves – is getting her noticed. She recently became the first Austrian B-Girl to win a Red Bull BC One Austria wildcard. Instagram: @soulsistersina

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LA BALME, FRANCE

DAVYDD CHONG

Bridge of highs

DEAN TREML/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Lockdown curbed many of our favourite pastimes, like shopping for cheaply produced leggings, sitting through bad movies, and plummeting from a rocky ledge into water. Months of curfew in Australia had Red Bull Cliff Diving legend Rhiannon Iffland itching to do at least one of these things. So when a dive from the 19.5m-high Pont de la Balme in south-east France – shot here by Swiss photographer Dean Treml – was mooted last September, she jumped at the chance. Obviously. Instagram: @deantreml

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True Wireless Earbuds

AWOLNATION

Voice of authority Known for his unique singing style, Awolnation’s Aaron Bruno shares four of his own favourite vocal performances

HENRY DILTZ/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

WILL LAVIN

Aaron Bruno is a man of many voices. The Californian singer and songwriter’s ability to shift from impassioned screams to falsetto to soft and melodious tones has taken him from humble beginnings in his high-school punk band Ice Monkeys to global acclaim with his current rock group, Awolnation.

Since debuting in 2010 with the single Sail, it’s been a busy decade for Awolnation – their four albums have notched up millions of sales and more than 1.5 billion streams.

“It was like a science experiment,” says Bruno of the band’s first album, 2011’s Megalithic Symphony. “I’m still blown away that people cared about it the way they did.” Here are four of the tracks – and vocal performances – that inspired Bruno himself on the road to success. awolnationmusic.com

Nirvana

Daryl Hall & John Oates

Where Did You Sleep Last Night (1993)

Sara Smile (1975)

“The first time I heard this, I had stayed up to see MTV Unplugged. As I watched [Kurt Cobain] cover this song by [folk/blues singer] Lead Belly, I remember thinking, ‘If he goes up an octave and screams the melody, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with myself.’

Then the tension builds and he screams: ‘My girl, my girl, don’t lie to me.’ That moment changed my life for ever.”

THE RED BULLETIN

“Besides being a great song with an incredible rhythm section, [Sara Smile] is also very challenging vocally and takes real patience to perfect.

I’ve always loved it and felt like it was in my range, and I remember being in this park about 11 years ago, smoking blunts alone and just trying to sing the song over and over, every single part. I never perfected it and I never will, but it’s really fun to attempt.”

Rage Against the Machine

Prince and the Revolution

Freedom (1992)

Kiss (1986)

“If I had to pick the best recorded scream of all time, I think it would have to be Zack [de la Rocha]’s in the final 30 seconds of this song, which is also the best part. The note he hits – the dirt in his vocals and the pure pain and, quite literally, rage – is mindblowing. It was everything for me, and I’ve been trying to rip it off ever since.”

“When this came out, I had no idea who was singing it.

I first heard it in my dad’s car when I was aged eight or nine, and I loved it. Some of my friends made fun of me for singing it, because it was so high. But once I realised it was Prince, and I saw just how cool and badass he was, it gave me this newfound confidence and made me realise it was OK to sing falsetto.”

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DISCOVER MORE

LOU BOYD LEANDRO ERLICH STUDIO, OMA

“The world doesn’t need more art,” says Ximena Caminos.

This may be a surprising thing for an artist and curator to say about their craft, but for the Argentinian it was a realisation.

Caminos had spent decades working on high-end projects, transforming part of the formerly depressed Mid-Beach area of her adopted home – Miami, Florida – into a glitzy cultural magnet named the Faena District (after her thenhusband Alan Faena, property developer of the project). She also reimagined the space beneath Miami’s Metrorail as a 16km art-filled parkland. Her work was beautiful and opulent, though perhaps superficial.

However, in recent years Caminos has heard a calling.

“I love art, but I had already done everything I wanted to in that world,” she explains.

“So I began to question myself.

I started thinking that the power of art could be used to achieve things that are more pressing.”

Embarking on a new direction, she brought together a team of scientists, architects and creatives to work on the concept of an art exhibition beneath the ocean; one that protects the coastline and underwater habitat along Miami Beach and can only be enjoyed by paddling out and diving down to the seabed.

“I had a conversation with a friend who is a marine biologist, and he told me that this area was declared for the deployment of artificial reefs,” Caminos says.

“I thought to myself, ‘What if these artificial reefs, instead of being horrible concrete bolsters, were artist-designed and scientifically informed modules?’” The result is The ReefLine, an otherworldly 11km-long underwater public sculpture park, snorkel trail and artificial reef that runs parallel to Miami Beach.

The modules provide a habitat for endangered reef THE RED BULLETIN

organisms such as sponges and corals, promoting biodiversity and protecting the coastline by reducing wave impact in a region notorious for cyclones; all this while hosting site-specific installations that explore issues threatening our natural world.

These artworks will include an underwater sand-sculptured traffic jam (pictured above: an artist’s impression) by Argentinian conceptual artist Leandro Erlich, and a subaquatic series of staircases

by Japanese architect Shohei Shigematsu that visitors can swim through and around.

THE REEFLINE

Finding deeper meaning

After years working in the affluent art world, this curator decided it was time to give something back

Experimental reefs

Investigation area

Boat route and dock stations Experimental reefs

Shore thing: an aerial view of how the completed ReefLine project will look

“Albert Einstein said that before being a scientist you have to be an artist,” explains Caminos. “A project like this speaks to the concerns that the city has in a creative way.

It also becomes a platform to showcase sustainability solutions to a much wider, international audience.”

The first phase of The ReefLine is scheduled to open to the public this December, with the entire 11km accessible by swimming, paddleboarding and scuba diving from the shore. “When scientists and artists work together, we grow closer to solving the world’s problems,” says Caminos.

“The ReefLine will show the world how we humans can be creative in our solutions and inhabit the world in a more sustainable way.” thereefline.org 17

When this designer created a revolutionary folding wheel, he could have sold it to the highest bidder. Instead, he wanted to make a difference Andrea Mocellin has spent much of his career designing luxury cars and flashy, futuristic vehicles. With Munich-based aerospace company Lilium, the senior product designer helped to develop the Lilium Jet, an all-electric, vertical-take-offand-landing flying taxi for the super-rich.

During his spare time, however, Mocellin has been quietly working on a different kind of invention, spending six years on something less ostentatious but arguably more vital. His wheelchair for the 21st-century traveller folds down so compactly that it can be transported in the back of a cab or plane (or even a flying taxi), and is so lightweight it can be carried under one arm.

The inventor’s passion project began in 2014, when he got the urge to create a product 18

Thinking big, making small: inventor and product designer Andrea Mocellin and his innovative compact wheelchair, Revolve Air

that was more rewarding than his professional commissions.

“I was working with luxury brands in the car industry and I was frustrated,” says Mocellin. “It was all about making things look nicer and more expensive, but beneath the skin it was always the same product.”

The Italian took the simplest part of a vehicle – the wheel – and deconstructed it. Inspired by a children’s toy known as a Hoberman sphere – a globe-like structure comprising interlocking pieces with scissor-like joints, which scrunches down to a fraction of its size – he designed a hexagonal wheel that retracts and folds in a similar way to a compact umbrella.

Mocellin could easily have cashed in by touting his creation to a high-end bike brand or motor company, but

THE RED BULLETIN

LOU BOYD

Upward mobility

MATTEO MOCELLIN/STORYTELLER-LABS

REVOLVE AIR

there was another application he felt was more important.

“I got major interest from wheelchair users who said it could actually change their lives,” he says. “So, I took the project around the world and asked users what they would prefer to have in a wheelchair; what could change their experience not only in terms of features but also aesthetics.”

The resulting Revolve Air uses Mocellin’s wheel design to fold to a size that’s 60-percent smaller than a standard wheelchair. This conforms to international hand-luggage standards, meaning that travellers no longer have to arrive at the airport hours earlier to check in their chair.

The next step, Mocellin says, is to build an infrastructure of wheelchair rental kiosks at airports. “My idea is to make it a service that the airport or airline will offer, so people who can’t afford a superlightweight wheelchair can rent one with their ticket,” he explains. Users would pick up a Revolve Air on arrival at the airport and then hand it back on their return, allowing them to travel light.

This doesn’t mean that Mocellin has completely turned his back on designing luxury products, however. He’s now combining both worlds, working on an even more lightweight, limited-edition carbon-fibre wheelchair that can be personalised and matched to the user’s car.

“People have told me that a chair this small means they can buy a fancy sports car for the first time,” he explains.

Beyond this, Mocellin plans to extend the use of his wheel to other modes of transport, starting with bikes and strollers and working up to aerospace vehicles. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” he says. “I’ve got a chance for my individual design to make a real difference.” revolveair.com

“SUMMER LOVIN’ HAD ME A BLAST SUMMER LOVIN’ HAPPENED SO FAST”

BERLIN CLUB CULTURE

The sound of silence A new photography book captures the bleak beauty of Berlin’s abandoned club scene as the industry waits to be resurrected In March last year, Friday 13th was more unlucky than usual for Berlin’s nightclub scene. As lockdown was instigated, iconic venues in the city – like many others across Europe – were forced to close. Speakers were turned off, glassware put away, dancefloors swept for the last time, and doors locked.

More than a year into the pandemic, these institutions are still yet to be reopened.

But while Berlin’s partygoers have been vocal in yearning for the dancefloor, it’s those behind the scenes who have most borne the brunt of this prolonged hiatus. Everyone from club owners to dancers, DJs to bar staff, are waiting for their livelihood to return.

New book HUSH: Berlin Club Culture in a Time of Silence

records this extraordinary moment in nightlife history.

Photographer Marie Staggat and journalist Timo Stein document the city’s famous – and now abandoned – party spots, with proceeds from sales going to the venues. “Clubs are the businesses that had to close first and will be the ones to open last,” says Staggat. “They’re safe spaces with important historical backgrounds.”

Right now, the future remains uncertain. “It’s overwhelming to be in those rooms knowing there’s no specific date when they can open up,” Staggat adds. “[The arrival of] spring and sunshine, and the vaccine, offers some motivation and direction, and the hope they will get the chance to return.”

Instagram: @hush.berlin

LOU BOYD

Uli Wombacher, 46 Co-founder, Watergate Club

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MARIE STAGGAT

“You wake up and read comments from politicians like, ‘I don’t think now’s the time for people to start partying again.’ They have no idea what these phrases trigger in the people affected. I mean, no one would ever get the idea to say, ‘This is not the time for classical music, and I don’t think there will be time in the next few years.’”

THE RED BULLETIN

Juschi, 33 Events manager, Birgit & Bier “I definitely miss long nights of partying. Going home at 1am, for example, and then coming back in the morning. You’re fresh and the people are still busy partying. That was always interesting to see. Sometimes the guests were back in the beer garden, sunbathing, even though they’d already been here for 15 hours. I do miss that a little bit. Just this freedom, no restrictions, people from very different backgrounds having a good time together.”

Heike, 49, and Alex, 43 Cleaners, Sameheads Alex: “It feels good coming here in the morning. Then we get to see the last guests leaving the party.

We look forward to the chaos when we come, and then afterwards when we’ve finished taking care of it.”

Heike: “My greatest fear is that the place will have to close completely at some point. What do I have to get up for? This place gives me stability.

It has become my purpose in life.”

THE RED BULLETIN

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Repair and reconnect A group of riders and mechanics running the first bike shop in America’s largest Indigenous nation hope it can help fix more than just bikes The Navajo Nation is the largest Indigenous American territory in the United States.

Spanning Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, across an area of around 70,000sq-km, it’s larger than 10 US states and is home to more than 173,000 Navajo – or Diné, as they call themselves.

For many Navajo, cycling is a means of reconnecting with nature and renewing their relationship with their sacred homeland, or Diné Bikéyah.

This might not seem strange except for the fact that there’s not a single bike shop to be found on the reservation.

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Pressure point: the MRC brings bike repairs direct to Navajo riders

Last year, Scott Nydam, founder of the non-profit Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works in the border town of Gallup, hatched a plan to fill the gap. Gathering a team of Navajo mechanics and riders, the 44-year-old, Denver-born former pro cyclist transformed a military truck into a fully outfitted bike-repair centre that would travel across the territory and bring a muchneeded service straight to people’s homes.

“We’re attempting to make up for the complete absence of the industry across the Navajo Nation,” Nydam explains.

“What I mean by industry is the neutral accessibility that a bike shop provides.”

Navajo writer Renee Hutchens, who has worked at the Mobile Ride Center (MRC) for the last year, says that it’s about more than merely providing a service. “Biking is directly parallel to the history of marginalisation of Navajo

THE RED BULLETIN

SHAUN PRICE

SILVER STALLION

people and the surrounding tribes,” she explains. “You need infrastructure for biking to create accessibility. There’s a reason why that isn’t in place in the Navajo Nation; you have to know the story of what Indigenous people have experienced in this country, the United States.”

When the pandemic hit last year and people became unable to visit towns outside the reservation, the need for the MRC grew more pressing.

The New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund invested $10,000 (£7,200) to get the project off the ground; Colorado-based non-profit Catena Foundation also donated funds, and the charity Southwest Indian Foundation provided the truck.

“COVID made me see that bike shops are an essential business,” says Nydam.

“The ones who suffered the greatest from COVID were those from marginalised populations,” adds Hutchens.

“When we had closures from lockdown in the Navajo Nation, it created innovation. We didn’t know what a shining example the Mobile Ride Center would be of what we can do to serve our community.”

Over the past eight months, the MRC has repaired more than 454 bikes and built 29 from scratch in seven communities. But the team say that repairs are just a part of their work; they’re creating a new culture of cycling in the Navajo Nation.

“We’re raising up the next generation of ridership,” says Hutchens. “Riding is healing; it’s healing some of that historical trauma that people on our land have experienced for hundreds of years, and even today. For Navajo Nation people, this is who we are.

Our traditional society is based around kinship with each other and with the land.

The services we provide are directly plugged into that.” bicyclecoffee.org/mobileride

LOU BOYD

Shining example: the Silver Stallion Mobile Ride Center at nightfall

A year on and we are all still in need of some light relief. Endura’s latest episode of their mock-u-mercial mini-film again celebrates the noble Baggy Short featuring a rack of recognizable faces in alter ego.

The Scottish company honours the riding baggy and acknowledges its place as an essential stalwart of the rider’s wardrobe with this wacky crowd-pleaser.

Endura was an original pioneer of baggy shorts in 90’s MTB and earned a reputation forged on no-nonsense durable kit for committed riders and pro’s alike. From the early collaboration with the hardcore bike courier scene in the 90’s that spawned the iconic Hummvee, the baggy short has been adopted by all tribes of riders from downhill to gravel, commute to adventure. A work horse piece of kit that can be loaded with cargo and relied on to protect and serve you in and out the saddle, Endura’s baggies have led a look for generations of off-roadies.

Endura – The last word in riding baggy shorts.

#BuiltOnBaggies

endurasport.com

Liz Phair

Returning from exile

title] could be interpreted to mean all the different things we do to avoid direct reality; not just substance use, but all the ways in which we can exist, both in the real world and in denial.

Words MARCEL ANDERS

Right from the release of her 1993 debut album, Exile in Guyville, singersongwriter Liz Phair has set herself apart from the status quo of the music scene as a disruptor and someone who confounds others’ expectations.

It makes sense, then, that 11 years on from the Chicagoan’s last release, the album Funstyle – and at the most unexpected of moments – she’s back.

Soberish sees Phair reunite with Brad Wood, the producer with whom she made her defiant, groundbreaking debut and its two follow-ups. Cited as an inspiration on more recent indie artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski, Phair – with Wood’s help – showed that female songwriters could be both feminine and frank, making art that feels vulnerable but also holds its own in the maledominated indie music scene.

Here, the 54-year-old discusses changes in the musical landscape over the last decade, and how she has created a record that honours her past while also navigating an industry transformed by the internet. the red bulletin: What made you return to the scene after 11 years? liz phair: It was good timing. When my son was in school, I switched to scoring TV [shows] so I wouldn’t be out of town as much. Then he went off to college. In the interim, I was inspired that so many young female artists had sprung up. If you think of my first album, Exile in Guyville… it feels like ‘Girlville’ has happened now. It was like moving back into a better and inspiring environment.

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And you chose Brad Wood as your producer again…

Listening back to my early recordings and talking with everyone, I felt an emotional connection. I almost remembered who I was and how we made that record. Brad really takes all my crazy ideas and tries to realise them. So he’s very much responsible for the sound, but he let me produce as well. It’s collaborative. But the gorgeousness of the sound is all Brad.

It’s interesting you came up with something very similar to Exile in Guyville yet somehow different…

It was a lot of fun to say, “How can we evoke the past, not just showing where we are right now, but looking to the future the way Guyville did back then?” My first record occupied an unusual space in culture; it felt new, different. And so how can we evoke the past and yet have our present-day product evoke the future?

Does it feel like the fans own you in some way? Like some just want Exile in Guyville, while others prefer pop tunes?

I’d like people to understand that art it’s not a fixed thing. Creativity is a fluid, ever-changing medium. It’s like mercury – if you try to box it, it’s going to slip out. And I wish the world in general would understand the great gift of the transmutability of our creative lives. I think people would be happier if they could experience more creativity and take it less as my identity and my ego.

What’s behind the title, Soberish?

I felt very ‘soberish’. [Laughs.] Living in America under Trump, for a while I couldn’t take reality head-on. [The

Probably the best line on the album is: “I meant to be sober, but the bar is so inviting”…

Yes, isn’t it just? We all dream that we can use substances to feel great, and nothing in life will go wrong because of it. But you can never hold that line.

How has the industry changed while you’ve been away?

All the things that are required of an artist today, like the social media presence, the self-management, entrepreneurship… it just seems so daunting. There are more things than ever to compete against, more people than ever out there making music because of home technology, and the algorithms are ever more unforgiving.

And streaming doesn’t make you as much money, does it?

[There’s] less money to be made.

I know, depressing. Add that to our depressing pile and let’s go to the bar.

Do you feel as if the world doesn’t appreciate you? It’s something you reference in the song Flowers [from Exile on Guyville]…

Well, it’s tongue-in-cheek, but yes, I feel like I’m always going against the grain, like I’m a woman who fits neither the mould of the bohemian artist nor the goodly-wife type. I’m stuck in the wrong time. Like, if I were born 30 years later, I’d be normal.

Somebody has to be the pioneer…

[Laughs.] Someone’s got to do it.

But my head hurts.

So, what we’ve got on Soberish is the essence of Liz Phair, then.

Do we have our old Liz back?

I think so. I feel like myself again.

That sense of myself as a boundarypusher, too much imagination, dramatic emotional cartographer.

That person is back.

Liz Phair’s new album Soberish is out now; lizphairofficial.com

THE RED BULLETIN

RENE & RADKA/CPI SYNDICATION

How revisiting her rebellious musical past helped the Chicago-born singer-songwriter rediscover herself in the present

“I fit neither the mould of the bohemian artist nor the goodly-wife type”

THE RED BULLETIN

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Paul Jubb

The future star of British tennis has used mental tenacity to his advantage on his rise from council-estate kid to sporting ace Words CHARLIE ALLENBY

At just 21, Paul Jubb has already overcome his fair share of adversity.

Orphaned as a young child and raised by his grandmother on a council estate in Hull, Jubb is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason – he even has the phrase tattooed on his arm.

“Everyone has their own path, and whatever things come your way – good or bad – it’s meant to happen,” says the tennis star.

“It’s your response to that which will determine where you go.”

In Jubb’s case, it has taken him around the world. In 2019, while attending the University of South Carolina, he won the men’s singles title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Tennis Championships, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe and earning a wildcard entry to that year’s Wimbledon.

The Brit failed to progress beyond the first round of the iconic tournament, but since then his career has been a rollercoaster, with highs such as turning pro and signing to Andy Murray’s management company, and lows that included a season ravaged by injury and COVID cancellations. Jubb now lives in London, where he’s training as part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s Pro Scholarship Programme – a scheme that financially supports players with top-100 potential.

Jubb is now fighting fit and ready for a full season. And, although his journey to this point has been less than straightforward, he says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

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the red bulletin: How did you develop the strong mindset needed to overcome adversity? paul jubb: That mindset was built into me from a young age. The way I work it to my advantage is just having self-pride. I always respect my opponents, wherever I’m playing, but once I’m on the court I’m going to do my best to not make it easy for them to win.

What part did your grandmother play in that development?

She had to play [both] the mother and father roles, so yeah, she’s been a big rock in my life.

How easy was your progression in tennis while growing up?

The thing that I struggled with [back then] was getting to places – organising that sort of thing was a lot harder. [My grandma didn’t drive, so] I ended up having to organise lifts or get on public transport at night so that I could train. Getting over that was something I struggled with; sometimes I just wanted to go out with my friends – a much easier option. But my coach Jonny [Carmichael] helped me get into the mindset that these are the things you’ve got to do if you want to start moving forward. And I’ve always had a competitive nature.

What was it like swapping Hull for South Carolina when you were offered a scholarship in the US? For sure I didn’t know what it was going to be like in the States.

When someone mentioned the college route [to get to the pros], I knew that was the next step

Winning the NCAA men’s singles title in 2019 won you a wildcard entry to Wimbledon. What was it like to play on hallowed ground?

It’s the pinnacle of our sport and where everyone wants to be – you feel like royalty. It was completely unique. It was great to get that experience under my belt, although the match has pretty bad memories [he lost 3-1 in the first round]. I use that as extra motivation. It makes me strive to play there again in the future.

I’ve got to get back and put it right.

You’ve been described as Andy Murray’s protégé. What’s the best advice he has given you?

It’s obviously good to be associated with Andy, be a part of his agency and also get to train with him, but I’m on my own journey. I’ve got to focus on that. Now I’m going to play a full year’s schedule, it’s inevitable that I’m going to lose more – only people like Novak [Djokovic] go week-to-week taking titles. The main thing Andy said was to focus on how I’m going to respond and not dwell on that loss. That’s the thing about tennis – you’ve got to go forward without letting the last week affect the next.

You already have a title under your belt in 2021, having won a tournament on the ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour in Egypt. Is the top 100 in sight?

The main thing is getting a lot of matches under my belt.

Hopefully I’ll get my ranking up a bit as well. I’m taking it match by match, though; if you think about the ranking too much it can get on top of you. I obviously have aspirations to get into the top 100, but what will be will be.

It’ll come. Right now, I’ve just got to continue that momentum.

Instagram: @pauljubb_99

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ELLESSE

Calling the shots

of my journey. Once I’d been [in South Carolina] for a while, I realised how big a move it was.

A lot of people weigh up a few options, but I didn’t do any of that – I just signed the papers.

“Obviously I aspire to get into the top 100, but what will be will be.

It’ll come”

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Terry Madenholm

Rebooting history This archaeologist is doing more than digging up old relics – she’s laying foundations for the future Words RACHAEL SIGEE Photography CHRIS SAUNDERS

In Ecuador’s Cotopaxi province, archaeological sites more than 500 years ago are in danger. Under threat from human interference, climate change, land development and – most unpredictable of all – a volcano active since 2015, these settlements dating from the late Inca period could soon be lost for ever.

Speaking to The Red Bulletin from her home in Paris, archaeologist Terry Madenholm is in a race against time. The 31-year-old is part of a team using cutting-edge drone technology and digital mapping to build 3D models and preserve a digital record of this precious South American heritage.

Born in Stockholm and raised in Poland, Madenholm has travelled the world extensively, though not always to uncover hidden wonders; she has also shot campaigns for the likes of L’Oréal, Clarins and L’Occitane in her sideline career as a model. Having initially only taken modelling jobs as a means of supplementing her archaeology studies, no one is more surprised than Madenholm that her time continues to be split between excavations and photoshoots. But it’s still the search for clues to the ancient world that excites her most.

“I think of myself as an archaeologist who just happens to be a model on the side,” she explains. “I like to think that each time I discover something, I travel in time. Whenever I put my hands into dirt, covered in mud and sweat, this is when time travel is happening for me.”

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the red bulletin: What is it like being on a dig? terry madenholm: It’s a full-on experience. It takes a lot of patience, perseverance and humility, because you don’t always reach your goals.

Sometimes, over months or even years, you work on something that turns out to not be as fruitful as you’d wished. That’s the challenging part.

There’s also your mental state and the physicality of the work during an excavation. You constantly struggle with yourself and push your own limits. But that’s one of the things I like about archaeology, because it really makes me feel alive.

How do you use technology to map and preserve ancient sites?

With [tools] like LiDAR [Light Detection and Ranging]. It’s actually very simple: a laser examines the surface of the Earth and creates a 3D image of what’s hidden beneath.

These tools are very new to archaeology, but they’re so revealing and sometimes even more precise than decades-long surveys. One of the things that has really struck me over the years is how many sites are under threat because there aren’t enough resources to protect them.

It’s not even about keeping them in a good state, but about keeping a good record. Using drones makes it easier and much quicker – you get a bigger view of the site and can quickly make a recording that would otherwise take months or even years.

What does this technology mean for the future of archaeology?

It can open new perspectives. With technology like LiDAR and drones, suddenly we start asking bigger,

bolder questions. I think the history of ancient cultures will be totally rewritten. Being able to make 3D reconstructions of monuments and artefacts is so important for preserving them for posterity and making them fully accessible. With what we’re trying to do in Ecuador, the technology is becoming so sophisticated, hence it democratises archaeology. Making 3D imaging of these monuments will break educational and cultural barriers.

What has been the highlight of your archaeology career to date?

Like most archaeologists, I’m still looking for my holy grail. But [my highlight so far] was uncovering a 2,000-year-old ring on the coast of Tel Aviv. When you work on a project for months, dreaming of finding something amazing, and then at the last minute, before the project is shut for the season, you’re able to find something like that in the ground… I felt in that instant as if it was dropped 2,000 years ago and all this time it was waiting, concealed, for me to unveil it. I know it sounds silly, but I started crying. I still hold on to a picture of it. When you find a piece like that – and it was obviously something sentimental, because a ring is personal – you instantly create a story about who made it, who wore it. I invented in my head a fat merchant, because the ring was huge – I could easily fit it on two fingers held together.

What are your hopes for the future in your work?

I’d like to be surprised. That’s what is amazing about archaeology. When you think about Pompeii, historians were convinced that Mount Vesuvius erupted on 24 August, 79 AD. And yet, in 2018, an ancient inscription written in charcoal was discovered, which revealed the eruption took place two months later. It showed that archaeologists and historians get things wrong. That story speaks to me. I just want to be surprised.

I want something to blow my mind.

Terry Madenholm is a project partner for Drone Archaeology; dronearchaeology.com

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“On a dig, you’re constantly pushing your own limits” Pictured: Terry Madenholm on location at Neolithic-period site La Cave aux Fées in Brueil-enVexin, near Paris, France

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32 TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD 40 BIOHACKED PRO PLAYERS 46 THE USA GAME 50 FARA WILLIAMS 56 FANS IN FOCUS 66 SUPPORTERS’ STORIES

THE FOOTBALL EDITION

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The story of football is filled with heroes: players, managers, trainers, fans...

Over the following 36 pages you’ll encounter a few famous ones, some unknown, and others destined for legend. But all play a vital part in a tale that is far from complete and, as we’ll show, has its greatest moments yet to come

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He’s one of English football’s best players, with the potential to become one of the game’s all-time greats. But, as he has discovered, first Trent Alexander-Arnold needs to open his eyes

VISUALISING THE PERFECT PASS

THE ONE PERCENTER Words: Richard Edwards Photography: Greg Coleman

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Front runner: Lake began breaking athletics records way back in 2008, when she was aged just 12

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Football

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ou hear a lot about marginal gains in top-level sport – the one-per-cent improvements that can be the difference between winning or losing, keeping your place in the team or being dropped. Stand still and you get overtaken; fall away and climbing back into contention takes supreme effort.

Liverpool and England footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold has never been one to stand still. He was captain of his club’s under-18 side at the age of 15.

He trained with the first team before he’d taken his GCSEs, and ran out in a Champions League final while barely old enough to buy his first pint in a pub.

The defender was still a teenager when he was handed his debut England cap, receiving his international shirt from Prince William before playing a friendly against Costa Rica in June 2018.

In short, at the age of 22, AlexanderArnold is already football royalty on Merseyside and beyond. Given everything he’s achieved since his firstteam debut for Liverpool in 2016, he could be forgiven for taking his foot off the gas, but that’s not Alexander-Arnold’s style. “You’ve always got targets to hit, and when you do, more come along, with higher levels to hit,” he says.

“There’s that constant need to improve – that’s just the way the game is. Look at football now and every team is getting a lot better. They have to. A lot of the players 10 or 15 years ago wouldn’t be able to play in the modern-day Premier League for fitness reasons. You can see how much the game has moved on. The only way to keep up is to get better.”

Alexander-Arnold has his eyes fixed on those marginal gains. The one per cent. In this instance, literally as well as metaphorically. The fullback has been taking part in a groundbreaking

“You can see how much football has moved on. The only way to keep up is to get better” Trent Alexander-Arnold Red Bull project using visual training and augmented reality (AR) to help enhance senses such as peripheral vision and depth perception. Working alongside US scientist Dr Daniel Laby, he’s the world’s first footballer to undertake this regime.

Dr Laby is speaking from his office in downtown New York. He has a 30-minute window to talk us through his work with Alexander-Arnold before an NBA player arrives for a training session with this man who is quietly, almost imperceptibly, altering the way we see sport. Or to be more precise, the way sportspeople see it.

A sports ophthalmologist with almost three decades’ experience, Dr Laby stumbled into his field of expertise almost by accident. “I was going to be a computer scientist, which is why I’m so into this tech stuff,” says the 59-year-old founder of performance lab SportsVisionNYC. “Then I went to med school aiming to be a regular doctor, nothing about sports. While I was training at UCLA, I did some work with the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

They asked me to take over that project for a year in my fellowship. Thirty years later, I’m still doing it.”

Today, Dr Laby works for some of the biggest sports franchises in the US, including baseball’s Boston Red Sox, basketball team the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA, and the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League (NHL).

The concept behind his work is simple: better vision will make you a greater athlete. “We published a paper, peerreviewed in medical journals, on how vision predicts batting performance in baseball,” he says. “It’s hard to argue when you have 600 players showing that there’s a relationship between how well you see and how well you perform.”

Here, on the other side of the Atlantic, however, this field of sports science has remained largely shrouded in mystery.

In football, it’s near-uncharted territory.

Opposite: Alexander-Arnold kicks a ball while immersed in a VR simulation of a match he’d previously played in real life. Right: the pass he makes in VR (shown in red) is almost identical to the one he made in the actual game (in blue) THE RED BULLETIN

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Football “The eyes are only the beginning of a lengthy, complicated process that ends up in a [human] motor action – an assist or a cross from a player like Trent,” says Dr Laby. To help understand the role of our visual system in making that action, the doctor created the ‘Sports Vision Pyramid’, a tiered paradigm that shows the stages from basic visual abilities to the optimal interaction between eye, brain and execution.

“The bottom of the pyramid is the most important – that’s sharpness [for example, 20/20 vision] or contrast sensitivity,” he explains. “If you have a strong base, then you have a solid pyramid. But you need that strong base.

Moving up, you’re looking at how both eyes work together, then how the brain makes decisions based on what it sees.

After that, you get to guided motor action based on that information. At the top of the pyramid, you get to performance.” But the key, Dr Laby says, is not to skip any tier – you must build a solid pyramid from the ground up.

“Train somebody to have a faster reaction time when [you haven’t trained them to] see the ball and you’re going to have an unstable pyramid.”

To move up through Dr Laby’s pyramid, a subject must undergo a series of tests at every stage (see diagram, below right). From there, the doctor analyses the results and creates a series of tasks, or ‘interventions’, to iron out weaknesses and improve performance.

“When we make an intervention, we talk about ‘near transfer’ and ‘far transfer’,” he explains. “Near transfer will be that I give you glasses, you read the letters in a test, and your eyesight will have improved. That’s pretty easy to show and demonstrate. Far transfer is what happens on the pitch or on the field.

That’s a more challenging task because, as you can imagine, how Trent performs on the pitch involves a lot of different factors over and above his vision.”

Alexander-Arnold had to work on his interventions for 12 weeks.

Utilising Laby’s innovations in the field of vision enhancement, the Red Bull Visions project aimed to take one of the world’s most gifted young footballers and make the best even better. By examining 12 different categories including working memory, visual concentration and peripheral

vision, and using software to measure Alexander-Arnold’s use of them, Dr Laby completed the most thorough examination in history of a footballer’s visual effectiveness.

D

rawing from actual footage of Alexander-Arnold’s previous matches, the footballer was put through a series of physical challenges using AR to simulate experiences he’d encounter at Anfield – Liverpool’s home stadium – on a Saturday afternoon. It was the first time he’d experienced VR or AR. “We took video and digitised it into a game situation with Trent in a VR headset,” says Dr Laby. “One test used a mixedreality situation recreating Trent’s past crosses or assists. After he got the pass, he could look down and see his [real] foot and the ball. He kicked the ball and we tracked it with a radar-type system.

“First, I gave him a simple play that he saw normally, then a visually challenged play, adding a flash in alternate eyes.

We also turned the players blurry and transparent, making it more difficult for him to know where the players were on the pitch and who to pass to. We compared his passes in those two situations. His play sometimes changed, and it was fascinating to hear an elite footballer explain why he did what he did – why he was looking at this guy or went with that pass. We had eye-

“How Trent performs on the pitch involves a lot of different factors over and above his vision” Dr Daniel Laby

On field Visual mechanics Visual decision-making Stereo vision depth perception Visual acuity contrast sensitivity

Goal Visual integration Neural processing Binocular sensory processes Monocular sensory processes

The Sports Vision Pyramid

“We chose a pyramid for its stability,” says Dr Laby of his performance-vision training system.

At the base is the basic ability of each eye; at the top is optimal on-field prowess. “Each level is dependent on those below. A lopsided pyramid will not survive the test of time.”

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Eye on the ball: Dr Laby has spent three decades working with athletes. AlexanderArnold is the first football pro to undergo his training

Spec saver: Dr Laby gives Alexander-Arnold eye-tracking glasses to monitor his response to a series of visual tests. He then tailors tasks to improve the footballer’s abilities

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tracking data, too, so we knew what he was looking at. He couldn’t make it up.”

For a footballer renowned as instinctive when it comes to making a run, wrong-footing an opposing defender or whipping in a cross, it’s an entirely new way of working, but one that will hopefully help him in a real-life match.

“It’s taken a lot of learning,” says

Alexander-Arnold. “Not just about me, but about vision, about how you see colours, the depths of things, then transferring that information into movement and reaction.”

One test saw Alexander-Arnold improve by 200 per cent from one session to the next, says Dr Laby. That could pay off handsomely for the player, club and country sooner rather than later. “It shows that it works and that there are improvements that have been made,” says Alexander-Arnold. “In football, winning or losing is down to the smallest of details. If you can tap into something that’s been untouched, you’ve hit a gold mine.”

Specific details of Dr Laby’s work with US sports teams remains largely secret – the NFL and NBA franchises involved are keen to ensure that the knowledge he passes on isn’t easily available to others. He had approached Premier League clubs in the past, but 37

After 12 weeks of training, AlexanderArnold took part in live challenges to see how much his skills had improved

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Football hadn’t been given an opportunity to work with a player in the English game until the Red Bull project came about.

Such is the pace of technological advancement, many of the tests Alexander-Arnold carried out wouldn’t have been possible even two or three years ago, but these results could prompt others to beat a path to Dr Laby’s door.

“This is a massive growth area, particularly in football,” says AlexanderArnold. “It’s the chance to put players in match situations without running the risk of injury or putting strain on the body, so there are huge potential benefits.”

“In football, winning or losing is down to the smallest of details” Trent Alexander-Arnold

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uch has been the volume of football played in the past 15 pandemichit months that Alexander-Arnold has had precious little time to sit back and reflect on a 2019-20 season that saw Liverpool win its first league championship in 30 years, lifting the Premier League trophy for the very first time. In any normal season, it would have sparked the party to end all parties at Anfield. As it was, Alexander-Arnold and his teammates claimed English football’s most treasured prize against a backdrop of vacant seats, their excited voices echoing around an empty ground.

“When another team wins it, you picture what it’d be like if it happened at Anfield,” says Alexander-Arnold, wistfully.

“Potentially, you’d have fans running onto the pitch. Then it does happen and you’re in an empty stadium. It was a lot different to what we’d expected. Winning

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the league can obviously never be a disappointment, but without the fans it’s nowhere near the same.”

This season, with supporters still largely absent, Jurgen Klopp’s side has struggled to match the extraordinary standards they set during that campaign.

Despite a strong start, a run of six defeats in seven matches during February and early March signalled the end of the club’s first title defence since 1990. For a player who has suffered few setbacks in his career, Alexander-Arnold is sanguine about a difficult nine months. “You have to treat disappointment the same way you do the good moments,” he says.

“You can’t dwell on them, because they only last a certain amount of time.

“There’s always the next thing to focus on. Whether it’s a win or a loss, I take what I can from a game, learn from it and put it to bed. I never get too high or too low; it’s about finding balance and ensuring you’re focused on what’s coming next rather than what has just happened.”

This is a level-headed response from a player who is experienced beyond his years. It also provides a glimpse into why Alexander-Arnold has made so much progress in such a short space of time: never stand still, always focus on what’s coming. “There’s a difference between wanting to get better and knowing you need to get better,” he says. “It’s harder when you’re at a good level. You can get quite comfortable; there’s no real push, no danger around you, if that makes

“It was fascinating to hear an elite footballer like Trent explain why he did what he did” Dr Daniel Laby sense. But when you know there’s someone who wants your position, who’s at the same level as you and is working harder, that’s the make-orbreak moment. Do I fold or fight? The only way to keep it is to fight for it.”

And when opportunity knocks at a club like Liverpool, you don’t just tentatively reach out; you grab it with both hands and ring the absolute life out of it. This is perfectly demonstrated

by Alexander-Arnold’s recollections of a tournament that effectively thrust him into Klopp’s first-team thoughts.

“I’m not sure he’d ever seen me play, but we had a post-season tournament [for Liverpool’s under-18 side] in Germany,” he says. “The manager of our age-group side told us that [Klopp] had scouts there, and that [the location] was basically his home town. We were told that whatever we did would be reported back to him. I was really good in that tournament. I went on my holidays and then got a message to report back for the first day of training. Even though he wasn’t there, he got told about how I played.”

Alexander-Arnold hasn’t looked back, but although his medal cabinet is already groaning under the weight of accumulated silverware it’s safe to say that he won’t be admiring that collection, only thinking about what gongs he can add in the future.

“Everyone needs luck on their journey, but you have to be prepared for when it comes, because you may only get one shot,” he says. “You might only get one training session with the first team, and if you don’t seize it you might not get another. All that hard work you’ve put in over 10 or 11 years could be worth it or might be thrown away. But, whatever happens, you can’t affect the past – it’s gone. You can only change what’s going to happen in the future.”

Follow Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quest for perfect on-field vision now on Red Bull TV; redbull.com 39

Cold therapy, orange spectacles, special nutrition, brain training, multiple naps, piano lessons – global football stars are using innovative methods to make themselves quicker, fitter, and pursue a longer professional career

BIOHACKED PRO FOOTBALLERS

THE ULTIMATE KICK Words: Stefan Wagner Illustration: Stuart Patience

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ccording to metrics, Poland and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is the best footballer on the planet. Using the same criteria, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's secondbest, which, in view of the Portugal and Juventus player’s consistently stellar performances, he would surely consider debatable. Zlatan Ibrahimović, meanwhile, is the saviour of the Swedish national team and also mixes things up in Italy's Serie A for AC Milan.

Lewandowski's age is 32, Ronaldo is 36, and Ibrahimović 39.

So, what is going on in the world of football? Are good players getting older? Are older players just getting better? Is it all just a coincidence? Or is this the start of a trend that will change football for ever?

It almost certainly isn’t all just a coincidence. Footballers – even those at the very pinnacle of the game – will, in future, enjoy careers that last much longer than in the past. And this very definitely has something to do with one word we hear increasingly often: biohacking.

Broadly speaking, biohacking covers anything people do to optimise their health, performance, quality of life, and life expectancy. They sweat in infrared saunas, they meditate, they measure their heart-rate variations and the length of their deep sleep. They pop nutritional supplement pills by the dozen, and some 40

even book mysterious self-discovery retreats in the Amazon Delta. Celebrity biohackers on this fast-growing global circuit include Americans Dave Asprey, Ben Greenfield and Tim Ferriss.

Andreas Breitfeld is the best-known biohacker in Germany. In his Munich lab, Breitfeld makes some of the most exciting gadgets and tools accessible to the layman – from a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and headband that measures brainwaves while you meditate, to redlight therapy panels (they help the body’s cells heal) and an inhalation device for exclusion-zone water (structured H2O in our cells that, advocates argue, optimises energy delivery).

Now, the success of these biohacking stars justifies their means: the first professional footballer biohackers have emerged. Alongside Lewandowski, Ronaldo and Ibrahimović, Norway and Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, 20, and Germany and Bayern Munich midfielder Serge Gnabry, 25, are the most prominent proponents of newfangled methods for self-improvement.

In Gnabry’s case, his agent Hannes Winzer is somewhat of an influence.

The co-founder of ROOF, one of the world’s top-five

Robert Lewandowski Dessert comes first Anna Lewandowska – a medal-winning karate expert, fitness trainer, and the wife of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski – has turned her husband’s diet upside down: no cow’s milk, no wheat, and almost no sugar. “And as it aids digestion, I eat the pudding first, then the starter, then the main course,” the winner of the 2020 Best FIFA Men’s Player award explains.

First the cake, then the soup? “Yes, because you digest carbohydrates quicker than protein.”

What can an amateur learn from Robert Lewandowski?

Andreas Breitfeld: “Cake before soup? There could be something to it, providing two other conditions are met. First, you burn calories like a world-class athlete.

Secondly, you’ve just been training, because that’s when the glycogen stores in your liver and muscles are empty. They’ll soak up any sort of carbohydrate, even short-chain ones like sugar, so you could even wolf down some junk dessert, too.

After that, you can happily eat high-grade protein and good fat.”

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Lewandowski, 32, tucks into his pudding first for better digestion

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player agencies, Winzer is himself a keen biohacker. He sees its contribution to professional football as the best way to secure marginal gains. “It’s that one-to-two per cent that ultimately makes a real difference,” says Winzer. “To win that tackle in extra time or find the extra pace before scoring the deciding goal.

These are the little details that get you those extra wins, those extra titles.”

Winzer seeks inspiration from Breitfeld, and himself tests some of the more experimental devices from the biohacking guru’s laboratory. “But I only recommend to my players what works for them and what they feel comfortable with,” Winzer explains. “You shouldn’t and cannot force things. Football is a traditional, conservative sport, both in terms of the way it thinks and the structures within it. Let’s just say it isn’t all that fond of innovation.”

However, in the long term, Winzer thinks biohacking methods in top-level football are inevitable. “In some areas, such as recovery, it’s a no-brainer," he says. “The data – the research and the results – are conclusive. That a professional should improve their sleep by protecting their eyes from blue light in the evening, for example, won’t be unusual in a couple of years’ time. It will be taken for granted.”

Erling Haaland Orangetinted specs Improved performance starts with sleep, and this advice has been picked up on by an increasing number of elite sportsmen and women. Erling Haaland is one of the first professional footballers to use ‘blue-blocker’ glasses – orange-tinted lenses that protect the eyes from blue-light frequencies (smartphones, computer screens, TVs, LED lights etc) – in the evening.

Blue light prevents the 42

production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep patterns. A lack of melatonin has an impact on recovery.

What can an amateur learn from Erling Haaland?

Andreas Breitfeld: “Blueblocker glasses are an extremely effective starter biohack. They’re guaranteed to work, although they’re better with younger rather than older people, because natural melatonin production declines from about the mid-forties. You get the best results with

Haaland, 20, wears special blue-light-blocking glasses in the evening in order to fall asleep faster and sleep better orange-tinted glasses two to three hours before going to bed, then you change them for red ones in the final hour. There are huge differences in quality. We once subjected the range to professional testing.

The gold standards are TrueDark, Innovative Eyewear, Ra Optics and BLUblox.”

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Football

Zlatan Ibrahimović The ice man The ever-young old star is a great believer in Wim Hof-style cold therapy, as he posted to his Instagram in December, when his followers saw him dive into fresh snow in his Milan garden wearing nothing but swimming trunks. Like many others, including Cristiano Ronaldo and the Leicester City football team, the Swede believes in the magic powers of the cryotherapy chamber – a kind of domestic anti-sauna in which the temperature can drop to -160°C. You spend about three minutes a day in this mobile deep-freeze. The cold sends the body into shock and blood vessels contract, only to expand later and flood the body with blood full of antiinflammatory substances.

to recover quickly. Taking a cold shower for at least three minutes in the morning has amazing health benefits on many levels. It can be a bit less for beginners, or you can alternate between cold and warm water. Give it a go. Grin and bear it. It works wonders.”

Ibrahimović, 39, swears by the regenerative powers of the cryotherapy chamber – essentially a walk-in freezer

What can an amateur learn from Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

Andreas Breitfeld: “The cold is great. It’s worth everyone’s while getting involved with the cold. A wonderful place to start is Josephine Worseck’s book The Healing Power of the Cold. Timing is essential for sports stars. Put simply, to gain muscle mass you shouldn’t go into the cold straight after working out.

But you should if you want

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Serge Gnabry Piano vs football Germany’s Serge Gnabry has an intense working relationship with neuroathletics trainer Lars Lienhard. Their sessions may look odd – the player shakes his head and does special finger, hand and eye exercises – but they work. The innovative discipline of neuroathletics improves coordination, spatial awareness and dexterity.

Gnabry pays attention to the quality of his sleep, seeks inspiration in the biographies of successful personalities, and takes piano lessons. “Serge used to be injury-prone,” his agent Hannes Winzer says. “Now he plays about 40-50 games a season and is very rarely out. That isn’t a coincidence. Serge is incredibly hard-working.

He has learnt to see his body as a temple.” And what has playing the piano got to do with all this? Winzer continues, “Learning the piano improves your sense of rhythm and means reconnecting and re-energising synapses, and that makes Serge a better footballer.”

biohacking. I like the idea of the piano lessons – making music helps connect different parts of the brain.

We’re talking about an improvement in balance and left-right co-ordination, and compensating between the strong and weak foot. You could say playing the piano is a demanding form of neuro-athletics training.”

Gnabry, 25, improves his balance and left-right co-ordination by tinkling the ivories

NORMAN KONRAD

What can an amateur learn from Serge Gnabry?

Andreas Breitfeld: “Hannes Winzer is very good in the way he gets [his players] into

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Football

Cristiano Ronaldo Sleeps as often as six times a day Cristiano Ronaldo’s sleep pattern before big games is the stuff of legend. The Juventus star takes six 90-minute naps over the course of 24 hours (and wears a fresh pair of pyjamas for each one). He eats a total of six meals on each of those days, too: breakfast, two lunches, a snack and two dinners. And, of course, the Portuguese perfectionist doesn’t deny himself the benefits of cryotherapy. According to newspaper reports in 2013, Ronaldo splashed out on a cryotherapy chamber for his home, costing €45,000 (just short of £39,000).

What can an amateur learn from Cristiano Ronaldo?

Andreas Breitfeld: “Polyphasic sleep is wonderful. It’s been wellresearched. The downside is nobody can keep it up.

It’s difficult to combine disappearing six times a day at an exact time with even a vaguely normal working life or a halfway-bearable family existence. Seven to eight hours of regular sleep at night is enough. And you sleep best when the bedroom is completely dark and cool.”

Ronaldo, 36, takes six 90-minute naps over 24 hours before big games

BIOHACKER ANDREAS BREITFELD To look inside his laboratory, just scan the QR code THE RED BULLETIN

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The USA has transformed itself from a developing footballing nation into a World Cup contender, from an old-boys’ league into a European-style talent factory. This is its five-year plan in the lead-up to hosting the tournament in 2026…

THE USA’S ROADMAP TO WORLD CUP VICTORY

SOCCER INC Words: Jürgen Schmieder

The USA men’s football team has a real chance of winning the 2026 World Cup.

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“We’ve never had as many talented players before as we do now,” says USA men’s national team head coach, Gregg Berhalter. “The squad is extremely young. Many of them will be at the peak of their careers by the time their home World Cup comes around.”

Berhalter is talking about players such as 22-year-old Christian Pulisic, who plays in England for Chelsea; Gio Reyna (18, Borussia Dortmund); Rising stars (and stripes): the USA men’s football team training in Bradenton, Florida

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Sure, it sounds crazy. Especially when you say that of a nation that – in stark contrast to the runaway success of its women’s female football team, which has won four Women’s World Cup titles and dominates the sport – has never got beyond the quarter-finals stage of the men’s tournament.

Embarrassingly, the team failed to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup, its under-23s team lost in Olympic qualifying to Honduras this year, and the USA’s top-level league competition, Major League Soccer (MLS), is still seen as second-rate in comparison to Europe’s elite divisions.

And yet, isn’t it the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world who end up being the ones who succeed? That’s what Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in his company’s famous 1997 ad. The slogan he presented was ‘Think Different’, and that’s exactly what the USA men’s national team is doing now, after decades of megalomaniacal bungling.

So, here’s a thought… What if we stopped thinking of US football as a federation; stopped thinking of MLS as a league; stopped thinking of clubs such as the New York Red Bulls as just clubs and thought of the whole thing as a huge start-up instead? And the World Cup in five years’ time – which is being joint-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico – as its IPO? What prospectus would this football start-up produce for investors?

Weston McKennie (22, Juventus); Sergiño Dest (20, Barcelona); Yunus Musah (18, Valencia); Brenden Aaronson (20, Red Bull Salzburg); and, of course, Tyler Adams. The 22-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder is a shining example of how things are shaping up in this football start-up at this present time.

“I only really started focusing on soccer when I was accepted by the Red Bulls Academy at the age of 12,” Adams explains. This observation is more significant than it may at first seem. The footballer hails from the village of Wappingers Falls, which is

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Football about an hour-and-a-half’s drive north of New York City. If he had been born 15 years earlier, Adams might today be a professional basketball player – it was his second favourite sport as a child, and soccer back then simply wouldn’t have discovered, or more crucially, encouraged someone like him. At that time, MLS filled its squads not with homegrown talent but with ageing stars from Europe.

The reason for this? Young sports stars in the USA are trained in a completely different way to their counterparts in Europe. Professional

outfits such as the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team aren’t involved with youth talent; that role is taken care of by organisations such as the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and then schools and colleges. Clubs take their pick from the pool of talent at the annual draft.

Late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who grew up in Philadelphia, would have started his career with local team the Philadelphia 76ers if the NBA was run like the European system.

Instead, the Lakers selected him and won five championships.

“It was the perfect environment in which to become a professional soccer player,” says Adams of the Red Bulls Academy, which was founded in 2005, shortly before Red Bull took over the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and turned them into the New York Red

Bulls. That these commitments only bear fruit years later fits well with the start-up analogy. The academy trains players from the age of 12; it doesn’t have to rely on the youth work of great European clubs.

“About 40,000 young people come into contact with our scheme each year,” says the academy’s director, Sean McCafferty. “We search high and low for talent, we support coaches, and I don’t think it can be a coincidence that we are now seeing professional American soccer players who are better trained in terms of tactics, too.” Like Adams, who can be played in a number of different positions.

Flag day: fans in the stands of MLS team San José Earthquakes’ stadium in California. Five years from now, they’ll see the World Cup played on their home turf THE RED BULLETIN

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Football 1, College 0

In March 2015, at the age of 16, Adams had to make a very serious decision, one that most Americans are not confronted with. The Red Bulls offered him a professional contract. This state of affairs might be completely normal in Europe, but in the USA it was a problem, because teenagers who earn money through sport are no longer eligible for college scholarships. Four years at an elite college can cost $300,000 (£215,000) including fees, which the sports department will fully cover in the case of talented applicants. That is the goal a lot of young people in America strive for: to have their outrageously expensive studies financed through sport. Signing a professional contract was risky for Adams. “My mother really wanted me to go to college,” the footballer explains, “but she understood that this was the right path for me.”

That’s another consideration football clubs in the USA have now taken on: they must offer the talent they train some progression. For Adams, the Red Bulls’ USP was obvious: “My mentor [New York Red Bulls’ then head coach] Jesse Marsch showed me how things could work out for me in professional soccer.”

The plan was to play with reserve team New York Red Bulls II and train with the professionals. In other words, exactly what German star Thomas Müller did through Bayern Munich’s youth system. Adams didn’t have to move to Europe as a teenager, as Christian Pulisic did; he could allow himself the time, because he knew he could develop at the club. “I could grow here as a person,” Adams says. “I was able to graduate high school and still became a professional soccer player.”

“In the USA, we always want to be the best straight away, without realising that success is often a long, drawn-out process” Jesse Marsch, now manager of Red Bull Salzburg; from next season, coach of RB Leipzig

Again, coming from the mouth of a European – McCafferty is Irish – this kind of statement sounds utterly normal, but it’s unheard of in the USA. It is unthinkable that someone from the Lakers might say of a player, “We looked after him for years, now he’s rocking another league and helping the dream team, and that’s a huge success from our point of view.” But the Americans have had to accept that MLS is still a training league for the very best talent.

“Perhaps in 20 years we could hang on to someone like Adams for a bit longer,” says McCafferty. “The reality now is different, but we are seeing the first fruits of our labour. This is just the beginning.”

It is amazing how football has been reshaped in the USA, and arguably there is no better judge of that than Jesse Marsch. In playing terms, the Wisconsinborn 47-year-old has had a traditional American sports career: a college scholarship for Princeton University in New Jersey, then 14 years as a professional in MLS. He was a coach with the USA national team, followed by jobs on the bench at CF Montréal, New York Red Bulls, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.

“In the States, we always want to be the best straight away, without thinking

Passport to Europe

Adams made his MLS debut with the Red Bulls in 2016, at the age of 17. Two years later, he won the league with them, and in January 2019 they offered him the cherry on the cake: a bridge to Europe thanks to their links with the Red Bull-owned teams in Salzburg and Leipzig. Adams followed his mentor, Jesse Marsch, who had become assistant manager at RB Leipzig, and joined the top-flight German Bundesliga.

“We did well out of him, he did well out of us,” says McCafferty. “Now Leipzig and the USA squad can do well out of him, too. This is a huge success from our point of view.”

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Talent pool: players in one of the New York Red Bulls youth teams stoke up the winning spirit.

Some of them could be playing in Europe’s top leagues five to 10 years from now

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Football

“Around 40,000 young people come into contact with our scheme each year“ Sean McCafferty, director of the New York Red Bulls Academy

GEPA-PICTURES.COM, NEW YORK RED BULLS(2), GETTY IMAGES, MOTIVIO/THOMAS EISENHUTH

Massive attack: USA and Chelsea star Christian Pulisic, seen here in a friendly against Italy, is one of his nation’s brightest hopes

that this success is often dependent on a long, drawn-out process,” Marsch explains. “We are now seeing the first products of a system we put in place more than 15 years ago.”

It should now be easier, thanks to role models such Tyler Adams, to convince football academy talent – and parents used to a different sporting system – that the domestic MLS isn’t an old boys’ league but in fact a wellspring of talent. “Young guys can now dream of becoming international stars,” says Marsch. “That’s new, but we mustn’t forget that we still have a long road ahead of us.”

For all the joy at their success, everyone knows that they have barely run the first few miles of a marathon.

“The next important step is qualified youth coaches to teach the basics to elementary school children, not just skills, but how to enjoy the game, tactics and psychology, which is necessary at that age anyway,” says Marsch. “We can’t just help talent in the academies, we have to make sure they internalise this culture early, on the sports ground.” Or, to put it bluntly, ensure talent doesn’t switch to a different sport like basketball or baseball because the coach in the other sport is a former professional or much better at what he does.

Building a footballing culture

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“I was able to graduate high school and still became a professional soccer player” Tyler Adams, midfielder for RB Leipzig

professional teams in locations other than the cities, to make ongoing scouting easier. Also, the chance to sign a professional contract as a teenager and then, if things don’t work out, still be eligible for a scholarship to go to college.

They have identified all these problems, and Adams the professional player, Marsch the manager and McCafferty the academy director talk about them at every opportunity.

They have done to football in the USA what tech start-ups constantly do: put a whole sector in a spin, in this case

by disrupting American youth sports.

Like many a business just starting out, they have looked around the world, taken on a couple of important ideas and tied them into American culture. Professional clubs sift through the talent themselves and train them up. They accept that they are merely a springboard to Europe for the best players.

This sort of modesty and patience isn’t typically American. The aim is to create a football culture that can compete with more established American sports for talent. They no longer need to fly in David Beckham or Zlatan Ibrahimović. American kids now have posters of Tyler Adams on their bedroom walls. The Christian Pulisic jersey is the second best-selling in the country after Lionel Messi’s.

But you can only plan for actual success at a World Cup to a certain degree. The Germans, for example, in their hallowed memories of their 2014 triumph, like to forget that the team almost came unstuck against Algeria in the last 16. Americans know that in 2026 they might send their most talented-ever squad to a World Cup with a home advantage, only for it to be what 2006 was for the Germans – the foundation for subsequent success.

But fans of the USA men’s football team are no longer crazy to believe their boys can go the distance. They will bellow their battle cry of “I believe that we will win!” backed up by a healthy dose of self-confidence, rather than megalomania.

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England’s most-capped footballer has witnessed the women’s game change dramatically over her 23-year career. Now, Fara Williams is hanging up her boots, but while it’s the end of an era, it’s also the beginning of a new age

WOMEN‘S FOOTBALL: THE NEXT STEP

PASSING IT FORWARD Words: Florence Lloyd-Hughes Photography: Greg Funnell

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here are few generational figures in football; players who epitomise an era in the game, and who are, in every sense of the massively overused adjective, iconic.

Pele, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Beckham, Marta – these are footballers who speak to a generation of fans and players alike, and who helped form the foundations of our love of the sport. For all those involved with women’s football, Fara Williams is one of those players.

A two-time FA Women’s Super League winner (with Liverpool), Women’s FA Cup winner (with Everton), World Cup bronze medallist, Olympian, and the most-capped England player ever (and that includes the men’s game), Williams has experienced the evolution of women’s football first-hand. When her retirement was announced in April, many were surprised – it had felt like the day would never come. Williams had the aura of an immortal footballer, a player whose talent could never fade.

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Cruelly, it was factors outside Williams’ control that finally forced her to call time on her playing days. Last year, the 37-year-old was diagnosed with a kidney condition, and the subsequent treatment, which included heavy doses of steroids, “broke” the player and made maintaining fitness a struggle. This eventually led to the realisation that her “body is done” and it was time to retire.

This is Williams’ millionth Zoom interview of the week, just a few days after breaking news of her retirement, but there’s no let-up in the energy and honesty that has won over journalists throughout her career. As we talk, a bunch of flowers arrive – the latest of many gifts Williams has received this week – and she gestures for them to be placed to the side, no doubt adding to an enormous pile of bouquets. Flowers sorted, we begin to unpack a life in football, and a 23-year playing career…

Williams was born in 1984 and raised on an estate in Battersea, south London.

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“Football has given me everything, and I’ve given everything to the game. I sacrificed everything for it“ THE RED BULLETIN

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in the middle of the estate she built the foundations of her record-setting, 172-cap England career. “I’d finish school, quickly do any homework, then it would be football,” she recalls. “I’d be out there kicking the ball for hours on end until it got dark. Then I’d repeat it every single day until I got into a team.”

Williams’ obvious skills saw her join Chelsea Ladies’ under-14s team at the age of 12, before making her way up the ranks to the first team; in 2001, she moved to Charlton Athletic. She was at Charlton when, in 2001, England women’s manager Hope Powell gave Williams her debut in the national side. But the young star’s success on the pitch hid a distressing truth off it: at just 17, she was homeless, following a family breakdown. She spent the next six years living in hostels before eventually moving out of London and establishing some stability.

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he desire and dedication shown

by Williams during those early days practising on her estate have remained a constant throughout her career, and staying at the highest level of the game for so long is one of her proudest achievements. “I was in the England seniors set-up for 18 years, able to stay at the top throughout my 23 years of playing, even when people were judging me and questioning whether I was what ‘professional’ should look like.

I always gave my teammates 100 per cent.”

Another Williams trademark is unwavering resilience, an essential requirement for female football players of her generation. With no professional contracts available, these women had to balance several jobs while driving around the country chasing a dream that, until very recently, didn’t pay the bills. For Williams, there was the added challenge of not having a home or a family support network around her.

But football filled that void, and two individuals in particular – Hope Powell and Mo Marley, coach of Everton Ladies and later England – supported her though an extremely difficult time.

Williams remembers their kindness fondly. “I think Hope saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” she says.

“I knew I had talent, but she tried to get me to channel it in the right way. I was a loose kid, hyperactive, and she tried to get me to understand that [despite] the talent I had, if I continued behaving that way then I probably wouldn’t achieve much. She made me take things

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seriously and encouraged me to do my coaching badges and get a better understanding of the game. That gave me an advantage.”

It wasn’t only on the pitch that Powell provided support: “Hope was there for me when I was homeless – not just over the phone, she was physically there for me. We’d meet regularly, she’d bring me food, and she just made sure I was OK. That was so important to me in those hard moments.”

In 2004, under the guidance of Marley, Williams secured a move to Everton, commuting from London initially and staying with the coach and her husband Keith, before eventually relocating to Merseyside and getting a job alongside playing football. “They were Mum and Dad for the weekend

“I stayed at the top for 23 years, even when people judged me and questioned whether I was what ‘professional’ should look like”

Peak performer: Williams won her 100th England cap in March 2012 – her final tally was a record 172 games

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Skill set: keepyuppies for the camera; (right) a signed Reading shirt, presented at her final match

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and were just brilliant,” she recalls. “Mo also taught me some real core values in terms of the football environment that she created. And she did everything for not only me but the whole team.”

Individuals such as Powell, Marley and Tony Leighton – a legendary women’s football journalist who Williams referenced in her retirement statement – helped shape the modern women’s game in England; it certainly wouldn’t be securing multi-millionpound sponsorship and TV deals if not for their hard work.

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omen’s football has evolved dramatically during Williams’ career. No more arriving at stadiums without proper toilet facilities for women, with empty press boxes, and with dodgy pitches that make so much as kicking a ball difficult. But there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure the whole game – even the clubs at the top – benefit from those changes.

For Williams, the biggest gamechanger has been the development in coaching and the opportunity for players to go full-time. “Players look like athletes now,” she says. “They’re eating the right way, and their strength and conditioning is so much better. It’s the technical side of the game we still need to work on.”

Coaching, tactics and technicality are mentioned throughout our hour-long chat. Williams is a football obsessive and has realised that coaching is where her future mainly lies. She’s currently on a coaching program with England’s Football Association and working with the nation’s under-17’s women’s team.

This new generation of female players is experiencing a completely different world, with academy support and a focused football education from an early age. Williams hopes they make the most of these opportunities. “Being as old as I am, I was lucky enough to play with some of the greats in a time when the game wasn’t big,” she says.

The veteran goes on to reel off a list of names, some of whom are now household names in England, such as Casey Stoney and Alex Scott, but also others who slipped out of football to take alternative jobs and who are now almost just memories lost to the game.

“Some of the players I played with were too old at the time to have the opportunities that I did towards the end of my career,” Williams explains. “But in the men’s game we see these players

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“Someone said to me, ‘It’s like you’re divorcing the game.’

It does feel like that… a break-up” working as pundits and as managers.

The older generation of footballers are remembered because [the younger players] relate to them and talk about them. It’s important for the next generation to remember those who came before and put them in the great position they’re in now.”

Williams says it’s also critical that they seize this moment. “I want them to take advantage of packed stadiums, of being paid to do what they love and deserve, of TV and media, of good coaching and analysis, of recovery strategies, and of all that I and players before me didn’t have.

Those players would give everything to

have that again. The new generation can show how good female players can be with the right resources.”

This impassioned plea to the future of women’s football provides the perfect opportunity to ask Williams to somehow summarise what the game has given her.

“It’s given me everything, and I’ve given everything to the game,” she reflects.

“I sacrificed everything for football. I’ve travelled the world with football. I’ve seen more than I ever could have imagined.

I’ve got lifelong friends from the game.

I’m in love with football, and someone said to me the other day, ‘It’s like you’re divorcing the game.’ It does feel like that.

I’m going through a break-up.”

So, where would she be without it?

“Probably working in an ice-cream van,” she laughs. “I used to want to do that as a kid. Every time I saw the van, I wanted one, and I said to myself, ‘One day I’ll work in that van and have as many ice creams as I want.’ So maybe I should buy a van.”

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As supporters finally return to the terraces, photographer Jane Stockdale shares moments she’s captured from matches around the world, showing celebration, defeat, and the spirit that unites all fans: their love of the game

FANS IN FOCUS

FOOTBALL UNITED

Football

WORLD CUP 2014: ARGENTINA VS NETHERLANDS COPACABANA BEACH, BRAZIL “This is the moment Argentina made it through to the World Cup final on penalties. The beach erupted. Everywhere, people exploded with happiness.”

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WORLD CUP 2014: ECUADOR VS FRANCE COPACABANA BEACH, BRAZIL “In my hometown in Scotland, there’s a sign above a pub that reads: ‘There are no strangers here, only friends who’ve never met.’ That’s my philosophy in life. I’ve documented people who might not know each other – on band tours, behind the scenes at Wimbledon, and at multiple FIFA World Cups – capturing extreme moments of shared emotion. In 2014, I wanted to shoot a crowd project at the Commonwealth Games. I made three applications, but my idea was turned down every time, so I thought, ‘Where is the best place to document crowds?’ The result became my project Watching the World Cup, in which I saw the tournament in Brazil through the eyes of the fans [in different settings] – from a farm to the favelas, from the beach to an A&E department. My Brazilian flatmates Cass and Gabriel, together with loads of other Brazilian pals, helped make this happen.”

WORLD CUP 2014: BRAZIL VS GERMANY RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL “I’ll never forget this semi-final. We were at a friend’s house in [favela complex] Complexo de Alemão, along with four generations of their family. Sound systems had been set up around the favela for a massive baile funk [Rio hip-hop] party, with fireworks ready for when Brazil won. Then they lost. It was humiliating, devastating. At half-time, we moved to a bar filled with only Brazilians. There had been a [police] shoot-out the week before and two people had died, so things felt on edge. At 5-0 in the match, everyone was in disbelief. At 6-0, I felt so bad I bought a round of drinks for everyone. By 7-0, everyone was cheering on Germany. This local, Dona Zefa, sat outside her house watching on a tiny TV. She’d seen Brazil win the World Cup five times. Now, on home turf, they lost 7-1. The party that night was unforgettable. It rained for three days afterwards and felt like Brazil was crying.”

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WORLD CUP 2014: GERMANY VS ARGENTINA COPACABANA BEACH, BRAZIL “I’ve never hugged so many crying Argentinians as I did the night when Argentina lost the final to Germany. It felt like the world had ended again. In one moment, so many hopes and dreams were crushed. I tried to console them by saying I was from Scotland and we haven’t made it to a World Cup for 20 years.”

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REIGER BOYS SOCCER CLUB, NETHERLANDS, 2018 “In 2018, the Netherlands didn’t qualify for the World Cup. The Dutch fans bring such good vibes to the tournament, so I was asked by their sponsor ING to shoot a very humble and honest reportage that went ‘back to basics’ and captured genuine football moments across the Netherlands from north to south, big cities to small towns, back gardens to stadiums – all the people who make football what it is, from the players to the coaches and volunteers handing out lemonade. The photos were shot for a TV ad, a ‘pep talk’ to the nation with the line, ‘Come on, out you go.

Never giving up. Just play football.’ More than a million people watched it.”

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RONALDO, GORKY PARK, MOSCOW, 2018 “With the World Cup in Moscow looming, Nike commissioned me to document the launch of Nike Box MSK [a sports centre in Gorky Park]. Also there was Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who was in town to open the World Cup by walking the ball onto the pitch. I got to tell him just how much I love Brazil. He’s a super-lovely guy and it was a dream to be in Moscow for the World Cup.”

WORLD CUP 2018: ENGLAND VS CROATIA LUZHNIKI STADIUM, MOSCOW “It was near impossible to get a ticket for this semi-final, but you only live once, so I spent an eye-watering amount buying one from a 60-year-old Chilean dentist. My bank wouldn’t let me take out such a huge sum of money, so he had to trust that I would meet him at the stadium with the cash. The seat was right at the back, with a rubbish view. After the first half, I knew I had to be with the England fans. The security was super-strict and I’m only small, so I bought two pints of beer and walked up, saying in Russian, “I’m from Scotland,” and they let me through. I ended up documenting the second half in front of the England band, next to [England goalkeeper] Jordan Pickford’s mates from his time playing with Sunderland FC as a teenager. He’d flown them all to Moscow for support.”

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WORLD CUP 2018 FINAL: FRANCE VS CROATIA EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS “After France made it to the final, it was impossible to get a ticket in Moscow. The next best thing was to document the vibes either on the streets of Zagreb or in Paris. After that 2014 night in Rio when Argentina lost, I really wanted to capture the feeling of a team who’d won. I flipped a coin and Paris came up. I landed on the morning of the match. The energy was intense. More than a million people partied on the Champs-Élysées. On the way back to my hotel, I had to walk through a wall of tear gas and riot police. But it was worth it.”

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WORLD CUP 2018 FINAL: FRANCE VS CROATIA EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS “When I arrived for the final, the area was already packed and the police had shut it off, but after explaining to them – in French-Scottish – that I’d just landed from Moscow, they made an exception and let me in. I’d always wanted to be in a city when they won the World Cup, so it felt like a dream to be there.”

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CELTIC PARK, GLASGOW “On my return from the 2014 World Cup, I decided to make a website so people could relive the experience through the eyes of the fans. I edited it on the plane, my friends helped (thank you to Damo for writing the text, and Sofia and Matteo for designing and coding it at lightning speed) and we launched it the moment we landed. More than 200,000 people saw it and sent positive vibes from across the world, so we turned it into a book. I ended my project by saying, ‘Fingers crossed Scotland will qualify again one day.’ That day is here: Scotland are in the Euros.” watchingtheworldcup.com THE RED BULLETIN

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The action on the pitch is just one part of the drama of football. It also resides in the stands, and in the hearts of all those with a passion for the game. Here, a few of these fans show their love and hopes for the sport they live and breathe

FAN MAIL

THE BIG-CLUB SEASON-TICKET HOLDER

“I’ve given up smoking, caffeine and even some forms of meat, but I couldn’t quit football” “During the first lockdown, I just watched old games – Arsenal as a compulsion, then I’d unwind by watching football I’m not emotionally invested in. Sometimes I think I’ll have a footballfree day, but by mid-afternoon I’ll be watching a game. I hope, as fans, we can tone down the tribalism and see there’s more that unites us than divides us. I hope clubs lower down the pyramid and in the women’s game can hoover up some of those fans looking for the matchday experience, because top-level football will become global in terms of where games are held. The future might be to have your ‘Super League’ team and then some of us will take a local team, too, for the matchday experience.”

Tim Stillman, Arsenal fan and football writer

THE FAN-RUN CLUB MEMBER

“Being a football fan is a commitment to something bigger than just a game.

It’s being part of an ‘us’” “Wimbledon have been a big part of my life since before I could walk, from the days of Harry Bassett signing my bib – so I’m told – to representing the fan-owners as an elected member of the Dons Trust Board today. It’s an all-consuming love affair, and I’d like to apologise to my former wives, who always came second best... I believe fan-ownership is the future of football. Clubs are a community asset like no other and should be prized as such.

Only by keeping clubs in the control of the community can they be saved from the whims of individuals. As a Wimbledon fan, I’ve seen what can happen when owners go rogue. What’s to say your club won’t be next?”

Graham Stacey, Dons Trust Board member, AFC Wimbledon

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THE NON-LEAGUE VOLUNTEER

“I dread to think what football in Hereford would look like now were it not for the fans” “Liquidation in 2014 – after six miserable months of watching the club we loved turned into a hollow shell while being tossed from one nefarious owner to the next – was, perversely, a relief for heartbroken United supporters. The chance to help rebuild it, aided by local businessmen with best interests at heart, galvanised the city.

Businesses donated their services, and people their time, to bring Edgar Street back up to scratch.

So, 20,000 of us coming together at Wembley for the finale of Hereford FC’s inaugural campaign proved a perfect celebration of the collective effort. Volunteers continue to be vital today, from turnstile operators and programme sellers to the role I play, commentating on games for the club’s radio station and allowing Bulls fans scattered around the globe to stay in touch with their team every Saturday.”

Gregg Davies, Hereford FC fan and matchday commentator GARY PARKINSON

SUPPORTERS’ STORIES

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THE ONE-PLAYER FAN

“Being a football fan makes me feel I‘m a part of the game” “I’m a huge fan of Aaron Lennon, so being a football fan means I support my favourite player. Football helped me to know Lennon: without football, the world would not know a player like him. He’s like a part of me. I can say I ‘met’ football with him – I grew up with his posters, videos, shirts, and everything about him. Finally, one of my dreams came true and Lennon came to Turkey to play for [Süper Lig side] Kayserispor, which means I can watch him play whenever I want. Ferhat Utfurak, Aaron Lennon fan

THE FEMALE FAN

“Football is part of my identity, a way of bonding with my family and my boyfriend.

It‘s a real-life soap opera, connections made, memories created, a feeling you don’t get elsewhere in life” “For me, being a football fan is more complex than that of the average male. I’ve often felt like an outsider who regularly has to prove her knowledge and genuine interest in the game. But there’s no set way to be a fan – you can have as little or as much knowledge as you like; you can go to as many or as few games as you want. There’s still far too much misogyny within football as a whole, but it’s got a lot better. It needs to keep moving forward to become more inclusive, encouraging all types of people to enjoy and be a part of it.”

Harriet Killen, Sunderland AFC fan and part of thisfangirl.com

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THE LONG-DISTANCE FAN

“Our supporters are incredible. They always make themselves heard in all stadiums and have passion no matter what division we’re in” “My friends think I’m crazy, because I speak more about Bolton [Wanderers] than about my local club [Buenos Aires-based Argentine Primera División side] River Plate, but I just fell in love.

Bolton is a fantastic club; it has a lot of history. My passion began when I played a [football] video game, and what happened after that is inexplicable; I felt a connection to the club that’s difficult to describe. Every night, when I go to sleep, I dream that I can go to watch Bolton. I would love to be able to live in Bolton, pay for a season ticket, and follow them all season. The day I fulfil that dream, I will start crying, because it’s something I’ve longed for ever since I fell in love with this club.”

Matias Foti, founder of Bolton Latinoamerica

THE MANAGER

“What is a club in any case? Not the buildings, or the directors, or the people who are paid to represent it. It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.

It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love” Bobby Robson, former Newcastle United and England manager

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VENTURE Enhance, equip, and experience your best life

THE GREAT ESCAPE

AARON ROLPH/BRITISH ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE

Adventure bikepacking in the British Isles

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VENTURE Travel

“Most people can handle what they think is ‘extreme’ sport.

Start small and the risk aversion slowly becomes muted”

ultisport adventures are my thing. Cycling, climbing, hiking, kayaking – these activities, often combined, have taken me across the globe. There’s also something about pushing the limits of endurance while beating the clock. I’ve scaled the highest peak of every Alpine country in a week; completed the Tour du Mont Blanc Cyclo (cycling 330km with an elevation of more than 8,000m) in a single day; and biked through 14 countries in seven days, earning a world record. As an adventure athlete, I love far-flung places – but I also think the UK has wild spots to rival those anywhere else in the world. So, last year 70

track at Fort William, and climbing the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye – a complex network of munros (Scottish mountains more than 914m high) that’s notorious for its jagged peaks. A technical combination of scrambling and rock climbing at considerable height, it’s seen as the ultimate in British mountaineering challenges to do the full ridge in one day.

I think most people can handle something within the realms of what they think is ‘extreme’ sport. Start small and the risk aversion slowly becomes muted if you stay within your comfort zone. Biking is a good one because you’re very much in control. With mountaineering, you could choose gentle peaks at an easy grade on a sunny day.

Other sports are determined by weather THE RED BULLETIN

AARON ROLPH/BRITISH ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE

M

I devised The Great Escape – a 2,790km gravel bikepacking journey from the UK’s most southerly spot on the Isles of Scilly to Muckle Flugga in the Shetlands, the northernmost point of the British Isles.

For this one, I didn’t intend to rush.

Usually, I’d push to cover 200km-plus a day. But, like many people, my reaction to the pandemic has been to slow down, self-reflect and engage more with nature, so I consulted user-generated photos on Google Maps to determine the wildest and most remote tracks, and I created a route that zigzagged to take them all in.

Then it seemed silly to not engage with these areas in other ways, so I set myself 10 challenges along the way including swimming across Lake Windermere, downhill mountain-biking the World Cup

ALEXANDRA ZAGALSKY

Aaron Rolph, British adventure athlete

VENTURE Travel Ride and joy: “This is my noble steed,” says Rolph.

“A Genesis Datum fully equipped with Restrap bags and comfy 35c tyres that can take it all”

Pleasure and pain: (above) “A coastal ride at sunset before settling in for the night. Be sure to leave no trace”; (right) Rolph is treated by an ambulance crew at BikePark Wales THE RED BULLETIN

conditions, wind factors, or waves if you’re kayaking. They’re as extreme as you want to make them.

I began my adventure in July last year.

Following me by van were my filmmaker friends, who plan to turn The Great Escape into a documentary to spotlight the beauty of Britain off the beaten track.

I try to be a purist, so I carried essential equipment in my bikepack, including tent, stove, sleeping bag, roll mat and camera, plus dry bags, which I now religiously double up to withstand the changeable weather. If special equipment was needed for a challenge, my friends would transport it to the agreed location.

The journey began well. On day one, I kayaked across the deep blue waters of the remote Isles of Scilly. Over the next 71

VENTURE Travel

Escape route Rolph’s ride, from start to finish, via injury FINISH: Shetland Islands

BikePark Wales START: Scilly Isles Natural healing: (above) “I lost a lot of weight after my surgery, but gentle hikes and swims in Chamonix provided the perfect recovery”; (below) on the mend in hospital

Adventure time His tips for exploring the UK with ease

“I named The Great Escape well – I certainly had a lucky one” 72

It happened during my third challenge, at BikePark Wales, a magnet for mountainbikers due to its highly technical downhill trails. I thought I’d picked up enough momentum to clear a 9m tabletop jump, but it didn’t end well. Maybe I was overambitious or a little rusty, but I landed short and the saddle smashed into my stomach. Remarkably there was barely a graze, but the pain was monumental.

I’d severed my colon clean in half.

I actually walked up the hill afterwards, no doubt numbed by shock and trying to figure out what was going on. No one else was around, so I had to hike to a busier area. I didn’t realise the gravity of the situation until the ambulance was called.

It was my first time in a hospital, and a humbling experience, not least because the accident scuppered my progress.

Eight months on and the good news is I’m fully healed. I named The Great Escape well – I certainly had a lucky one. On May 17, I was back in the saddle to complete the final two-thirds of my adventure, the biggest challenge yet to come: the rocky summits of the Cuillin Ridge. I intended to complete that in one push – around 12-14 hours – with all my vital organs intact.

Aaron Rolph is an adventurer, photographer, and founder of the British Adventure Collective – a group of athletes who document their expeditions to help others get outdoors; britishadventurecollective.com

To bike…

“To make use of the outdoors, you need some sort of bikepacking setup. You’re better off learning on a hardtail bike. For more bumpy stuff, move to full suspension.”

Or not to bike “You can certainly do day trips.

There are many amazing places within three hours of London. Once you’ve built up confidence in the wild, try an overnighter.”

Ride in comfort “I don’t ride in non-cycling kit. I use clothing by Albion, a British brand, because it’s much more comfortable.”

Shoot smart “I use a Sony a7R III camera with a Zeiss 35mm f2.8 prime lens – it’s less chunky than a zoom lens, yet brilliantly sharp.”

Make it compact “I started with a big backpack, but it’s not comfortable. There’s so much equipment you don’t need, and the more specialised it is, the smaller and lighter it becomes. A sleeping mat can be chunky, but mine is literally 15cm long and 5cm high.”

Keep it dry “As an ambassador for Arc’teryx, it’s a given that I’d sing its praises, but its kit is so well thought out. Having waterproof roll bags is my top tip. In fact, I’d say double dry bags – in the UK, it’s likely to rain at some point.”

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AARON ROLPH/BRITISH ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE

few days, my route took me across the coastlands of Cornwall and Devon, where I witnessed shimmering shorelines, rolling hills, verdant woodland and heather-covered moors. In Exmoor, I experienced an incredible Alpine-style descent on a single track, framed by dramatic cliffs with steep craggy faces.

Somerset’s Quantock Hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – is unquestionably one of the South West’s most tranquil landscapes. I travelled through the winding Cheddar Gorge and on into Bristol, then crossed the Severn Bridge, which marked my exit from England and into South Wales… which is where things took a dramatic turn.

VENTURE Gaming Bonding exercise

COLLABORATE

Play nicely together Josef Fares is a maverick of video-game design. With his latest title, he wants us to work with one another and spread the love.

Don’t argue, just co-operate

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back again, they must fix their marriage on a quest involving helpful plastic dinosaurs and high-tech war squirrels.

It’s a co-op romcom where you’re guided by an “expert on love”, a living book named Dr Hakim. “Even if that book is crazy, he has some good advice,” says Fares (pictured right). An apt description of the games developer himself, as he takes us through his reasons why working and playing together is key…

Keep it fresh

Most games require players to learn a skill at the start, then use it throughout. In It Takes Two, the game mechanics change with the storyline. “I don’t like reusing stuff – if you

“People get engaged after playing It Takes Two” have a great scene in a movie, you don’t replay it just because it was great,” says Fares, who’s also a successful film director in Sweden. “We want people to experience something they haven’t before – to show what video games can be.”

It’s not about money

It’s rare to see a game these days that doesn’t demand you collect coins or tokens for a 100-per-cent completion rate.

But Fares prefers to focus on the world. “There’s no shiny shit,” he says. “I’m not against collecting coins in [games like] Mario, but sometimes it feels forced. We want you to interact with the world.

There’s a lot of other stuff to do in there.”

Enjoying a journey is better in good company. “[Co-op] is an underestimated genre,” says Fares. “We love watching movies together, experiencing great stories together, so why not a game? It’s more than just shooting. When you have two different personalities, not only can you create cool scenarios that feel fresh for them, that are unique to your character and that make you talk more, you can also create dramatic situations between them. Sometimes it feels like the writers and designers are making two different games.

For us, the story and gameplay go hand in hand.”

Relationship game: in It Takes Two, Cody and May must fix their marriage to become human again

It Takes Two is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and Windows; hazelight.se THE RED BULLETIN

STU KENNY

Sharing is caring

ELECTRONIC ARTS AND HAZELIGHT STUDIOS

Josef Fares is most famous for two things. The first is shouting “Fuck the Oscars!” and flashing the middle finger to the camera at The Game Awards – the industry’s big annual event – in 2017; the second is making consistently great video games.

It’s this marriage of charisma and creativity that has garnered the 43-year-old Swedish-Lebanese games designer a cult following among gamers. In a market crowded with repetitive gameplay and narratives, Fares and his tight-knit team of “bad motherfuckers” at Swedish gaming house Hazelight Studios stand out as truly unique. “I’m very good at waking up the creative monster in people,” he reveals.

There is a theme that runs through all of Fares’ games: co-operation. His 2013 debut, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, required both main characters to be guided by the two thumbsticks on a single control pad. Fares’ 2018 follow-up, the actionadventure game A Way Out, could only be played in splitscreen multiplayer, the two protagonists having to work together to escape jail.

As its name suggests, his latest game, It Takes Two, can’t be played alone. Each player controls one half of a quarrelling married couple – Cody and May – who have been magically transported into the bodies of dolls after their daughter realises they’re set to divorce. To transform

While most two-player games pit one against the other, in It Takes Two progress requires co-operation. “It’ll give you a good sense of where you are in a relationship,” says Fares. “If you argue a lot while playing, you have a communication problem. You must have patience and understanding, and talk. People say, ‘Go on vacation to see where you’re at in a relationship,’ I say, ‘Play It Takes Two.’ I’ve heard nice stories about people getting engaged after finishing it.”

Fares is currently playing the game with his girlfriend: “We have a super-good relationship. No arguments.”

VENTURE Gaming

Hultén furnishes his cabinets with plug-and-play PC or Raspberry Pi videogame emulators and sometimes original JAMMA arcade boards

PLAY

Pixel art

LOVE HULTÉN

TOM GUISE

The Pixelkabinett 42 is a real arcade machine, but it’s also a labour of love from an artist dedicated to reimagining contemporary appliances Love Hultén is a craftsman on a mission. “I want to trigger curiosity,” says the Swede of his interactive furniture, which includes a synth made from 25 sets of chattering plastic teeth wired to a piano keyboard, and this arcade cabinet. “Classic ’cades have charm, but put them in a modern home and you end up with a man cave. I wanted to force arcade games into a more mature context.” The PK42 is inspired by the 36-year-old’s youth, feeding coins into Metal Slug 2 and Tempest machines at his Göteburg arcade, but also “old industrial cabinets, vintage mixing consoles and early space travel”. Costing close to £4,000, each one is handmade to order in six weeks, and Hultén’s one-of-a-kind works attract buyers including actor Michael B Jordan, rapper A$AP Rocky, and perhaps Kanye. “I’m not certain he bought one, but his friend ordered two... so he might have.” lovehulten.com THE RED BULLETIN

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VENTURE How to...

Rewire your brain Recâblez votre cerveau Verdrahten Sie Ihr Gehirn neu Learning a new language opens doors to new countries, cultures and people.

It also opens doors in your mind

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Memory tricks

“Learning a new language involves new words, spelling rules, language patterns, even alphabets,” says Espinosa. This might seem obvious, but what’s really at play is your brain forging fresh neural connections.

“Language involves tons of skills that force the brain to do something unfamiliar.

These mnemonic devices enable you to more easily memorise other random bits of information.”

Fill in the gaps

“One useful strategy in learning a new language is deciphering the meaning of unfamiliar words in the context of a sentence,” says Espinosa. Here, you’re essentially developing

on-the-fly detective skills.

“Taking information you have and estimating what the missing bits must mean – that skill can be useful in many other contexts.”

Expand your horizons According to Espinosa, new languages also help us see the world in a different way.

“I don’t think you can learn

‘a tlhIngan Hol DajatlhtaHvIS, qar’a’?

a language without learning about the culture it’s from,” he says. “Japanese has seven formality pronouns to choose from. You can’t speak the language well without that knowledge; you have to appreciate the nuance of Japanese hierarchy. That means learning the culture of its society, too.”

Nerd out

Bored by real-life languages?

Try Elvish or Na’vi – the cognitive gains are the same.

“There are tons of people who have mastered fictional languages and built communities to create lexis and grammar for them,” says Espinosa. “Most of the languages JRR Tolkien created for The Lord of the Rings were fully fleshed-out with complex grammatical systems.” The trick is to find someone to practise with. “There are only so many people willing to teach themselves Dothraki or Klingon to a fluent enough level for a casual conversation.

Find a Comic-Con or fan event for the language and go for it.”

Busuu is available as an app on iOS and Android, and also at busuu.com THE RED BULLETIN

OLGA SHVARTSUR

describe things, allowing for a more nuanced perception of experiences,” Espinosa adds, stressing that learning a new language doesn’t only teach us about new cultures but about ourselves, too.

“People describe being a different person when they speak another language.

It’s a different part of you that’s communicating.”

LOU BOYD

W

hat happens to your brain when you learn a new language? That’s what the minds at Busuu have been studying, and not all of those minds are human. A digital languagelearning community, Busuu uses artificial intelligence to observe how its users absorb new dialects, and tailors lessons to teach them more efficiently. It has discovered that this can improve our brain’s connectivity, mental acuity, and even unlock secrets to our learning capacity.

“The most effective way to learn a language is to move to a country that speaks it and have a messy relationship with someone who doesn’t speak yours,” says Federico Espinosa, lead learning designer at Busuu. He’s only half joking.

“Learning design [planning and designing the learning experience of others] is about understanding your learners, their motivations, habits, how they engage.”

In other words, it’s as much about real-world matters as it is grey matter.

“It expands the ways we can

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VENTURE Fitness

ROW

“I could teach you to row in three seconds – a fraction of the time it takes to learn to ride a bike,” says Bruce Smith. As a former US national rowing team coach who spent a decade at America’s largest public rowing club, the 51-year-old Bostonian is particularly adept at this. Now, with Hydrow – his revolutionary take on the indoor rower – Smith is throwing his oar into the high-tech fitness space. “Rowing works out 86 per cent of your body, builds bone density and is gentle on joints, unlike running,” he says. Viewing old rowing machines as loud, clunky and boring, Smith also wanted to deliver the sensation of being on water.

Hydrow achieves this with a computer-controlled electromagnetic mechanism, changing the resistance up to 240 times per second to match on-screen workouts filmed live on real waterways. And users can even connect online and row together. “There’s something special about feeling like you’re on the water, working in perfect synchronicity with teammates,” Smith says. “It’s meditative and energy-boosting.” hydrow.co.uk 78

TOM GUISE

This indoor rower does more than get you fit – it transports you to the world’s waterways without leaving home

Hydrow users not only connect online to row together; as a community they can share questions, motivational support and tips

HYDROW

Stroke of genius

THE RED BULLETIN

VENTURE Fitness CHANGE

Break the mould

OBI VINCENT

HOWARD CALVERT

To become more comfortable with himself, this bodybuilder had to leave his comfort zone “I wanted to look like The Rock,” says Obi Vincent, laughing, as he recalls his ambitions as a teenager. “It sounds ridiculous, but I wanted to be a wrestler.”

To look at the muscular 112kg CrossLIFTR – his self-coined blend of bodybuilding and CrossFit training – the idea doesn’t seem that ridiculous.

But the 35-year-old Londoner hasn’t always looked like this.

“Until I was 16, I thought it was normal to be big,” says Vincent of his overweight and introverted teen self. “I’d spend my pocket money on chocolate, chicken and chips, and big tubs of ice cream. Then, one day, someone commented on my weight and I realised I needed to change the way I looked and become more healthy.”

Vincent hated the gym, so he ran laps of his local football pitch. “In a year, I went from 100kg to about 85kg,” he says.

But the Dwayne Johnson dream saw him return to the gym.

After two years, he’d bulked up and was told by a personal trainer that he had the physique of a bodybuilder, so Vincent immersed himself in the world of super-heavy weights and restricted diets. But it wasn’t long before he realised that obsessing over muscle mass was affecting his mental health, so in 2017 he took a gamble and moved into CrossFit-style functional training.

Today, he’s a multidisciplinarian who enjoys running, cycling and bouldering alongside weight training.

But most of all, he’s happy with himself. This is what Obi Vincent learned about not being afraid to change when you need to…

THE RED BULLETIN

Tug of love: Obi Vincent has reaped the benefits of ditching weightlifting for CrossFit

Negate negativity

“As a bodybuilder, I was always worried about how I looked, which wasn’t healthy. I don’t miss thinking, ‘My shoulders need to be wider, my waist smaller, and my legs bigger.’

I don’t miss having to limit my diet to 1,500 calories, taking Tupperware to a restaurant because I can’t eat the food, and always calculating macros. Even if I had one jellybean, I’d calculate that.

As bodybuilders, we look great but feel horrible.”

Be open-minded

“I could have stayed with bodybuilding, because I felt

“No one cares about your abs in a CrossFit gym”

comfortable. But the worst thing you can do when you get to a certain age is think, ‘What if?’ Breaking the mould just means trying something once.

A guy on social media asked if I wanted to try CrossFit, so I said, ‘Why not?’”

involve your looks. It’s about performance, plus they have fun, which I hadn’t had. And there’s training togetherness, whereas with bodybuilding it’s just ‘me, me, me’. No one cares about your abs in a CrossFit gym – there are no mirrors.”

Embrace change

Ignore the critics

Focus on fun

Obi Vincent is a fitness expert and coach. Follow him at youtube.com/obivincent

“At first, I was out of breath doing a five-minute workout.

I’d spent years just lifting weights, so going into conditioning and gymnastics was a wake-up call. I used to think kettlebells were the most useless piece of gym equipment until I started functional fitness. Now I recommend them to everyone, no matter their fitness level.”

“I quickly realised there was a world of fitness that doesn’t

“I get criticised every day on social media, and some bodybuilders find CrossFit silly. But there’s nothing more exciting than learning a new skill. I’ve tried bouldering and cycling, which are challenging as I’m not built for them. But I can choose whatever I want to do each day. This change was the best thing I could have done for myself mentally.

Don’t let fear hold you back.”

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VENTURE Equipment

Hot shots

Climb aboard the urban-rocker revival – the return of the café racer Photography OPHELIA WYNNE 80

THE RED BULLETIN

DUCATI Monster 1200 bike, ducati.com; HEDON Bike Shed Club Racer Carbon Edition helmet, hedon.com; SAINT Unbreakable Denim Shearling Collar jacket, eu.saint.cc; CYCLE ZOMBIES Basecoat long-sleeve tee, cyclezombies.com; BELSTAFF Longton Slim jeans, belstaff.co.uk; STANCE Boyd 4 socks, stance.eu.com; VANS Sk8-Hi shoes, vans.co.uk Opposite: HUSQVARNA Svartpilen 125 bike, husqvarna-motorcycles. com; EUDOXIE ‘Pink’ leather jacket and Laurie crop top, eudoxie.shop; SAINT Unbreakable High Rise Skinny jeans, eu. saint.cc; HEDON Hedonist Glass Ash helmet, hedon.com; 100% Barstow goggles, 100percent.com; STANCE Slacker socks stance.eu.com; VANS Sk8-Hi shoes, vans.co.uk

MUTT MOTORCYCLES Razorback 125cc bike, muttmotorcycles. com; MALLE LONDON Racer jacket; mallelondon.com; EUDOXIE Flor tee, eudoxie.shop; LEVI’S 501 Mid Thigh shorts, levi.com; HEDON Heroine Classic HFI helmet, hedon.com; 100% Barstow goggles, 100percent. com; STANCE Boyd Staple socks, stance. eu.com; VANS Sk8-Hi shoes, vans.co.uk

VENTURE Equipment

Left: HUSQVARNA Svartpilen 125 bike, husqvarna-motorcycles.com; HEDON Bike Shed Club Racer Carbon Edition helmet, hedon.com; MALLE LONDON ML1 flight jacket, mallelondon.com; P&CO Ripstop Fatigue overshirt, pand.co; GOLDTOP Short Cuff Bobber gloves, goldtop.co.uk; DEUS EX MACHINA Jack Mechanics pants, shop.eu.deuscustoms.com. Right: DUCATI Scrambler Icon Dark bike, ducati. com; ZEAL OPTICS Divide shades, zealoptics.com; P&CO Wayfare Waxed Canvas jacket, pand.co; ASHLEY WATSON Cardington sweat, ashleywatson.co.uk; HEDON Heroine Racer helmet, hedon.com; GOLDTOP Predator gloves, goldtop.co.uk; DEUS EX MACHINA Indigo pants, shop.eu.deuscustoms.com; STANCE Joven socks, stance.eu.com; DUKE + DEXTER Drake Tan Hiker shoes, dukeanddexter.com THE RED BULLETIN

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HEDON Hedonist Tux helmet, hedon.com; EUDOXIE ‘Pink’ leather jacket, eudoxie.shop

QUAY Nightfall sunglasses, quayaustralia.co.uk; BELSTAFF Pelham jacket, belstaff.co. uk; EUDOXIE Marie tee, eudoxie.shop; LEVI’S Ribcage Straight Ankle jeans, levi.com; HEDON Heroine Racer Two Face helmet, hedon.com

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MUTT MOTORCYCLES Sabbath 250 bike, muttmotorcycles.com; HEDON Epicurist helmet, hedon.com; ZEAL OPTICS Crowley sunglasses, zealoptics. com; CHROME INDUSTRIES Barrage Freight backpack, chromeindustries.com; DEUS EX MACHINA Venice Address hoodie, shop.eu. deuscustoms.com; FUEL MOTORCYCLES Rodeo gloves, fuelmotorcycles. eu; P&CO 304 Service Fatigue pants, pand.co; STANCE Icon socks, stance.eu.com; CONVERSE Chuck 70 Classic High Top shoes, converse.com

VENTURE Equipment

DUCATI Scrambler Icon Dark bike, ducati.com; FUEL MOTORCYCLES Sidewaze jacket and Greasy Denim pants, fuelmotorcycles.eu; BOLT Raglan long-sleeve tee, boltlondon.com; GOLDTOP Quilted Café Racer gloves, goldtop.co.uk Models RAYANE B and HARRIET ROSE @ Select; ETHAN DAVEY @ W; DJ JAMES @ Supa Hair and make-up CÉLINE NONON using Dermalogica and Paul Mitchell haircare THE RED BULLETIN

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PEAK SUMMER

F

rom the cosmopolitan downtown of the city to the mountainous treasures close by, exploration is around every corner in Innsbruck. The picturesque mountain range of Nordkette, dubbed the ‘Jewel of the Alps’, is easily reached via a cable car, ferrying you from the banks of the river Inn to its 2,300m-plus summit in just 30 minutes. And, beyond the distinctive chime of the cows’ bells, there’s a host of resorts and ranges just a free bus ride away.

This is all made possible thanks to the city’s Welcome Card. Included with bookings of two nights or more at selected hotels, the pass gives visitors free access to public transport (both in Innsbruck and the wider

region), as well as other benefits such as free guided hikes with certified mountain guides, and discounts on sporting and cultural activities. Stay in town for three nights or more and the Welcome Card is boosted with the addition of free access to four more cable cars (Muttereralm, Axamer Lizum, Rangger Köpfl and Kühtai).

Innsbruck is truly a city-break spot like no other. Whether you want to follow a morning of shopping with some of the finest mountain biking around, or earn your evening meal of Tyrolean delicacies with a brisk hike through the hills, you can do it here. And with so much on offer, you’ll be planning your return before you’ve even left.

INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS/CHRISTOF LACKNER

Located in the heart of the Tyrol region and bordered by the Austrian Alps on every side, Innsbruck is the ultimate outdoor holiday destination. Its close proximity to such world-beating mountain ranges make Innsbruck a must-visit winter-sports haven – but this Austrian city is about far more than just one season. Come summer, those very same pistes and peaks are transformed into an altogether different, but equally amazing, adventure-sports playground.

PROMOTION

Top of Innsbruck: the 30-minute cable-car journey to the peak of Nordkette provides stunning views

INFO Access from Innsbruck: Nordkette cable car Elevation: 860m-2,334m

Nordkette THE CITY MOUNTAIN Getting high in the heart of Innsbruck Many cities are renowned for skylinedefining skyscrapers. For Innsbruck, the all-natural Nordkette range to the north provides its own architectural wonder. But rather than admiring it from afar, why not take an adventure to its top? From the Hafelekar mountainlift station, at a height of 2,256m, you’ll get stunning views of the sprawling

city below, as well as the delights of the Inntal Valley and neighbouring Austrian Alps, and even as far as Germany and Italy. You might need summit-worthy layers for when you reach the peak, but the 30-minute cable-car journey to the top is anything but an expedition.

The action on Nordkette isn’t restricted to the peak of the mountain; its foothills on the city outskirts are a hive of activity. Home to the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck, the space offers the chance to get up close – but not too close – to rare and endangered alpine species including wolves, lynx and brown bears

TOP TIP Pre-order a picnic rucksack for collection from Restaurant Seegrube – next to Seegrube mountain station – filled with Tyrolean delicacies such as smoked sausages, mountain cheese and pickled vegetables, plus drinks and a blanket (which, along with the rucksack, is returnable at the end of the day). Now all that’s left is to find a panorama to enjoy with your picnic.

Patscherkofel MOUNTAIN OF THE LOCALS Culinary delights at lofty heights The mountain range to the south of the city needs no introduction for winter-sports fans. Host of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, Patscherkofel is a favourite among the residents of Innsbruck thanks to its location just 15 minutes from downtown. Come summer, it turns into a hiker’s paradise, and its 86 trails of various distances and difficulties are a great way to immerse yourself in the Alps’ largest pine forest.

No visit is complete without sampling Patscherkofel’s

Gourmet Gondola. Whether you pre-book the Thursday night, five-course, candlelit meal or a hearty traditional breakfast (served Wednesday to Sunday), you are wined and dined aboard your own cable car as it ascends and descends the mountain. Food and beverages are served each time you pass the valley or mountain stations, allowing you to relax, drink in the spectacular views as you sip your complimentary fizz, and immerse yourself in a unique dining experience.

Pre-book your spot on the Gourmet Gondola and prepare to experience the pinnacle of romance. After an aperitif atop Patscherkofel, you’ll be wined and dined before retiring to Das Kofel’s cosy fireplace lounge for dessert and an obligatory round of schnapps. Prost!

INFO Elevated luxury: experience high romance at Das Kofel on Patscherkofel

Access from Innsbruck: Bus J to Igls Elevation: 900m-1,960m

INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS_LEA HAJNER, INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS/W9 STUDIOS

TOP TIP

PROMOTION

Muttereralm & Axamer Lizum THE FAST LIFE Adrenalin-fuelled, gravity-powered action

INFO

INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS/MARKUS MAIR, INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS/ERWIN HAIDEN

Access from Innsbruck: Muttereralm: Stubai tram; Axamer Lizum: Bus 4162 Elevation: 920m1,800m; 1,500m2,800m

Looking to add some speed to your experience of Innsbruck?

This is the place to be.

Located less than 20 minutes from the city centre, the resort of Muttereralm offers a chance to embrace gravity and check out the spectacular views across the Kalkkögel mountains – aka the Dolomites of the North – as they whizz past in the blink of an eye. One of the fastest ways down the slope is to saddle up in a mountain cart.

These three-wheel trikes bring the g-forces of tobogganing to the summer season. Muttereralm has a 5km track dedicated to mountain carts, meaning you can truly let go without having to worry about hikers or bikers. Alternatively, if you prefer two-wheeled transport, make a beeline to Bikepark Innsbruck. It caters to all types of mountain bikers – from blue-run beginners to double-black-diamond daredevils – and even hosts international events like the legendary Crankworx festival.

TOP TIP Shifting gear: mountain bikers can tackle the trails at Bikepark Innsbruck

For the best views of Kalkkögel, head to Axamer Lizum on the other side of the Saile mountain. Its 60km of hiking trails are ideal for those who prefer two feet to two wheels.

Walking tall: Kühtai’s ‘Three Lakes’ route is a rewarding 7km hiking challenge

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Kühtai HIKER’S PARADISE Escape downtown for a day and get back to nature Nestled in the heart of the Stubai Alps, 40 minutes from Innsbruck, the small and unassuming village of Kühtai might not seem an obvious stop on a day trip. However, its proximity to more than 45 mountains of 2,000m-plus, and ample accommodation, makes it a favourite base for hikers and mountaineers. Plus, with Innsbruck’s Welcome Card benefits extending way beyond the city’s limits, it’s a trip that won’t cost you a penny.

Upon your arrival in Kühtai, you’ll want to take on the iconic ‘Three Lakes’ hiking route. Ticking off Hirschebensee lake, Mittlerer Plenderlessee lake and Finstertal reservoir, this three-hour, 7km circular hike provides a perfect taster of what the region has to offer.

Plus, with the Graf Ferdinand Haus mountain hut at the finish line, you can treat yourself to a well-earned drink at the end of your exertions.

INFO Access from Innsbruck: Bus 4166 to Kühtai Elevation: 2,020m-3,002m

INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS/DANIEL ZANGERL

If you’re in town at the end of August, give an encouraging cheer to the thousands of road cyclists slogging their way to the top of the Kühtai saddle. They’re participants in the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon – a monster 238km course that includes four Alpine passes and 5,500m of altitude.

PROMOTION

INFO Access from Innsbruck: Bus 4176 to Mieming Elevation: 870m-2,768m

TOP TIP

INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS/CHRISTIAN VORHOFER, INNSBRUCK TOURISMUS

Cool down with a dip at Mieming lake. This wild swimming spot has areas for bathing (both in the sun and water), a water trampoline for aquatic acrobatics, and even a Kneipp water therapy station.

Pure bliss: the Mieminger Mountains are a great place to unwind and commune with nature

Mieminger Kette PEACEFUL PEAKS Relax and recuperate on this perfect plateau Marching up and down mountains can get tiring. Fortunately, it’s possible to slow things down in Innsbruck, too. The sunny plateau, mild climate and ample unwinding activities of the Mieminger Mountains – just 40 minutes west of the city – are the ideal destination for a spot of recuperation. Swap the trails and jumps of Bikepark Innsbruck for a leisurely 30km cycling tour with a culinary twist.

The waymarked route is a smorgasbord of amazing mountain and valley views, welcoming guesthouses, and artisanal shops selling Tyrolean staples that you won’t want to leave without.

The area’s dense woodland is also perfect for forest bathing. Originating in Japan, the practice is all about switching off, immersing yourself in nature, and embracing your surroundings. After experiencing Innsbruck’s adrenalin-fuelled side, this is the perfect way to add some relaxation to your city break.

VENTURE Calendar

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June to 31 July ELECTRIC CITY

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Anyone who has visited God’s Own Junkyard in Walthamstow, east London, knows the neon-sign store’s hallowed place in film history. Late founder Chris Bracey – who followed in his father Dick’s footsteps, making many of Soho’s most famous signs – was approached by director Ridley Scott to create pieces for 1982 sci-fi classic Bladerunner. These and many other works, including those for films such as 1989’s Batman and Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), feature in this dazzling exhibition. Leadenhall Market, London; electriccityleadenhall.com

June onwards QUIT YOUR DAY JOB “Girls now in their late teens and early twenties were between eight and 12 when Getting Nowhere Faster [the pioneering 2004 documentary on female skaters] came out,” said Monique O’Toole in a 2016 crowdfunder for this project. The Californian filmmaker quit her job as a skate instructor for Etnies to realise Quit Your Day Job, born from a 2015 short and released in 2017. Featuring more than 30 women board riders, including pros Vanessa Torres, Samarria Brevard and Nika Washington, its influence assured it wouldn’t be another decade before more female skate films were made. redbull.com

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June onwards WHITE RHINO The ‘white rhino’ referred to here isn’t an animal, but it is a beast – the largest surf ever caught on film, specifically three gargantuan swells in Fiji and Tahiti in 2011 and 2012. Aptly named Canadian filmmaker Brent Storm documents the story of legendary surf photographer Brian Bielmann’s pilgrimage to the South Pacific to capture these once-in-alifetime waves, told in parallel to the personal tales of the riders crazy enough to attempt to tame them. Featuring surf fanatics Dave Wassel, Nathan Fletcher, Kohl Christensen and Kalani Chapman, this is a thrilling movie, worthy of the epic moments in surf history that it has preserved on film. redbull.com 94

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VENTURE Calendar

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QUIT YOUR DAY JOB LLC, THOMAS BUTLER, BRIAN BIELMANN, BEN MARR/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, LIMELIGHT SPORTS CLUB, HADEEL SAMEERA

June to 14 July THE LAND‘S HEART IS GREATER THAN ITS MAP Shubbak Festival, the UK’s largest biennial showcase of contemporary Arab culture, returns to London with a rich and diverse programme of theatre, arts, music, cinema and workshops at venues around the capital – and this year it’s online, too. Shubbak is the Arabic word for window, and, while the festival is a celebration, it’s also an important opportunity to educate and enlighten on serious topics.

This immersive installation surrounding the Barbican does exactly that. The work of Palestinian actor, writer and filmmaker Ramzi Maqdisi (with London film-and-theatre director Olivia Furber), the 70-minute experience gives the audience a sensitive and at times violent glimpse of what it’s like to live in the Gaza Strip, in the form of a guided tour (with headphones) from a resident of Gaza City. As the experience’s creators describe it: “You can see the sea but are forbidden to touch it, being honest is illegal, and those with ancestral connections to the city are forbidden to enter it.”

Barbican, London; barbican.org.uk.

Shubbak Festival runs from June 20 to July 17; shubbak.co.uk

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June onwards FILER CREEK There are few unexplored rivers left in the world, even for the most intrepid kayaker. So when Canadian Ed Muggridge was approached by fellow kayaker Sandy MacEwan to complete a first descent of Filer Creek, a 66km stretch of whitewater that runs from the alpine coast of British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean, it wasn’t an opportunity he could pass up. “What intrigues me most about expedition kayaking is the ruggedness; the experience you need to pull off a mission like this,” says Muggridge. An epic six-day expedition through remote forests and previously untamed river routes. redbull.com

25 July ASICS LONDON 10K This time last year, central London was a ghost town. What better way to celebrate a return to the capital’s heart than to run through it and help raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Cancer Research UK, and many more charities.

On this fast-paced tour, you can reacquaint yourself with famous landmarks including Big Ben, the London Eye, St James’s Palace and Trafalgar Square. And every 450km en route there’s live music of various genres, from reggae/funk to disco, to motivate you to push on to the finish line, where a medal and more post-race festivities await.

Starts on Piccadilly, London; run.limelightsports.club THE RED BULLETIN

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GLOBAL TEAM

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The Red Bulletin is published in six countries. This is the cover of our French edition for July, which features two generations of top skateboarding talent: young gun Vincent Matheron and the iconic Tony Hawk…

For more stories beyond the ordinary, go to: redbulletin.com

The Red Bulletin UK. ABC certified distribution 145,193 (Jan-Dec 2020)

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Head of The Red Bulletin Alexander Müller-Macheck, Sara Car-Varming (deputy) Editors-in-Chief Andreas Rottenschlager, Andreas Wollinger (deputy) Creative Directors Erik Turek, Kasimir Reimann (deputy) Art Directors Marion Bernert-Thomann, Miles English, Tara Thompson Designers Martina de ­Carvalho-Hutter, Cornelia Gleichweit, Kevin Goll Photo Editors Eva Kerschbaum (manager), Marion Batty (deputy), Susie Forman, Tahira Mirza, Rudi Übelhör Digital Editors Christian Eberle-Abasolo (manager), Marie-Maxime Dricot, Melissa Gordon, Lisa Hechenberger, Elena Rodriguez Angelina, Benjamin Sullivan Head of Audio Florian Obkircher Special Projects Arkadiusz Piatek Managing Editors Ulrich Corazza, Marion Lukas-Wildmann Publishing Management Ivona Glibusic, Bernhard Schmied, Anna Wilczek Managing Director Stefan Ebner Head of Media Sales & Partnerships Lukas Scharmbacher Head of Co-Publishing Susanne Degn-Pfleger Project Management Co-Publishing, B2B Marketing & Communication Katrin Sigl (manager), Mathias Blaha, Katrin Dollenz, Thomas Hammerschmied, Teresa Kronreif (B2B), Eva Pech, Valentina Pierer, Stefan Portenkirchner (communication), Jennifer Silberschneider Creative Services Verena Schörkhuber-Zöhrer (manager), Sara Wonka, Julia Bianca Zmek, Edith Zöchling-Marchart Commercial Management Co-Publishing Alexandra Ita Editorial Co-Publishing Raffael Fritz (manager), Gundi Bittermann, Mariella Reithoffer, Wolfgang Wieser Executive Creative Director Markus Kietreiber Senior Manager Creative Elisabeth Kopanz Art Direction Co-Publishing Peter Knehtl (manager), Erwin Edtmaier, Andreea Parvu, Dominik Uhl Commercial Design Simone Fischer, Martina Maier, Alexandra Schendl, Julia Schinzel, Florian Solly, S ­ tephan Zenz Subscriptions and Distribution Peter Schiffer (manager), Marija Althajm, Nicole Glaser, Victoria Schwärzler, Yoldaş Yarar Advertising Manuela Brandstätter, Monika Spitaler Production Veronika Felder (manager), Friedrich Indich, Walter O. Sádaba, Sabine Wessig Repro Clemens Ragotzky (manager), Claudia Heis, Nenad Isailović, Sandra Maiko Krutz, Josef Mühlbacher Finance Mariia Gerutska (manager), Klaus Pleninger MIT Christoph Kocsisek, Michael Thaler Operations Melanie Grasserbauer, Alexander Peham, Yvonne Tremmel Assistant to General Management Sandra Artacker Project Management Dominik Debriacher, Gabriela-Teresa Humer Editor and CEO Andreas Kornhofer Editorial office Heinrich-Collin-Straße 1, A-1140 Vienna Phone +43 1 90221-0 Web redbulletin.com Published by Red Bull Media House GmbH, Oberst-Lepperdinger-Straße 11–15, A-5071 Wals bei Salzburg, FN 297115i, Landesgericht Salzburg, ATU63611700 Executive Directors Dkfm. Dietrich Mateschitz, Dietmar Otti, Christopher Reindl, Marcus Weber

THE RED BULLETIN United Kingdom, ISSN 2308-5894 Acting editor Tom Guise Associate Editor Lou Boyd Chief Sub-Editor Davydd Chong Publishing Manager Ollie Stretton Editor (on leave) Ruth McLeod Advertising Sales Mark Bishop, mark.bishop@redbull.com Fabienne Peters, fabienne.peters@redbull.com Printed by Quad/Graphics Europe Sp. z o.o., Pułtuska 120, 07-200 Wyszków, Poland UK Office Seven Dials Warehouse, 42-56 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LA Tel: +44 (0) 20 3117 2000 Subscribe getredbulletin.com Enquiries or orders to: subs@uk. redbulletin.com. Back issues available to purchase at: getredbulletin.com.

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THE RED BULLETIN Austria, ISSN 1995-8838 Editor Wolfgang Wieser Proofreaders Hans Fleißner (manager), Petra Hannert, Monika Hasleder, Billy Kirnbauer-Walek Publishing Management Bernhard Schmied Media Sales & Partnerships Thomas Hutterer (manager), Alfred Vrej Minassian, Franz Fellner, Ines Gruber, Thomas Gubier, Daniela Güpner, Wolfgang Kröll, Gabriele Matijevic-Beisteiner, Nicole Okasek-Lang, Britta Pucher, Jennifer Sabejew, Johannes Wahrmann-Schär, Ellen WittmannSochor, Ute Wolker, Christian Wörndle, Sabine Zölß

THE RED BULLETIN France, ISSN 2225-4722 Editor Pierre-Henri Camy Country Coordinator Christine Vitel Country Project M ­ anagement Alexis Bulteau Contributors, Translators and Proofreaders Étienne Bonamy, Frédéric & Susanne Fortas, Suzanne ­Kříženecký, Claire ­Schieffer, Jean-Pascal Vachon, Gwendolyn de Vries

THE RED BULLETIN Germany, ISSN 2079-4258 Editor David Mayer Proofreaders Hans Fleißner (manager), Petra Hannert, Monika Hasleder, Billy Kirnbauer-Walek Country Project Management Natascha Djodat Media Sales & Partnerships Thomas Hutterer (manager), Alfred Vrej Minassian, Franz Fellner, Ines Gruber, Thomas Gubier, Daniela Güpner, Wolfgang Kröll, Gabriele Matijevic-Beisteiner, Nicole Okasek-Lang, Britta Pucher, Jennifer Sabejew, Johannes Wahrmann-Schär, Ellen WittmannSochor, Ute Wolker, Christian Wörndle, Sabine Zölß

THE RED BULLETIN Switzerland, ISSN 2308-5886 Editor Stefania Telesca, Wolfgang Wieser Proofreaders Hans Fleißner (manager), Petra Hannert, Monika Hasleder, Billy Kirnbauer-Walek Country Project Management Meike Koch Media Sales & Brand Partnerships Stefan Brütsch (team lead), stefan.bruetsch@redbull.com Marcel Bannwart, marcel.bannwart@redbull.com Christian Bürgi, christian.buergi@redbull.com Jessica Pünchera, jessica.puenchera@redbull.com Goldbach Publishing Marco Nicoli, marco.nicoli@goldbach.com

THE RED BULLETIN USA, ISSN 2308-586X Editor-in-Chief Peter Flax Deputy Editor Nora O’Donnell Copy Chief David Caplan Publishing Management Branden Peters Media Network Communications & Marketing Manager Brandon Peters Advertising Sales Todd Peters, todd.peters@redbull.com Dave Szych, dave.szych@redbull.com Tanya Foster, tanya.foster@redbull.com

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PROMOTION Made from a yarn that uses Parley Ocean Plastic, the adidas Five Ten Freerider ranges are an environmentally friendly choice for bike riders

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ountain biking has always had nature at its heart.

The thrill of slaying a singletrack is nothing without the forest that flanks your line, while the everchanging terrain beneath your tyres – from the slippery roots of autumn to spring’s fresh loam – keeps you guessing, even on your regular home loop.

This connection between the outdoors and off-road mountain biking means that as more riders search out environmentally friendly equipment, brands are challenged to reduce their impact on those all-important trails and the planet as a whole. adidas and Five Ten are answering those challenges with a pledge to end the use of plastic waste by 2024, and by working to prevent waste and conserve resources with their new Freerider ranges.

Tapping into years of sustainable material research, adidas works with environmental organisation Parley, which intercepts plastic waste on remote islands, shorelines and coastal communities, upcycling the debris before it can pollute

FROM PROBLEM TO PERFORMANCE The latest Freerider and Freerider Pro Primeblue ranges show Five Ten is serious about reducing its environmental impact our oceans. The resulting material, Primeblue, is a highperformance yarn that is made using Parley Ocean Plastic.

The Freerider and Freerider Pro ranges use Primeblue technology on their uppers, and feature Five Ten’s iconic Stealth Dotty rubber sole – which grips to flat pedals like a clipped-in cleat – meaning there are no downsides or compromises when making the environmentally friendly choice.

Lace-up shoes designed to look as good on the bike as off it, the Pro range comes with many high-end features for both maleand female-specific designs.

A moulded EVA midsole gives even more comfort, and an impact-resistance toe box protects your feet from rock and pedal strikes.

“Our sport is built in the outdoors, and as a brand we need to be accountable for the impact we have on nature and the environment,” says Luke Hontz, senior product manager for Five Ten. “This will bring us one step closer to becoming a fully circular company.”

Action highlight

Coast rider

The next issue of THE RED BULLETIN is out on July 13

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AGUSTIN MUNOZ/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

DAVYDD CHONG

Costa Rica is perhaps best known to outsiders for its glorious beaches, its diverse ecosystem, its exceptional coffee, and its football team, which beat all the odds to reach the 2014 World Cup quarter finals. But its BMX, not so much. Enter rider Kenneth ‘Pollis’ Tencio, who, in his latest project, De Costa a Costa (From Coast to Coast), takes a 330km road trip across his Central American homeland, nailing tricks along the way.

“I wanted to show the country off through my sport,” says the 26-year-old.

“It became a mission.” Watch the film on Red Bull’s YouTube channel.

GIVES YOU WIIINGS. ALSO WITH THE TASTE OF CACTUS FRUIT.