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THE SPARKLING RISE OF LONDON RAPPER

CRISTALE

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EDITOR’S LETTER & CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Lowe “It was about capturing the dynamic beauty and grace of movement in water,” says the LA-based photographer, who shot a new breed of artistic swimmers at a rooftop pool for this issue. “It was a privilege to document their artistry and dedication in such a unique environment.”

Amanda Fordyce

AMANDA FORDYCE (COVER)

The Australia-born, Londonbased photographer headed to Brixton to shoot rising rapper Cristale. “Shooting her in the streets she grew up in, and seeing her connection to the community, was creatively inspiring,” Fordyce says. “The whole day felt so natural.”

aking an impact in any field requires a degree of talent, but doing so in a new and different way takes an even rarer kind of skill. This issue of The Red Bulletin features artists and athletes who are accomplishing just that, helping to redefine, reshape and refresh their chosen worlds. Our cover star Cristale is a rapper and actor who’s discovering success on her own terms. The south Londoner’s witty, poetic bars have brought a new perspective to the male-dominated genre of drill, winning over millions online and on screen along the way. With ascents so lightning-quick they have to be seen to be believed, Hamish McArthur is transforming the sport of bouldering. The Yorkshire-born climber tells us the unlikely secret to his remarkable speed. And we go inside the world’s most brutal downhill mountain-bike race, Red Bull Hardline – the brainchild of master riders Dan and Gee Atherton – to witness what happens when these seasoned pros decide to push things even further. Enjoy the issue.

Matt Ray The adventure writer says it was powerful hearing how a half-remembered painting had inspired Hamish McArthur during recent climbs: “The image transformed the sweaty discomfort of climbing into a transcendental moment.” THE RED BULLETIN

CONTENTS Music

Cristale

From the MOBOs to movies, TikTok to Top Boy, this south London rapper/actor is in the ascendancy – and, she says, the only way is up Bouldering

Hamish McArthur

Harder, better, faster, boulder: meet the Yorkshire-born climber getting himself noticed by becoming invisible Artistic swimming

Synchronicity 50

If artistic (fka synchronised) swimming brings to mind nose clips and flowery caps, it’s time to listen up: there’s a revolution going on Downhill MTB

Live and let dive

Red Bull Hardline

An exciting new generation of artistic swimmers are redefining their sport for the 21st century

Bullevard Gallery Playlist Coaster in a Box Embroidered graffiti Edible artefacts Plunge

Heroes

Venture

James Vickery

Isabelle Kyson

Songs with feeling Athlete advocate

Yushy 28 Capturing culture THE RED BULLETIN

It’s the world’s gnarliest downhill mountain-bike race – one that every rider wants to nail – and The Red Bulletin has highlights from this year’s (10th) event

75 Travel 80 Urban essentials 90 How To 93 Fitness 95 Gaming gear 96 Events 98 Lessons from the Wilderness

BRIAN LOWE

8 15 16 19 21 22

ROUTINE OFF. RELAXATION ON.

ALPS AT THEIR VERY BEST GLACIER | MOUNTAIN | LAKE

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DAVYDD CHONG

GALLERY

Los Angeles, California, USA

Boarding class

Florida-born skateboarder Jamie Foy is so legendary at riding rails, even Thomas the Tank Engine calls him the GOAT. Shot here by photographer Anthony Acosta in LA for his film project Aftermath, the 29-year-old is among the street-skating elite – a master of ledges, transition, the lot. “Every day, I’m thinking of something new to try, or something that hasn’t been done before,” says Foy, twice named Thrasher Magazine’s Skater of the Year, in 2017 and 2024. “That’s what gets me excited to go skate.” Watch Aftermath on the Red Bull Skateboarding YouTube channel THE RED BULLETIN

Polignano a Mare, Italy

Fly guy

Gravity’s a funny thing – important, but not always reliable. Nikita Fedotov learned this frustrating lesson at the second stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Polignano a Mare, Italy, in June. The diver from Armenia was suspended in this pose, 27m up, for a full hour and a half before Earth’s customary pull was restored. It’s an issue peculiar to this area, apparently. OK, we’re lying – he executed the dive (forward flying, one somersault) with aplomb, landing as anticipated, and ended in 10th overall. Happy now? Instagram: @redbullcliffdiving THE RED BULLETIN

GALLERY

Málaga, Spain

Court out

DEAN TREML/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, PREMIER PADEL/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

DAVYDD CHONG

Stakes are high when you’re world number one. Gemma Triay Pons knows this, having taken home only disappointment from the Málaga Premier Padel P1 tournament (pictured) in July. “Thank you Málaga It’s a shame to enjoy you so little ,” the 33year-old Menorcan posted on Instagram after she and padel partner Delfina Brea Senesi were knocked out in the quarterfinals. “But hey, we all have our off days,” she no doubt shrugged later as she gazed at her world and European championship gold medals. Instagram: @gemmatriay

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Piedmont, Italy

Grit beyond Wheels a-turning, calves a-burning, Wout van Aert grimaces his way up the gravel on the Colle delle Finestre in the Italian Alps during an unforgettable stage 20 of the Giro d’Italia this May. The 30-year-old Belgian’s selfless riding on the notorious stretch enabled his Visma-Lease a Bike teammate, the UK’s Simon Yates, to pull ahead of his pink-jersey rivals and take third in this penultimate stage – winning the Giro 2025 title in the process. Moral: there’s no ‘i’ in team, but a big fat ‘us’ in victorious. Instagram: @woutvanaert

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GALLERY 13

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NEW LIGHTS OUT NOW

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Perfume Genius

Heaven scent The US indie rocker picks four tracks that inspired his music Michael Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius, is one of indie rock’s most prolific artists, having released seven albums in 15 years and continually toured the globe. Hadreas’ music explores his identity as a gay man and tackles issues such as homophobic violence and addiction. Now, after years of commercial struggle, the 44-year-old Seattle-born singer/songwriter and LGBTQ+ activist – whose recording name was inspired by the 2006 movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer – is finally entering the mainstream. His latest album, Glory, produced by the Grammynominated Blake Mills and featuring guest performances by drumming legend Jim Keltner and indie singer-songwriter Aldous Harding, is characteristically selfreflective, exploring themes of grief, chaos and, ultimately, acceptance. The album has earned Hadreas rave reviews, and this autumn he’ll be touring it around Europe. Here, he picks four songs that inspired him to be nothing but himself… Perfume Genius’ European tour hits the UK on November 7; perfumegenius.org

CHRISTIAN KLENKE

MARCEL ANDERS

This Mortal Coil

Song to the Siren (1983) “This song [featuring the vocals of Cocteau Twins’ singer Liz Fraser] is so hypnotic. Whenever it comes on, I get the same feeling in my body as the first time I heard it. [It’s] like the air feels different, time feels different… it’s a portal. And when I’m making music, that’s [the feeling] that I’m trying to find.”

Liz Phair

Chopsticks (1991) “I got Whip-Smart, Liz Phair’s second album, when I was 14. I didn’t know you could talk about [sex], let alone sing about it. But it was empowering, because I hadn’t come out, and I hadn’t heard a woman sing about sex like she was in control. I felt sort of wayward and confused, and to hear someone very not confused was really inspiring.”

Bob Dylan

Oh, Sister (1976) “I love this song, because there’s a hymnal, churchlike quality to it but you can also interpret it as him trying to seduce somebody. I like how it can veer between those things, because it’s like a straight-up religiousfeeling song with a little bit of romance in it. If I’d perfected my songwriting, it would be this.”

Cat Power

Maybe Not (2003) “Cat Power was a major obsession of mine at 18, 19. Many of her recordings are just her and a piano, but the reason it’s so effective is because it’s her. Like, if someone else played those exact chords, it wouldn’t have an inch of her magic. That made me think, ‘What do I have or what can I share that only I could?’” THE RED BULLETIN

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Coaster in a Box

Easy ride If you’ve ever shed a tear at having to leave a theme park, this mini garden rollercoaster might just be for you Most dedicated thrill-seekers accept the fact that getting the adrenaline rush of a rollercoaster means hours spent in a queue. But now, thanks to South Carolinabased start-up Magictecture, the long wait isn’t necessary – because the theme park is in your own back garden. During the pandemic, managing director Sean LaRochelle was inspired by an online video of a family who’d created a Disneylandstyle walk-through attraction in their living room. Thinking he could go one better, LaRochelle began designing his own backyard ride, then went ahead and built it with the help of family and friends. THE RED BULLETIN

On the right track: Magictecture’s managing director, Sean LaRochelle; (top) the Coaster in a Box unboxed

After creating not one but two elaborate, themed rides – the first a mountain adventure named Matterhorn: Alpine Escape, the second a Western caper, Little Thunder Mountain – he’s now helping others build their own backyard coaster. Currently available to pre-order, the Coaster in a Box allows you to turn your outdoor space into an amusement park. Offered in three different sizes – each featuring a self-propelled fibreglass kart that zooms around a track constructed from commercial-grade steel – the coaster is designed to be shipped in modular components and assembled

at home. “It’s definitely pushing boundaries,” says LaRochelle. “But a guy we know built the prototype of the largest model all by himself in a week. I actually think it’s easier than some Ikea furniture I’ve made.” You’ll need adequate space, though – the smallest coaster has a footprint of 20x20ft [6x6m], the largest 20x50ft [6x15m] – and Magictecture recommends that customers have a flat concrete base professionally poured so that the coaster can be bolted down securely. Meanwhile, two-factor safety requires two people – one off and one on the ride – to actually start the kart. This may sound a little risky but, LaRochelle says, ”it’s actually much safer than a lot of things that are in backyards right now. This is safer than a trampoline or a zip line”. The price of a Coaster in a Box starts at around $200,000 (£150,000) – a fraction of what a standard theme-park ride would cost to build. “Traditional rollercoasters have a really smart track and a really dumb ride vehicle,” LaRochelle says. “But we thought, ‘What if we flipped it and made the ride vehicle smart and left the track dumb?’ [That way] we don’t have to bring all the electricity – everything is onboard the ride vehicle. We took something that would normally cost $1million [£750,000] and now sell it for $200,000.” While his Coaster in a Box might not feature loop-theloops, LaRochelle insists it’s a thrilling ride, reaching speeds of up to 40kph and climbing to almost 8m at its highest point. “We put an accelerometer on it, and we experienced three Gs, which is pretty insane,” he says. “But the ride is exceptionally smooth. It’s that type of ride where you’re afraid to do it the first time and then you want to go again and again.” magictecture.com/coaster-in-a-box

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RACHAEL SIGEE

alking past the bold colours and boisterous graphic fonts of Alicja Kozłowska’s public artwork, you might take it for simply another piece of graffiti. But look closer and you’ll notice that instead of spray paint, her arresting scribbles and bubble letters have, in fact, been made using painstakingly handstitched embroidery. “I was always connected to needlework,” says the 25-year-old Polish creative of her latest project, Banksy Who?, which saw her plaster seven large-scale works of embroidered graffiti around her home city of Warsaw, combining her love of textile and urban art. “In my family, both my grandmothers were tailors, and they taught me [needlecraft] when I was very young.” But she’s aware not everyone is so enamoured: “My main goal is to popularise textile art and make it more modern. People think of this art like it’s a granny’s hobby and very old-fashioned. I want to show them that it’s not really the case now – you can see it in a different light.” A graduate in graphic design, in 2017 Kozłowska began her Embroidered Ordinariness series, in which she recreated everyday objects – from drinks bottles to pieces of fruit – in felt and embroidery before placing them in public spaces. For Banksy Who?, however, she tapped into her country’s rich history of urban art. “In Poland we have a lot of graffiti everywhere, and I was always fascinated by it,” she says. “I always liked the aesthetic and treated it as a work of art rather than a vandal’s statement.” While street art is often produced extremely fast using quick-drying spray paint, Kozłowska’s works are the opposite. Not only did she also create embroidered spray cans and balaclavas to flesh out her fantasy, but the

Embroidered graffiti

Needle and cred Armed with her embroidery kit and a lot of patience, Polish creative Alicja Kozłowska is using this traditional craft to make street art largest of her works measures 2m long, and each takes oneto-two months to stitch by hand. “For me, it’s very meditative,” she says. “When I do it, I’m alone. I don’t think about anything else; I can just create. It’s very beautiful and calming. It’s still my hobby.” And while embroidery and graffiti might seem odd bedfellows – one a centuriesold craft, the other emblematic of contemporary expression

Knit wit: Alicja Kozłowska; (top) her Banksy Who? project

and, often, social resistance – Kozłowska believes the two art forms are more similar than you might think. “Surprisingly, needlework and graffiti have a lot in common,” she says. “They’re both very close to us; both are very familiar – we’ve always been surrounded by textiles, and graffiti is everywhere. Now I’ve taken embroidery to the streets.” alicesidea.com THE RED BULLETIN

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REBECCA KNOWLES

RACHAEL SIGEE

ver wondered what a fragment of medieval tile might taste like? The answer is cloves, honey and ginger. And a page from Jane Austen’s handwritten music book… why, that would be gingerbread, based on an Austen family recipe. How do we know this? It’s all thanks to Dr Ella Hawkins, a Birmingham-based artist and historian specialising in Shakespearean costume design, who has reimagined these artefacts as biscuits. “During the pandemic, I felt so starved of going to museums and archives,” she explains. “I so missed seeing beautiful things. Making biscuits surprisingly hit the same spot: if I’d made a pottery shard or mudlarking find, I could – just for a minute – pretend I was looking at the original.” What began as a hobby has turned into collaborations with institutions such as the British Library: “I had this incredible day there. I got to see the original manuscript for Alice in Wonderland… I pinch myself about it.” But replicating William Morris patterns, Delftware tiles or 18th-century business cards in edible form is a meticulous process – it takes two-to-four hours per biscuit. “I used to sketch them out or make paper templates,” Hawkins says. “Now it’s [done in] Photoshop. Then I use a mini projector to trace all the outlines with a tiny, tiny paintbrush and some edible food-colouring gel thinned down with vodka.” Hawkins uses royal icing – made with egg white, icing sugar and water – to create a smooth surface to paint onto and is constantly coming up

Edible artefacts

Dunk history Posher than a Rich Tea, these biscuits lovingly modelled on museum pieces satisfy their maker’s hunger for the past

History bites: Dr Ella Hawkins; (top) biccies inspired by fragments at The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries and medieval tiles at the British Museum

with innovative ways to ensure her biscuits look as close to the original artefacts as possible. A favourite technique of hers is sgraffito, which involves scratching detail with a needle to reveal what’s beneath – this is particularly useful for any piece that features cracks. Hawkins also uses a make-up brush and paint washes to ‘age’ biscuits resembling old paperwork. When replicating shards of Ancient Greek pottery, she moulded dough onto a hemisphere-shaped tin to emulate the curve of broken vases. Putting so much work into something that could be devoured in seconds might

seem futile, but while Hawkins’ biscuits are usually eaten – “I don’t mind as long as I’ve got a nice picture of them” – they’re actually all long-life. “Royal icing doesn’t go off,” she says, “and there’s nothing perishable in the biscuits. They’d go very stale, but there wouldn’t be any mould. I’ve got some on my bookshelf that I made three years ago. “People ask how on earth this relates to my academic work, but it’s kind of a close reading,” she adds. “It gives you a new appreciation. I feel like all the objects are my friends. If I go to see them in a museum, I’m like, ‘I know you so well.’” ellahawkins.com THE RED BULLETIN

Plunge

Therapy in motion This animated short film tells of how one woman found freedom and healing in the chilly waters of the North Sea Five years ago, Katie Wotton couldn’t stand for longer than three seconds without experiencing excruciating pain. A combination of health conditions including fibromyalgia, lipoedema and osteoarthritis had led to weight gain, poor mobility and low mental health. Wotton felt as if she’d hit rock bottom. But when one of her friends suggested sea swimming, everything changed. “I don’t know how I got [into the sea] that first day,” says the 52year-old from County Durham. “But as soon as I did, I realised, ‘I’m not hurting any more.’ The brain fog lifted. When you’re THE RED BULLETIN

in chronic pain, you don’t think clearly, but it gave me a break.” As the sea became her sanctuary, Wotton began posting photos of herself online, which is where fellow sea swimmer and filmmaker Ellie Land discovered her. “Katie’s story kept popping up on cold-water swimming accounts,” says Land. “She was talking about the strength of her body and how the water was really helping her with lots of internal struggles. And I felt like what she was saying online just encompassed everything I was feeling about swimming and cold water and being a woman in that space.”

Sea change: Plunge creator Ellie Land; (top) animated Katie Wotton comes alive beneath the waves

Finding Wotton’s social-media posts moving and her pictures refreshing – “It was a really nice change to see someone with a body shape that wasn’t like a triathlon swimmer’s” – the Whitley Bay-based filmmaker asked if she could tell her story. The resulting short film, Plunge, turns Wotton’s journey of discovery into an uplifting animation about the power of finding freedom in freezing waters. “In animation, you can push the boundaries of what you show visually,” Land says. “For me, it was important to take her into this underwater world that she lives in for the entirety of the film; to show how strong her body is, but in a more poetic sense.” Inspired by the way ballet dancers move, Wotton’s animated counterpart twirls and twists in the water, shedding the difficulties and constraints of her life on dry land as she goes. “[Plunge] is very much about the pressures of being a woman in society… patriarchal, capitalist structures,” Land says. “It’s a portrait of someone who’s had lots of these elements in her life that got her down to the point where she felt unable to do anything else.” After making contact, Land spent five months swimming with Wotton, getting to know her and seeing first-hand the pain relief and joy that sea swimming has brought, to ensure her story was told truthfully. In the final moments of Plunge, the animated swimmer bursts through the water’s surface and, in a moment of quiet euphoria, we’re returned to the real world and the real-life Wotton, smiling and serene before she dives once more beneath the waves. As her voiceover explains, “When I got in that water, I just felt a sense of relief. I could move without being in so much pain. My body was working… It’s a whole new playground.” Instagram: @land.ellie

RACHAEL SIGEE

BULLEVARD

TYKE FILMS

HEROES

James Vickery The soulful singer-songwriter from south London on love, loss and Crystal Palace FC Words Emine Saner Photography Ashley Verse

It was while learning to speak again that James Vickery discovered he could sing. Growing up in south London with his Welsh father and South African mother, Vickery had spent his childhood in and out of hospitals with ear infections and increasing hearing loss. He was eventually diagnosed with a life-threatening tumour in his head that, although benign, was growing towards his brain. At the age of nine, surgery to remove the tumour meant losing the hearing in his left ear. The vocal coach assigned to help Vickery rediscover his voice post-surgery encouraged him to sing. His soulful, soaring tones would go on to gain him 40m views – for the 2018 song Until Morning – on COLORS, the YouTube music channel. Vickery had taken the day off from his job at a local cinema to record the track. “It felt like a fork in the road,” he says. “I remember saying to my manager, ‘If I get this right, it could change everything.’” He did, and it did. A record deal followed. And this year is his biggest yet: in May, Vickery performed for fans of his beloved Crystal Palace FC ahead of their victory in the FA Cup Final, and now he’s about to tour the US and Europe to promote his second album, JAMES.(out on Red Bull Records), on which he renews his passion for R&B, alongside other sounds. After looking for success on TV talent shows including The Voice and The X Factor, Vickery has found it on his own terms. Here, he talks identity, hidden disability, and why it’s good to show emotions… the red bulletin: What inspired the new album? james vickery: As an artist, so many times you feel you have to conform to whatever the sound is at the time, or what people require of you. This album

really allowed me to express myself in a way I haven’t done before. It represents all the different sides that make me: the fun side, the emotional side. My favourite artists have always pushed boundaries – like Stevie Wonder, whose music has transcended decades. I’m a big Luther Vandross fan, too – he went disco, Motown, soul and, later, electronic and upbeat. I’m not the same person I was seven years ago when [Until Morning] blew up. Your songs are emotional. It’s still quite unusual for a man to be so open, isn’t it? I think so. I definitely lean towards being open and emotional. I’m proud of that, and I think my friends enjoy that about me, too. I was approaching 30 while writing the album, and it’s not really talked about how scary that can be as a man – I’m still working it out – but that was the main theme. Growing up in suburban London, people settle down early, and I was nowhere near [that]. I don’t have a nineto-five job, I didn’t have a long-term relationship, and I’m not financially secure. I think writing the album, and travelling, made me realise that’s OK, everyone’s got their own path… though I did find love just before writing the album, so there’s not too much heartbreak in it. Were you always singing as a child? I loved singing, but it was my vocal coach who changed my life. She introduced me to classical and opera, but at 12 I never wanted to do opera; I moved into jazz and soul. There was always music at home. My mum loves disco, Motown, soul. She took me to my first concert, Boyz II Men, which says everything you need to know. My dad was into bands and loves The Who, The Doors. He’s a Hendrix guy, and Eric Clapton… I took a bit of everything. Did those influences help define your identity while growing up? I’m technically mixed-race, but I look white, and I think I had trouble not

THE RED BULLETIN

feeling like I belonged in either circle. Because of my mum’s [Black] family and growing up around [them], I had a bit of an identity crisis in my late teens because I didn’t feel like there were many people like me, who have mixed heritage but don’t look like they do. How did you come to terms with losing half your hearing? I was young, and my hearing had been deteriorating before the operation. The years after were the hardest. Being a teenager and trying to be social while being half deaf was quite tough, feeling different. It was learning to adapt. It’s a disability that isn’t visible. People would be talking to me and I’d be blanking them because I couldn’t hear them, and they’d think I was being rude. How does it affect you as a singer? Performing live is the hardest. You wear in-ear monitors on stage, and I need the sound to be sent mono rather than stereo otherwise I’ll miss half of it. There are benefits, though: you’ll see Mariah Carey and all the big divas put their finger in their ear when they’re singing, to hear themselves. I don’t have to do that! Are you pleased that the TV talentshow path didn’t work out for you? So pleased. It’s so easy to get tarnished with a brush you don’t want, and I do feel for people, because I was one of them: people who aren’t nepo children. Talent shows were the only path I knew into music. Looking back on it, I was distraught when it didn’t work out, but now I see it was the best thing.

Vickery’s voyage 2012 UK electronic duo Disclosure (old college friends of Vickery) use his vocals on their track Flow 2016 Vickery releases his debut single, Epiphany 2018 He appears on the YouTube music channel COLORS, going on to gain more than 40m views 2021 Vickery releases his debut album, Songs That Made Me Feel 2025 He brings out his second album, JAMES., and embarks on tour of the US and Europe

“I lean towards being open and emotional. I’m proud of that” THE RED BULLETIN

HEROES

Isabelle Kyson

This medal-winning, 17-year-old athlete and social media influencer is on a mission to prevent teenage girls in the UK from dropping out of sport Words Jessica Holland Photography Greg Woodward

Sprinter and hurdler Isabelle Kyson is one of the UK’s most accomplished young athletes. But that’s not all. The 17-yearold is also a social media star who works with global sportswear brands, as well as a self-described ‘nerd’ with an interest in quantum physics, and an advocate for social change, spearheading a movement to keep more teenage British girls in sport. Kyson, who lives in Epping Forest on the London-Essex border, joined a running club at the age of nine, was competing nationally two years later, and went on to win bronze in the 300m at the 2022 World Youth Games, aged 14. As she progressed in her athletics career, winning numerous county golds in both sprinting and hurdles, she also began speaking out about a worrying trend. When Kyson had started out, her running club was full of girls her age, but by her teens she was the only one left amid a sea of boys. Naturally curious and determined, she began exploring why this happens and identified a broader pattern of pubescent girls abandoning physical activity at a higher rate than boys of the same age. So she decided to try to change this. For the past two years, Kyson has been working on a self-funded documentary – Out of the Race, set for release soon – that tackles the issue, with input from Olympians, medical experts, politicians and educators. The Red Bulletin caught up with the athlete to talk training, campaigning, and pushing through tough times…

THE RED BULLETIN

the red bulletin: How has athletics changed you? isabelle kyson: It’s pretty much shaped my whole life. I’ve been training two or three times a week since I was nine. [Athletics] is a big part of my social life, and a big stress reliever – especially during exam season. Are you studying for your A-levels right now? Yeah, I’m doing maths, chemistry and physics. I also did an EPQ [Extended Project Qualification, an independent learning project worth half an A-level] in Year 12 on whether string theory proves the existence of the multiverse. I’ve been interested in multiverse theory since watching the Spider-Man movies, so I ended up going down this whole rabbit hole of quantum physics. I’m definitely a stereotypical nerd in a way. I also like playing video games and watching anime – I love Studio Ghibli. You’re an advocate for education on the impact of puberty in sport – when did that interest begin? When I was about 13, I realised that a lot of girls [in my running club] who really loved the sport were drifting away, until it was practically just me left. I had moments of wanting to quit during that time, too. What made you want to quit? My performances started to go backwards. When you’re a kid, you can sprint for ages and not get fatigued. But once you go through puberty, your energy system changes and you gain a bit of weight. A lot of teenage girls run their fastest times when they’re competing in the under-13s or under11s, and they don’t tend to match those times until they’re in the under-17s.

There’s a window where they struggle with their performances, which can be hard to deal with, mentally, when you’re still training three times a week. We don’t get taught about the way puberty will affect us in sport, and that’s one of the reasons why a lot of girls drop out. I’m trying to change that. How are you trying to create change? A lack of education around puberty is actually quite easy to fix: you just need to put something in the curriculum. I collaborated with the Association for PE [the charitable organisation that promotes physical education in the UK] on a toolkit that’ll be sent to more than 20,000 educators and will hopefully create a supportive environment and [eradicate] the stigma around the issue. What drives you to do this? I have really supportive parents. My dad’s been a big part of this. He told me, “If you want something to change, do something about it. Talk to as many people as you can.” I’m also just a naturally determined person – I don’t want to sit back and be passive. Who were you most excited to meet when making Out of the Race? Jess Ennis is literally my childhood inspiration, the person who made me want to do athletics. Meeting her was just as amazing as I’d hoped. What are your dreams for the future? My main goal now is to study physics at a top uni in America, where they have the best track facilities. In terms of athletics, I just want to carry on as long as I can at a high level. That might not mean being an Olympian, maybe just continuing to be county champ, but I want to remain active and stay in the sport for as long as I can.

Go figure

37 per cent of girls enjoy physical activity; boys: 54 per cent 43 per cent of girls drop out of sport after primary school; boys: 24 per cent 16 per cent fewer girls than boys play team sports 61 per cent of girls say a fear of feeling judged affects their enjoyment of sport; boys: 44 per cent (Source: Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls, a survey of more than 4,000 adolescents, by Women in Sport)

“We don’t get taught about the way puberty will affect us in sport”

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HEROES

Yushy

He’s shot Jamie xx, Flowdan, Glastonbury and even the England football team. Now the culture photographer’s most recent project digs deep into the UK’s most secretive underground scene Words Alice Austin Photography Stéfan Weil

Between late 2023 and early 2025, culture and nightlife photographer Yushy spent most weekends travelling to obscure London locations, guided by coordinates sent from unknown phone numbers and signed off with instructions like “don’t look bait”. He’d find himself in disused warehouses, beneath dual carriageways, in abandoned cinemas, banks or bakeries. Following a thumping bassline, he’d end up at a door that would open to reveal a stacked soundsystem, a lighting rig, smoke machines, a rotation of DJs, scores of ravers, and a section of underground culture most people will never discover. This is London’s free party community, an expansive network of ravers, crews and soundsystems dedicated to turning London’s unused spaces into one-nightonly rave spots that promote equality and solidarity. In his photo book Section 63: Underground & Unmasted, Yushy documents these nights, capturing images of party people scaling walls, transporting soundsystems and dancing with their eyes closed – fleeting moments of freedom from a world that exists outside the confines of society. the red bulletin: How did you become a nightlife photographer? yushy: I was 16 when I first picked up a camera, and I studied photojournalism at university in Cardiff. My first job was photographing a drum’n’bass and bassline event. Everyone was moving like crazy, screaming at the DJ, and that kind of spiralled into me shooting a lot of the events in the city. What draws you to nightlife? Something about feeling like an outcast. I look for spaces that allow everyone to just be themselves, because that makes me feel more comfortable.

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How did you come across the free rave scene? I met some kids at a festival in [London’s] Hyde Park in late 2022, and they invited me to their event. I didn’t think much of it, but then I ran into them [again] in central London, and this time I followed them. It was bizarre. We walked down this pitch-black set of stairs, the ground was caked in dust, and I could hear music down the hallway. It opened out into this huge tunnel right under this famous landmark. They’d set up a soundsystem, lights, and there was a DJ. I don’t know how they brought everything down there. It was a full-on rave. Then someone added me to this group chat with about 400 people. What attracted you to the scene? I kind of felt betrayed by the mainstream clubs that say they’re diverse but it feels superficial – the leadership and the media teams are mostly white. I experienced racism in these clubs, and the diversity feels segregated. You’ll have groups of queer folk dancing next to groups of straight men, but not together. But the free rave scene felt genuinely diverse and mixed. I’d see roadmen in full tracksuits dancing with queer kids. Everyone is together. These spaces feel genuinely safe – safer than mainstream clubs, where I would often be the darkest person in the room. How did you earn the trust of the free rave community? It helped that I’ve been photographing music for a long time and have done so much mainstream work. To them, it felt like a green light, [showing] that their culture is valid and important. People do just want to be seen, and the members of these communities are often demonised. But they’re very regular people who have lots of empathy and just don’t feel comfortable in regular club spaces.

What were the most surprising moments for you? Getting support from surprising people in the community [like the] big, rugged beefheads roaming around making sure everyone is safe and nothing is wrong. If I ever had an issue with kids trying to hassle me for my camera, someone would immediately come over and tell them to back off. They do the same for everyone. If someone is giving queer kids trouble, that person would be blocked from group chats and events. I’d never experienced that solidarity before. It’s like the opposite of what I felt in mainstream spaces. What kind of challenges is UK nightlife currently facing? In the UK, a club a week is closing down. People go to pop-up events with brands, or to one big festival or show every other month. Before COVID, it was easy to go to a busy show every weekend, but now people aren’t buying tickets until the day of the event. It’s getting a lot more expensive for venues to host events, because they rely on bar sales and a lot of young people aren’t drinking because it’s so expensive. So it’s just getting harder to dance and be in these spaces. What have been your career highlights? I love documenting moments of genuine, authentic, underground culture rooted in resistance. So I have to shout out our work covering the grime scene in India. That was a bizarre, full-circle moment for me, having documented grime music and [South Asian club event] Daytimers in the UK. Also the baile funk raves in the favelas of Rio – they were amazing. Section 63: Underground & Unmasted is out now, published by Velocity Press; velocitypress.uk

Increasing exposure 2020 Yushy publishes his first book, Rave to the Grave, which documents underground rave music in Cardiff 2020-25 Shoots at the Notting Hill Carnival every summer 2023-24 Works with artists including Flowdan, Jamie xx and Catfish and the Bottlemen 2024 Collaborates with EE and the England team on an anti-racism campaign for the Euros 2024-25 Documents the grime movement in Mumbai and the baile funk scene in Rio de Janeiro

@STEFANTHEPHOTOGRAPHER

“I look for spaces that allow people to just be themselves” THE RED BULLETIN

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PHOTOGRAPHER

Words Jessica Holland Photography Amanda Fordyce Styling Rosie Sykes Hair and make-up Marsha Ryan

WRITER

ILLUSTRATOR

MUSIC AT 24, CRISTALE DE’ABREU HAS ALREADY ACHIEVED SO MUCH, FROM VIRAL HITS TO MULTIPLE MOBOS NOMINATIONS. BUT, AFTER BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST, THE SOUTH LONDON RAPPER AND ACTOR SAYS HER BEST IS YET TO COME. HERE, SHE TALKS DRILL, GRILLS AND FINDING CLARITY

CRISTALE CLEAR THE RED BULLETIN

n the video for her track Regular Citizen, south London rapper Cristale stands in an old-timey sweet shop, surrounded by colourful glass jars, laying out how she sees the world. “Life’s good, but I want more,” she sings, “I work hard. No lo siento, quiero ma [I’m not sorry, I want more].” Then she ditches her employee’s apron and walks out. “Told God I ain’t tryna seem ungrateful,” she raps. “I love what I have, but I want way more.” This is more than mere lyrical bravado. When Cristale De’Abreu says she wants more, there can be little doubt it will come. At 24, she’s already manifested more dreams than some manage in a lifetime, racking up achievements in the worlds of football, acting, art and now music, into which she’s channelling the full force of her creativity. Cristale’s drive, authenticity and lyrical dexterity have marked her out as a generational talent, adept at witty wordplay and able to weave intricate rhymes around sparse UK drill beats or bouncy dancehall rhythms with equal confidence. She’s been tapped to work with influential artists from the US and the Caribbean as well as the UK, including Toddla T, who has produced the likes of Stormzy and Kneecap, and who called her the “baby GOAT” on his Gratitude is the Attitude podcast last year. “She’s half my age, but I learn so much from this young woman,” said the DJ/producer. “There’s an art form of rap that sometimes gets lost, [but] when I hear [her] it reminds me why I fell in love with it in the first place.” Significant highs in Cristale’s career to date include an acting/rapping role in season three of the hit Netflix show Top Boy in 2023 – performing her track Roadents – and a nomination for Best Hip Hop Act at this year’s MOBOs. Now, she’s preparing for the release of her first proper mixtape and readying herself for the thrills, pressures and challenges that come with a new level of success. As she sits in a Brixton department-store café on a Tuesday in late summer, dressed in a black tracksuit and – minus her signature grills – sips on a hot chocolate, no one clocks Cristale as emerging rap royalty. But when she opens her mouth, she speaks with the quiet self-assuredness of an artist headed for bigger things. “If you know me, or have watched my journey,” she says, “you know that I’m capable of a lot more than what I’ve already done. Even though I’ve accomplished so much, it feels like I’m on the cusp.” THE RED BULLETIN

ristale’s achievements so far have been made on her own terms; she’s not looking to follow in the footsteps of others. “If I look at someone else’s life and say, ‘I want to do that,’ I might be blocking my own blessings,” she says. She does, however, see Little Simz – the only woman to win Best Hip Hop Act at the MOBOs in more than two decades – as an encouraging example of what’s possible, and Simz has offered her support and congratulations via text. “When I was coming up, I always used to say, ‘Little Simz don’t shake her bum, so why do I have to?’,” Cristale says. “She’s accomplished so much in her life without having to compromise who she is. Who’s to say that I can’t go that far, even further, without having to compromise my beliefs? I haven’t had to this whole time.” The Londoner’s musical approach is helping to redefine UK drill. The grime-adjacent genre she’s most closely associated with, drill is known for being lyrically aggressive and competitive, but Cristale is as likely to examine her vulnerabilities or reference US author John Steinbeck as she is to brag. On Antisocial, which she performed at the 2024 MOBOs, she talks about her relatively sheltered upbringing, not being allowed to attend Black Lives Matter protests, and being awkward at parties. More recent single Ready 2 Go has a playful, unruffled energy: “I drink San Pellegrino… I’m still a G, though,” she raps, deadpan. “If life gimme lemons, I’ll make a mojito.” And she’s made smart decisions along the way, following her instincts rather than the crowd. In 2023, Cristale and another talented young MC, TeeZandos, were being held up online as competitors in a male-dominated scene. Rather

TOPIC MUSIC

Vest by ARKET; shorts by STONE ISLAND; socks by NIKE; shoes by NIKE SHOX; jewellery, Cristale’s own

“I DON’T HAVE A CLIQUE IN MUSIC. I PRETTY MUCH STAND ALONE” THE RED BULLETIN

MUSIC

“I’VE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH, BUT I’M CAPABLE OF A LOT MORE”

than fuel the fire, Cristale chose to collaborate. “People had tried to pit us against each other,” she says. “There were debates online like, ‘Who’s the real Queen of Drill?’ One day, we linked up and went to the studio so that we knew that we were cool, because we hadn’t spoken at all. Something really good came out of it.” The resulting freestyle was an electrifying statement of intent, two women united, letting the scene know they can go toe-to-toe with the best. The video, recorded for the YouTube series Plugged In, received more than 12 million views and helped to cement the reputation of both as rising stars. As far as Cristale is concerned, the cost of taking a different approach is worthwhile. “I don’t have a clique in music,” she says. “I pretty much stand alone. Sometimes that does make me feel a little bit like an outsider, but I’m used to it. I just make the music.”

aised on the sounds of Caribbean dancehall, US hip hop and UK grime in a Jamaican-Montserratian-Guyanese household, Cristale was taught to rap by an uncle at the age of three. He wrote a few lines for her – “My name’s Cristale but I haven’t had a sip…” – and she won back-to-back primary-

FOUR TRACKS THAT SHAPED CRISTALE CHIP COWARD (2015) “The instrumentation and the way he would move on the rhythm captivated me as a young person.” BUJU BANTON BOGLE (1992) “My mum has been listening to this song since before I was born, so when I made Bong Bing I subconsciously knew how to make a dancing song.” BUSTA RHYMES PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE MY EYES COULD SEE (1997) “The rhythm, his energy, his cadence, his breath control, everything… it’s mad inspiring.” LAURYN HILL NOTHING EVEN MATTERS (FEAT D’ANGELO) (1998) “The Miseducation… is my favourite album of all time. This track just settles me.” THE RED BULLETIN

school talent shows performing them. In secondary school, she got into the work of British poets Santan Dave (now better known as London rapper Dave), Suli Breaks, Nego True and George the Poet, and began competing in – and winning – slams. But her career ambitions were to become a footballer or an architectural designer. She was scouted by Crystal Palace FC at 14 and played for the under-16s and under-18s, then went on to study illustration as an undergraduate at University of the Arts London, focused on opening up as many avenues for her talents as possible. “All of these people told my mum and me that I wouldn’t be anything because of where I grew up, in Brixton,” she says. “That I’d be a single baby-mother by the time I was 17. When I was 17, I was doing my A-levels and passing them.” It was a temporary break-up with her long-term boyfriend as she entered Year 12 that first got Cristale writing freestyles: “I had a lot of pain that I wanted to put into words but couldn’t necessarily speak about. I wrote a poem on the way to church that ended up being bars.” She’d been listening to Drake’s 2013 track From Time (featuring Jhené Aiko) and ended up setting her lines to its sparse piano melody and minimal, syncopated beat and posting them on Instagram. “After that, I was just doing freestyles.” By February 2020, in her second year of uni, Cristale had accumulated a few of these tracks on her phone, and her dad suggested she record some in a recording studio and make videos for YouTube. The results gained immediate attention. She was approached by Leeds drill rapper Temz for a collaboration (released in 2021) and received a DM soon afterwards asking if she’d like to sign to new UK label 4ZA, a partnership between Sony Music and the London-based Black Butter Records. The following year, Cristale went viral in a way that most young artists only dream of. In early 2022, she teamed up with rising Jamaican dancehall star Laa Lee on the track Bong Bing, rapping in patois for the first time rather than in her own London accent. Cristale’s boyfriend is a dancer, and at a latenight gym session they came up with some simple moves to go with the song, then recorded a video in a couple of takes. She posted the clip the following day while taking a break from braiding her nan’s hair, not thinking much of it. The next time she picked up her phone, the video had 100,000 views. People started uploading their own versions of the dance to the track – everyone from a couple in front of an Egyptian pyramid to US TV star Raven-Symoné in her lounge – and influencers even started posting their own ‘Bong Bing dance’ tutorials. To date, the track has been used as the soundtrack to more than half a million TikTok videos and has 11 million-plus streams on Spotify. “It was so mad,” Cristale says. “That song changed my life. Up until that point, I believed in myself and that I was making good music, but I didn’t believe other people

Nailing it: Cristale, photographed for The Red Bulletin in Brixton in August this year

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Tracksuit by NIKE; vest by ARKET; shoes by NIKE SHOX; jewellery, Cristale’s own THE RED BULLETIN

MUSIC

“PEOPLE TOLD ME I WOULDN’T BE ANYTHING BECAUSE OF WHERE I GREW UP, IN BRIXTON”

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Jacket and shorts by STONE ISLAND; vest by ARKET; socks by NIKE; shoes by NIKE SHOX; jewellery, Cristale’s own

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MUSIC

“LITTLE SIMZ DON’T SHAKE HER BUM, SO WHY DO I HAVE TO?”

had the capacity to believe in me as well. I went from having a couple hundred followers on TikTok to a million.” Since then, opportunities have snowballed and, true to form, Cristale has made the most of them. In June 2022, a few months after Bong Bing, she released her debut EP, the seven-track What It’s Like to Be Young, following this with festival slots in London, New York and Jamaica. By the end of the year, she had a MOBO nomination for Best Newcomer. She was also asked to audition for the dystopian thriller The Kitchen – co-directed by Get Out actor Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares and featuring Top Boy star Kane Robinson aka grime artist Kano – and won a supporting role as a young woman fighting to survive on London’s last remaining council estate. It was her first foray into acting. “The cast became a family,” she says. “Going bowling with Kane and Daniel at the wrap party, it was like being with my older cousins.” It was the same casting director who chose Cristale for a small part in the 2024 Channel 4 drama Queenie, but Top Boy came about differently. She was invited by its music supervisor, who knew her label boss, to write a track for possible use in the third Netflix season. Someone who thrives under pressure, Cristale went to her room, played a loop on her laptop, and emerged with a dark grime track filled with rapid-fire wordplay that she describes as “one of the hardest RISE & SHINE tunes I’ve ever made”. Roadents CRISTALE’S was chosen for episode two, The JOURNEY Tour, where Cristale’s character 2020 performs it as a freestyle First studio recording among fellow gang members in a crowded flat. Now, when she 2021 plays the track live, the crowd Signs to 4ZA knows every word. “The first 2022 time that happened,” she says, Releases viral hit Bong “I was in shock.” Bing; nominated for In 2023, she was invited MOBOs’ Best Newcomer to perform another freestyle, 2023 this time paying tribute to Writes Roadents the England women’s football for Top Boy team, as part of a series sponsored by Nike. Working 2024 with the brand was a longtime Appears in dystopian goal for Cristale – she’d already movie The Kitchen sold all her shoes made by 2025 competitors, as a way of Receives MOBOs manifesting a future deal – nomination for Best and she’s appeared in several Hip Hop Act of its campaigns since, flying 2026 to Spain and the Netherlands Debut mixtape due out for photo and video shoots.

“The younger me wouldn’t believe this,” Cristale says. “She wouldn’t believe that she’s got grills, that she’s (kind of) got over her insecurity about her gap teeth. She wouldn’t believe she’s been on billboards and has a million followers on TikTok. She wouldn’t believe that she could make music.”

oday, Cristale has a different perspective. The past five years have convinced her of her own potential, as well as educating her on the challenges of remaining true to yourself while tasting success at a relatively young age. In April last year, she parted ways with her label, taking ownership of her unreleased masters, and she has since released a series of tracks independently. She’s already been embraced by the indie community: this August, the Association of Independent Music (AIM) nominated Cristale for their 2025 ‘One to Watch’ award. She’s now managed by her mother, Marsha, who accompanies her to the studio, on international shoots and across red carpets. “I feel like if I didn’t have my mum with me, I would have been manipulated 10 times over,” she says. “You can’t trust anybody in this industry.” The two still live together in the Brixton home where Cristale grew up, though she envisions moving out of the neighbourhood to somewhere bigger and more private. The 24-year-old has kept up her usual pace since becoming an independent artist. As well as releasing her own music, this year she’s performed at Red Bull Culture Clash – in a crew headed by Radio 1 DJ Kenny Allstar, who described her as “the future: sharp and fearless” – contributed to Fine Art by Atlanta-based tastemaker DJ Drama, and teamed up with rock band Kasabian on a song to soundtrack Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage. Her debut mixtape is finished and due out in early 2026. She explains that the impending release is about building on the foundations she’s already laid. “It’s quite personal,” Cristale says of the mixtape. “It’s definitely a massive growth from anything I’ve done in the past. There’s no features on there – it’s just me – and it’s about a journey towards clarity, tailoring your life around the things that will get you what you want.” Cristale wants all kinds of things. She wants to make more music and perform it to a crowd of 100,000 who can rap along; she’d like to be signed by Nike, do more acting, play more football, and create an education programme to improve life opportunities of young people in Brixton. But what also excites her is not knowing exactly where life will lead. “Can’t say nothing could never be me,” she raps in Regular Citizen, “’cause when life starts lifing, anything’s possible.” As Cristale finishes her hot chocolate, she puts it another way. “You have to be patient,” she says, sounding wiser than her years. “And you have to be ready. As long as you know yourself and you’re actively creative every day, everything else will come.” Instagram: @cristaleyy THE RED BULLETIN

THIS YEAR, HAMISH MCARTHUR ROCKED HIS SPORT WITH AN AUDACIOUS WORLD FIRST, SCALING ONE OF THE MOST TESTING BOULDERS ON THE PLANET IN LESS THAN A DAY. TO ACHIEVE IT, THE BRITISH BOULDERER SAYS, HE HAD TO LEARN A NEW TRICK: HOW TO MAKE HIMSELF DISAPPEAR Words Matt Ray THE RED BULLETIN

SAM PRATT

THE INVISIBLE MAN

BOULDERING

Doubling up: McArthur climbs Spirit Quest (V17) in Paradise Valley, Squamish, Canada, after onsighting Spirit of the West (V14) nearby THE RED BULLETIN

arlier this year, Hamish McArthur travelled to Colorado with the intention of climbing some of the world’s hardest boulders as quickly as possible. He started in late April with Megatron, graded V17 (using the US V scale, or 9a in the French). Currently the world’s hardest bouldering grade, V17 is reserved for climbs so difficult they usually take a months- or years-long siege to master; McArthur completed it in just five sessions. A fortnight later, the York-born climber pulled off an even more shocking achievement, sending another famously aesthetic V17 – No One Mourns the Wicked (NOMTW) – in a wildly fast time of two hours and 17 minutes. It was only the second-ever ascent; the first, started last December, took American Nathaniel Coleman 22 days, spread across almost two months. McArthur, an Olympian, junior world champion and Arc’teryx athlete, was already at the forefront of an exciting generation of British climbers. But these latest achievements have shaken up the whole sport, forcing many to question the dominant narrative that pushing the limits in climbing requires sacrifice, suffering and slow, incremental struggle.

Rock solid: (right) McArthur nails the hardest move on No One Mourns the Wicked (V17) at Thunder Ridge in Colorado; (opposite) at USA Climbing’s National Training Center after the 2023 IFSC World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah THE RED BULLETIN

BOULDERING

For the 23-year-old, achieving what many in the climbing world would have previously deemed impossible can’t be explained as simply a victory of strength over stone. McArthur’s climbs are even more fascinating due to the method he used to nail them. Himself a painter, McArthur says he was inspired by Cuban artist Reynier Llanes’ 2021 work The Poet, a half-remembered painting of a transparent man standing in a field of flowers, which helped him visualise a new mental state he entered when tackling these climbs. After his Megatron climb, McArthur posted on Instagram: “First I become invisible, letting the world move through me like I’m made of glass. It sounds difficult, but it’s the ease of it that I struggle with. The question now is not how much can you give but how much can you bear to be given. This is the spark, this invisibility trick…” This young climber seems to be offering an alternative route to transcendent performance, by stepping outside of himself. “That thing called ‘I’ returns 17 moves off the deck and looks around for a while trying to figure out how he got there,” he continued in his post. “I’m a bit confused, but apparently I just climbed Megatron, perhaps the hardest boulder in the world – and it’s nice to have my body back.” McArthur received immediate pushback from some in the climbing community for his posts, but this didn’t deter him from posting a timeline detailing his one-day session to send NOMTW. It was almost provocative, but, he says, he’s not really chasing climbing success or professional accolades. Instead, he’s using the sport to send a message about the worldshifting human potential that lives in us all, just waiting for a spark to ignite it. McArthur sees himself as part artist, part magician: “If I was to levitate your phone right now, your world would change,” he tells The Red Bulletin shortly after his return to the UK from Colorado. “You’d be walking down the street afterwards and everything would be different. I just think

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“I LIKE THE IDEA OF TAKING SOMETHING THAT’S SEEN AS IMPOSSIBLE AND MAKING IT POSSIBLE”

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BOULDERING

sometimes that’s what the world needs. I like the idea of taking something [that’s seen as] impossible and making it possible. Opening my mind, and other people’s, too – that’s what’s inspiring.” McArthur wasn’t always so self-assured. There was a time when the then climbing prodigy felt that his sport was an anxiety-inducing prison of his own making. So how did his climbing transition from dysfunctional to revolutionary?

Rocky beginnings the red bulletin: By the age of 10, you were a climbing prodigy competing in indoor competitions, and you won the British under-14s category at 12. But where did your interest in climbing start? hamish mcarthur: I started climbing when I was five, and then it snowballed. But my whole childhood felt like I was trying to not be noticed by anybody, just existing in the shadows and doing my own thing. Competing was definitely a way of getting attention, but in something I felt secure in and that I was objectively good at. If I’m doing well in a competition as a young, really competitive but insecure 10, 11, 12-year-old, that feels good. It’s validation that gives you some identity to lean on. But through leaning on that, you create quite a hollow crutch. So it affected your wellbeing in the end? Yes, [because] you’re relying on something that isn’t solid. It’s always changing, and you’re not relying on the things that are more solid, like love and an appreciation for who you are – the simple stuff. That’s not a healthy way of existing. What was the turning point? A really unpleasant year of competing, in 2022, when I just hated it the whole time but felt an obligation to be there. For the first time ever, I considered that I could actually do a full human lifetime if I stopped climbing. And it could be great. There are many people who live cool, fulfilling, interesting lives who have zero idea what a V17 is. It means nothing. And it’s just so important to me to remember that. I was making a prison for myself, so it was important for me to have this one moment of bravery and realise I could just walk away from it and I’d be fine. So then, with that narrative, I went and started enjoying competing again.

If you’re trying to avoid using climbing success as personal validation, what is your motivation? Redefining what’s possible is a big inspiration, a big goal of mine. That’s the why that’s pushing me to get better; THE RED BULLETIN

SAM PRATT

Redefining what’s possible

Gripping stuff: McArthur tackles the final boulder during qualification for the British Bouldering Championships this January. He finished second in the final

“I BECOME INVISIBLE, LETTING THE WORLD MOVE THROUGH ME LIKE I’M MADE OF GLASS”

BOULDERING

HOLDING ON FOR HISTORY HAMISH MCARTHUR MAY HAVE BEEN FIRST TO CLIMB V17 IN A SINGLE DAY, BUT IT WAS A LONG ROUTE THERE 2019 Wins silver at the IFSC World Youth Championships Climbs Jungle Speed lead route (V17/9a) in Siurana, northeastern Spain 2021 Takes gold at the IFSC World Youth Championships Wins bronze at the IFSC Climbing World Championships Flashes Bulbhaul (V12/8a+) at Almscliffe Crag in North Yorkshire, UK 2024 Finishes fifth in the combined boulder and lead final at the Paris Olympics Flashes Fool Me Once (V14/8b) in Squamish, Canada APRIL 2025 Makes the second-ever ascent of Megatron (V17/9a) in Colorado, USA

the idea of dissolving boundaries of what I thought was humanly possible. My process isn’t binary – it’s not like I’m gonna do this amount of strength work and this amount of resting and that will make me good enough. I just don’t think it’s that simple. On YouTube, it looks like you swing up a series of positive handholds on NOMTW – very physical but smooth… Actually, the holds are not good at all! When I first showed up that day, I thought, “Oh God, this is way worse than I thought it was going to be.” I was on the very edge of falling off all of the time, which is nerve-racking. But it was really important for me not to focus on [those] sensations and [instead] just climb as if it was easy, so that it was efficient and fast. So you’re not just flowing up the climb? It’s thinking a few steps ahead, which is really hard to do in climbing because it’s sacrificing natural movement for setting up future moves. It feels a little chess-like. THE RED BULLETIN

Makes the second-ever ascent of No One Mourns the Wicked (V17/9a), also in Colorado

Perhaps, by hacking awareness to redirect focus and access some of the data we physically sense but our brains can’t consciously process, other parts of the brain go on standby… That’s how it feels, yes. My attention isn’t on the unnecessary parts, and an unnecessary part of performing at that level, in that moment, is memory and identity. You’re not thinking about yourself as an I. You had to power-scream your way up into the last section of NOMTW. Was that part of the plan? Making these sounds helps me focus and centre myself. It’s like a reset. It put me in a place where I could hold back a tidal wave of expectation, prediction and future planning, of “What if I do this move?” or “What if I don’t do this move?”. The whole thing comes down to this last sequence where you’re tired and there’s a lot of dialogue in your head. You have to really trust your feet and your body position. But that’s hard to do when

SAM PRATT, JESSICA GLASSBERG

Bould move: McArthur climbs the second ascent of Megatron (V17) in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado

MAY 2025 Climbs Colorado’s Defying Gravity (V15/8c)

Holding off: McArthur chills on Stanage Edge in the Peak District during down time between competitions

“I’VE DONE SOME IMPRESSIVE THINGS, BUT NOTHING HAS FELT CLOSE TO THE LIMIT YET. I WANT TO STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN” THE RED BULLETIN

BOULDERING

there’s a V17 on the line and [my] baggage about climbing success is getting in the way. It’s clearly a constant battle to let go of expectations, good or bad, but what inspired this in the first place? The beautiful painting I’d seen years ago, showing this invisiblelooking man in a field of flowers. When I was trying Megatron, that was in the back of my mind. And after I’d done [the climb], I remembered the picture and was like, “Oh my God, I’ve been using this as my muse for my own process the whole time.” How does a painting of an invisible man help you to climb? The Poet makes me think of the world moving through my body, like being a conduit for experience to flow through, rather than imposing yourself on the rock like, “I’m going to overcome this thing.” It’s a more gentle feeling, just trusting the gradient to take you where you need to go. You come out from a trance after all that really intense focus, and there’s genuine disbelief: “Did that actually happen?” On some level, I don’t know [for sure] until I see a video of it. It doesn’t feel like I did the climb. Are you literally leaving part of yourself behind, to get out of your own way? Parking the ego is a good way of putting it. When it’s going well and when my best stuff comes out in climbing, or painting, or conversation or whatever, it’s usually when that distraction is taken out, because there’s just less self-judgment. There’s less feedback, less judgment like, “How am I going to be perceived because of this?” That allows you to be genuinely expressive. You just leave [the ego] behind and go on this little adventure. Then it comes back to you and sometimes, in that moment of coming back, I can see this is really good. But it’s almost too real sometimes. Part of it is all the ‘what if’s start hitting you at that point: I just did V17 in a few goes – what happens next?

POWER SCREAM An explosive, unintelligible yell or shout when doing a hard move SLOPER A rounded, smooth handhold that depends on friction and skin contact SIDE PULL A vertical, edged handhold that requires opposed body tension to work UNDERCLING Handholds that must be grabbed underhand as your feet push up to engage body tension THE RED BULLETIN

SLOT A narrow, inset pocket in the rock that is often unsighted by the climber below BETA The preferred sequence of moves up a bouldering problem or rock route FLASH Climbing a new boulder route on the first attempt V17 (OR 9A) The top grade in bouldering, first climbed in 2016 MONO A small, singlefinger-sized pocket in the rock that climbers try to pull up on DYNO An explosive jump where your hands fly free to catch a higher hold CUTTING LOOSE When your feet swing free after you’ve strenuously gained a new handhold

Stirring the pot You had a bit of pushback on social media after sharing your climbing process… I’m trying, through all of this and the way I share about it, to just stir up the climbing community a bit and make people question stuff. There’s a lot of really binary thinking, and that’s been reflected in climbing culture after I shared that it’s not about sacrifices; it’s the actual opposite of sacrifice. Does ditching the desire for success liberate you to try to push the limits in new ways? There are some pieces of rock that are unclimbable by a human, and no amount of disappearing the ego will help you do that. There’s a spectrum. I want to find the most difficult thing I’m able to do. I really want to tear open this wall we have of how things should work in climbing and do some crazy shit, some really demanding stuff, and push the limit. I’ve done some impressive things, but nothing has felt close to the limit yet – not even close. I do want to keep pushing it. I want to step into the unknown, because usually we spend all our time avoiding that. What do you hope your climbing inspires in others and also yourself? I just like the idea of taking something impossible and making it possible, opening minds. I think it’s important, for myself and hopefully for the world, to not feel like things are set in stone. Instagram: @hamish_mcarthur

JESSICA GLASSBERG

CRACKING THE CODE ROCK CLIMBERS SOMETIMES SEEM TO TALK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. HERE’S A BREAKDOWN

SURF SPECIAL ISSUE OUT NOW AVAILABLE FROM

SYNC HRON ICITY THE RED BULLETIN

ARTISTIC SWIMMING Breathtaking: Aqualillies (from left) Philicia Saunders, Claudia Coletti, Paige Ramsey, Léa Catania and Shea Ramsey

THEIR SPORT HAS EXISTED FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, BUT A NEW GENERATION OF ARTISTIC SWIMMERS ARE REDEFINING WHAT IT CAN BE AND WHO IT’S FOR. FROM THE MUSIC VIDEOS OF BEYONCÉ AND DUA LIPA TO OLYMPIC SPOTS FOR MEN, THIS AQUATIC PURSUIT IS SWIMMING IN SYNC WITH THE TIMES Words Zoey Goto Photography Brian Lowe THE RED BULLETIN

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Deep devotion: Kenny Gaudet and longtime partner Claudia Coletti

enny Gaudet is an artistic swimmer, but hearing him talk about his sporting injuries is more akin to a prizefighter documenting battle scars. There’s the black eye from accidentally kneeing himself in the face during a tuck, the fractured heel from slamming into a concrete wall, and the lacerated shins from going too hard on the deadlifts. He casually details near-blackouts while submerged underwater. Then there’s the time Gaudet’s longtime girlfriend and former duet partner, Claudia Coletti, gave him a concussion by landing on his head during an ambitious training routine. “It was difficult catching lift,” Coletti offers with a sheepish smile as he lounges in the dazzling Los Angeles sunshine. If you thought artistic swimming – until recently, better known as synchronised swimming – was just all frilly swimming caps, sequinned costumes and pearly-white grins, it’s time for a rethink. The sport is in the midst of a revolution, making waves in pop culture via music videos by the likes of Adele, Lizzo and THE RED BULLETIN

Dua Lipa, and evolving into an aquatic pursuit so physically demanding that Gaudet has the bruises to prove it. Artistic swimming is also pushing boundaries in diversity and inclusion. Beyoncé’s 2020 musical film Black Is King featured a spectacular synchro scene celebrating underrepresented Black swimmers. And what was once an all-female pursuit is now pulling younger men like 20-year-old Gaudet into its watery vortex. The US athlete has his eye set on the winner’s podium at the 2028 Summer Olympics, taking place here in LA, where he aims to make history as the Games’ first male artistic swimmer. Gaudet hails from Florida; Coletti is Italian, born in New York and raised in Paris. But today they’re at the rooftop pool of the West Hollywood Aquatic Center, surrounded by sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. Downtown shimmers on the horizon, a distant mirage of steel and glass barely visible across the ocean of skinny palm trees. At the far end of the pool, a meditation teacher drums a sound bath, signalling the start of the afternoon’s Aqua

Making a splash: “You know you’ve made it when you become an internet meme,” says Tamar Saunders (front, far right)

ARTISTIC SWIMMING IS AT LONG LAST DEEMED COOL THE RED BULLETIN

Sync and swim: Shea Ramsey and Claudia Coletti strike a pose underwater THE RED BULLETIN

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

IF YOU THOUGHT THAT ARTISTIC SWIMMING WAS JUST ALL FRILLY SWIMMING CAPS, SEQUINNED COSTUMES AND PEARLY-WHITE GRINS,

IT’S TIME FOR A RETHINK

Talent pool: (right) Philicia Saunders; (below) Paige Ramsey and Léa Catania

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ARTISTIC SWIMMING

THE AQUALILLIES, A GLAMOROUS AQUATIC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP,

DOFF A LATEX SWIMMING CAP TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD

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TOPIC

Stepping it up: the Aqualillies train on dry land; (opposite, top) the troupe float in formation; (bottom) Claudia Colletti

Gong session. A lifeguard, right on cue, strolls by and remarks, “This is so fucking LA.” Maybe so, but Gaudet’s journey to this moment has been anything but the Hollywood dream. His route into artistic swimming began at just five years old, when he’d tag along to his older sister’s lessons. He didn’t stop there, signing up for the school cheerleading squad. But, simply for daring to enter spaces long dominated by girls, Gaudet became an easy target for ridicule. “My swimming coach got a lot of hate for having a guy in the team,” he recalls. “The negativity came from the parents of my classmates, who didn’t want me on their daughter’s team. It also came from coaches at other clubs across Florida; they thought my coach was wasting her time training a boy in a female-centric sport.” Gaudet wasn’t one to back down, however, even if his newfound passion didn’t exactly love him back. In his early teens, he got in contact with Andrea Fuentes, the artistic swimming coach for Team USA, who invited him to a week-long training camp. It

proved a game-changer for the young swimmer. “I sucked!” Gaudet admits with a laugh. “I went from training six hours a week to six hours a day.” His body simply wasn’t prepared. Lacking the flexibility, muscle and endurance of the other swimmers, he struggled to stay afloat and frequently found himself at the wall, gasping for air. “It was the wake-up call I needed. I realised that at this level it’s no longer for funsies.” In 2021, aged 16, Gaudet made the bold decision to move to California under the guidance of Bill May, the trailblazing American – now in his mid-forties – who in 2015 shattered gender expectations by becoming the first male artistic swimmer to secure gold at the World Aquatics Championships. Gaudet’s move came at a charged moment for the competitive scene: four years earlier, synchronised swimming had undergone a transformation, being rebranded by the International Swimming Federation (FINA, now World Aquatics) as ‘artistic swimming’. Some athletes pushed back, arguing the use of the word ‘artistic’ undermined years of struggle THE RED BULLETIN

to establish the sport as a serious, demanding discipline – one that requires its elite to cross-train for 10 hours a day. Then, ahead of Paris 2024, came an announcement many had been waiting for: male artistic swimmers would be allowed to compete in the team event, albeit only two per team of eight. It was a step forward for gender equality, but the Games came and went, and the male swimmers in their shiny Speedos remained benched. What went wrong? “The teams and their captains were scared to take the plunge,” says Gaudet, still trying to make sense of it. “The men hadn’t been swimming as part of a larger group for as long as the women, so it was felt they needed more time to prepare,” he reasons, with a shrug. “But from my perspective, if you don’t take the risk, change will never occur.” Today, alongside his competition on the international circuit and training for the Olympics, Gaudet is also part of the Aqualillies, a glamorous aquatic entertainment group that doffs its latex swimming cap to the golden age of Hollywood. The troupe has graced our screens in such films as 2016’s Hail, Caesar! and TV shows The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Glee, as well as music videos by Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Foo Fighters and Lizzo. Not to be outdone, the Aquawillies – an all-male division – frequently steal the show at celebrity-studded pool parties, flipping somersaults while donning iridescent merman tails.

ack poolside, eight female Aqualillies are ‘land drilling’, using the balcony railing as a ballet barre to stretch and limber before entering the water. Among them are sisters Philicia and Tamar Saunders, both of whom appeared in Black Is King. The film’s lavishly choreographed scene – a swirling vision of fuchsia-pink costumes and cat’seye goggles – evokes the vintage opulence of Esther Williams, the champion swimmer who, during the 1940s and ’50s, turned ‘water ballet’ into splashy Technicolor aqua-musicals including Neptune’s Daughter and Million Dollar Mermaid. This time, however, there was an all-Black ensemble. “It was gorgeous to see all the different shades of people in the pool,” Philicia says of the group, which featured US

Aquatic artistry: former Olympian Nadine Brandl (far left) performs Las Vegas shows and has become a TikTok sensation thanks to her underwater optical illusions THE RED BULLETIN

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

THE SPORT IS IN THE MIDST OF A REVOLUTION, MAKING WAVES IN POP CULTURE VIA MUSIC VIDEOS BY THE LIKES OF ADELE, LIZZO AND DUA LIPA

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FLUID DYNAMICS A DIVE INTO THE MOVES OF ARTISTIC SWIMMING

The Crane Flamingo Splits

swimmers as well as a younger team who’d flown in from Jamaica. “Beyoncé got in the water with us, directing the shots and making sure we were all comfortable.” Black Is King was undoubtedly a cultural milestone, inspiring a swell of younger swimmers from the African diaspora, and yet the process of assembling the pool of talent was a revelation in itself. “It wasn’t easy finding artistic swimmers of colour for the film, which made it clear that we need a stronger network,” Philicia reflects. As children growing up in LA, she and Tamar had joined the Synchro Swans – the first African American synchro team in the US – after spotting them practising at their local pool. “We were lucky,” she says. “It’s about having access to pools and seeing that it’s available in your community.” Under the tagline ‘Bold, Dynamic, Hip’, the Saunders sisters became part of the Black Swans artistic swimmers, performing at events including Juneteenth celebrations to “show Black and Brown folks that we exist”. Traditionally, artistic swimming hasn’t been a particularly diverse sport, but Tamar believes the situation is evolving. “Parents reach out with questions like where to get skin-coloured outfits and how to protect textured hair in the water,” she says, snapping on her swimming goggles, “and friends ask me how they can get involved.” Artistic swimming is at long last deemed cool. “You know you’ve made it when you become an internet meme,” she laughs.

The Ballet Double Leg

The Egg Beater (to stay afloat) THE RED BULLETIN

THE CROWD RESPONDS TO EVERY TWIST AND TURN WITH WILD SHRIEKS, AS IF AT A TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT

SASCHA BIERL

Combo Star Float

hilicia and Tamar slip into the pool, joining the other Aqualillies as they weave through the water like a pod of dolphins. Legs scissor above the surface in perfect unison. Following an unspoken signal, the swimmers rise to the surface and splay out onto their backs. Arms and legs unite, forming a starburst pattern that from the sidelines resembles a kaleidoscope slowly shifting in the light. Artistic swimming’s delicate balance between sport and spectacle dates back to its origins. In the early 20th century, Australian athlete Annette Kellerman, considered to be the mother of synchronised swimming, became a star in risqué aquatic films. Among her best-known movies was 1916’s A Daughter of the Gods, in which she made history with Hollywood’s first nude scene, her strategically placed mermaid hair covering much of her body. Few understand this high-wire act between aesthetics and athleticism better than Aqualillies swimmer Nadine Brandl. Bobbing in the water, the Viennese-born athlete explains that after an illustrious athletics career in which she scooped more than 45 Austrian national championship titles and competed in two Olympic Games – 2008 and 2012 – she leapt into a sparkling second act as a Las Vegas performer. Following a five-year run in Le Rêve at the Wynn Las Vegas – a show staged in an aquatic arena filled with more than a million gallons of water – Brandl joined the cast of Cirque du Soleil’s water-themed O at the nearby Bellagio. Her decades of intensive training, which began at the age of 13 and included five pool hours a day alongside academic studies, paid dividends in this new razzle-dazzle world. “You need to know how to make something graceful and beautiful, even when it

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Synchro spectacular: Beyoncé’s 2020 musical film Black Is King celebrated underrepresented Black artistic swimmers

feels ugly in your body because your muscles are starved of oxygen,” she says, her wheat-blonde hair slicked back into a tight ponytail. Brandl also cultivated a flair for optical illusions – a skill she now channels in viral TikTok posts that have topped 11 million views. “[O] was very visual, and I learned how to hold the viewer’s attention,” she says. “I like to play with underwater movements and reality.” Flipping the camera upside down, some of her clips make it look as if she’s walking on water. “People often think it’s green screen or AI because it doesn’t appear humanly possible. I take that as a compliment. I try to use my online platform to educate people that these are skills that can be learned.” An almighty splash emanates from the corner of the pool. Gaudet and Coletti are choreographing an electrifying routine beneath a flutter of triangular bunting flags. For their grand finale, Coletti disappears under the surface, then, with a burst of power, launches Kenny clean into the air like a human missile. It’s athletic prowess that demands attention – even the Aqua Gong crowd are momentarily distracted from their Zen reverie. Gaudet wraps things up – Paris is calling; another competition awaits. As he dries off, another of the American’s passions is revealed by his tattoos, which include characters

from Avatar: The Last Airbender, How to Train Your Dragon and Pokémon. Gaudet’s devotion to animation extends beyond the ink: he and Coletti themed their routine at the 2022 FINA Artistic Swimming World Series around Attack on Titan, an anime about humanity’s post-apocalyptic struggle against towering monsters. “It’s very intense,” he says, pulling out his phone to show a clip from their mixed free duet. “So we went hard, with acrobatic lifts to express the story.” Huddled around the small screen, it’s hard to tell where one body ends and the other begins. The crowd responds to their every twist and turn with wild shrieks, as if at a Taylor Swift concert. In many ways, that’s not far from where modern artistic swimming is heading. These days, Gaudet feels less pressure from the critics. “I still get the occasional comment from people asking if we’re the ones with the rose caps, like Marilyn Monroe,” he says, rolling his eyes. “But I tell them, ‘No, we’re the ones throwing people through the air. The ones upside down underwater, holding our breath for 30 seconds while lining up perfectly for seven other swimmers. The ones wrecking our bodies to compete at the top of this hardcore sport.’” And with that, he and the other Aqualillies glide off into the balmy LA sunset, poised to push artistic swimming to its limits. aqualillies.com; Instagram: @aqualillies THE RED BULLETIN

62 DESCRIBED AS A DOWNHILL BIKE RACE ON STEROIDS, RED BULL HARDLINE IS A CONTEST LIKE NO OTHER. WITH STEEP SLOPES, SLIPPERY ROCK, AND FEATURES SO HUGE THEY EVEN SCARE THE PROS WHO MADE THEM, ONLY THE BRAVEST RIDERS SIGN UP FOR THIS GRUELLING WELSH MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE Words Ruth McLeod

BIG SENDERS THE RED BULLETIN

NATHAN HUGHES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

DOWNHILL MTB

Hard won: aged just 18, junior downhill world champion Asa Vermette wins Red Bull Hardline on his first attempt. “I wasn’t expecting to finish first,” said the American. “It was an insane feeling”; (opposite) Enduro World Cup winner Dan Booker tackles the course’s unique tests THE RED BULLETIN

DOWNHILL MTB

“WE JUST WANTED TO CREATE THE TOUGHEST DOWNHILL RACE,” says pro MTB rider and master builder Dan Atherton, looking back more than a decade to the first Red Bull Hardline. It’s fair to say he fulfilled that brief. Over the past 12 years, the invite-only contest has earned a reputation as one of the most brutal tests of MTB skill there is, sending the sport’s elite down the steep, slippery mountainside of Wales’ Dyfi Valley in a series of fiendishly big, hand-built features that test every facet of riding ability. To put its ferocity into perspective, consider this: Dan and his siblings Gee and Rachel are all MTB racing royalty, with the world titles, scars and jaw-dropping footage to prove it. They also live a stone’s throw from the track, which they designed and helped build and test. Yet the Red Bull Hardline course still fills them with fear. Take the Road Gap, a hand-built ramp

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NATHAN HUGHES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Mind the Gap: Lou Ferguson shows no fear as she flies off the infamous Road Gap feature, becoming one of only a handful of women to do so. After nailing it, the Scottish rider posted, “The most insane feeling – this road gap was on my mind for two years”; (opposite) British downhill pro Laurie Greenland pops up over a wall jump.

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that launches riders into almost 17m of fresh air. “Every year, you come back thinking, ‘This year it’ll feel more chilled because we’ve had 10 years of hitting it,’” says Dan. “But it’s still so scary.” The scale of the test is what makes Red Bull Hardline one of the most progressive and highly anticipated contests on the bike calendar. Each year, the world’s most skilled and fearless riders from a range of disciplines gather for a weekend of knife-edge racing with one simple rule: fastest to the bottom wins. This year’s edition – the ninth to be held in Wales – saw some historic Red Bull Hardline firsts: aged 18, US rider Asa Vermette became the youngest-ever winner, with a blistering, near-perfect run. Then, after a series of women’s camps spearheaded by British downhill pro Tahnée Seagrave, Scotland’s Louise Ferguson made her mark as the first rider to qualify for and go on to win Red Bull Hardline women’s category. Not to be left out of the home action, former winner Gee Atherton became the oldest rider to compete, putting in a fearless performance at the age of 40. No matter their final position on the scoreboard, any athlete brave enough to take on this challenge knows they can ride away with their head held high.

THE RED BULLETIN

DOWNHILL MTB

NATHAN HUGHES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

AT RED BULL HARDLINE, THERE’S ONE SIMPLE RULE: FASTEST TO THE BOTTOM WINS

Tough break: Irish downhill powerhouse Ronan Dunne doesn’t have time to admire the scenery as he defends his 2024 Red Bull Hardline title win. Dunne was also the winner at last year’s inaugural Hardline event in Tazmania, Australia. But 2025 has been less kind. A crash at the Australian event at the start of the year left him with a broken pelvis, and despite putting in a masterful performance in Wales this time around, it was only good enough to land him in third place. THE RED BULLETIN

On track: fresh from becoming British downhill champion, Lou Ferguson made history when she qualified for, then completed, a race run at Red Bull Hardline, the first woman to achieve this. After tackling everything the course could throw at her, including the slippery rock section at the top of the run, she celebrated with the female riders she’s been training with. “The run is a blur,” Ferguson said. “[Red Bull Hardline] is so much harder than any other event, and it takes so much courage to hit even one of the features, let alone all of them back-to-back. I feel so much pride. It feels so good to do it for all the girls, and it won’t be long before there’s more of us completing the course.” THE RED BULLETIN

PHOTOGRAPHER DAN GRIFFITHS/RED BULL WRITER CONTENT POOL, ILLUSTRATOR NATHAN HUGHES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

DOWNHILL MTB 69

“I FEEL SO MUCH PRIDE. IT FEELS SO GOOD TO DO IT FOR ALL THE GIRLS”

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Flight path: already a downhill world champion, local rider Charlie Hatton looked like this year’s winner as he put in a truly stellar performance. Pictured here getting some serious air towards the end of the course, the Atherton Racing rider’s almost flawless run in the final was just 1.6 seconds slower than victor Asa Vermette’s, forcing Hatton into second place.

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NATHAN HUGHES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

DOWNHILL MTB

THIS INVITE-ONLY CONTEST IS ONE OF THE MOST BRUTAL TESTS OF DH MTB SKILL THERE IS THE RED BULLETIN

Friendly rivalry: (top) Oli Clark, Ronan Dunne and Bernard Kerr watch clips of the 90ft jumps from 2024 in preparation for this year’s race. “The unique thing about Red Bull Hardline is the interaction and cooperation between the riders,” says photographer Nathan Hughes. “It’s what makes [the race] possible. If riders didn’t help each other crack these huge features, very few would ever make it to finals day unscathed”; (bottom) “This is Laurie Greenland whipping out a party trick on the side of the ‘on-off’ feature in practice. You have to be quick with the lens to catch these random moments of brilliance.” THE RED BULLETIN

DOWNHILL MTB

NATHAN HUGHES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, DAN GRIFFITHS/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

“THE INTERACTION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN RIDERS HERE IS UNIQUE. IT’S WHAT MAKES THE RACE POSSIBLE”

Gearing up: Kaos Seagrave and Laurie Greenland cruise to the finish during final practice. “A few riders had gone to the Road Gap to train on the lower part of the track in front of spectators,” says photographer Dan Griffiths, who was shooting Red Bull Hardline for a seventh time. “It was the last training run, and it was cool to see everyone come through together.” THE RED BULLETIN

WIIINGS FOR YOUR WINTER. NEW

SURF & TURF

WILL COPESTAKE

Kayaking and camping in the Summer Isles, UK

VENTURE

Enhance, equip, and experience your best life

THE RED BULLETIN

TRAVEL/

SCOTLAND

Squinting through pelting hail, I glance across my kayak at a long line of roaring surf. The ice bounces and dances on the water’s surface, pelting the sea and my beached boat. It stings my cheeks with a sharp, cold bite on the winter wind, which is verging on gale force; spindrift catches the open end of my spare paddles like a whistling flute at my bow. I’m yet to sail, and my hands, buried beneath the neoprene pogies attached like mitts to my paddle, are already aching from the cold. I can barely see through the spray, and while my drysuit is doing its job and offering some warmth, I’m not particularly comfortable; the sand that blew into my eyes during the walk through Achnahaird’s beach dunes has been washed out with a fresh sting of salt from the shoreline. “I chose this,” I think, almost with amusement, as the discomfort rises. I want to be here. Tackling elements at the right edge of my comfort zone is where I feel truly happy. This is it. Although their namesake hints at warmer THE RED BULLETIN

months, the Summer Isles – a group of islands in the mouth of Annat Bay on Scotland’s north-west coast – truly come alive in winter. I embarked on my journey as part of a long-term project to spend a night on all 44 of the archipelago’s rocks, skerries and islands. The idea manifested through curiosity in my daily routine during the decade I’ve been running a guided kayaking company; I figured that by sleeping on them all I would embed myself within the land I call my ‘office’. While I’ve explored some alone, today I plan to meet my partner Jen around the headland at Old Dornie – a sheltered harbour en route to the islands. There, we’ll load the kayaks with tents, sleeping bags, food and clothes, then head out for the night. Our destination, Eilean Fada Beag, is a small island of around 200sqm. The 20th overnighter in my project, it’s one of the few Summer Isles I’ve never landed on, let alone spent the night; we timed our visit out of respect to the island’s birds, which are only absent in winter. Back on the beach, I shovel my hands into the sand and, with one heavy push, slip from the shore. Grabbing my paddle, I dig deep, put my head down and engage my boat toward the sea. As I bury into the first wave, a cold rush of water shoots straight into my face. My breath is stolen by the cold shock but quickly replaced with a warm rush of adrenaline. I paddle as hard as I can between the sets, fighting to keep my line in the roaring crosswind. With the correct timing and a well-placed stroke, I take momentary joy in the second of weightlessness as my kayak lifts over the wave, catching air before returning to the surface with an almighty, fibreglass-shuddering boom. The 2m waves are well overhead, steep and cresting as I reach the edge of the surf line. Free at last, fighting only wind now, I turn on the crest of the last wave as spray whips over my shoulder.

WILL COPESTAKE

“I take momentary joy in the second of weightlessness as my kayak lifts over the wave, catching air before returning to the surface with an almighty, fibreglass-shuddering boom”

VENTURE

ISLE STYLE (clockwise from top) Copestake breaks surf at Achnahaird Bay; his camping site on Sgeir nam Mult; beached kayaks on Carn nan Sgeir; (opposite) time for a brew; (opening page) Eilean Fada Beag THE RED BULLETIN

VENTURE

DISCOVERY CHANNEL Copestake explores Carn nan Sgeir’s geos – long, narrow clefts formed by erosion

THE RED BULLETIN

a lone gull is perched as sentinel, overlooking the island and this pair of unexpected visitors. We settle into our tent and watch the rays sink into the clouds. The patter of rain on the canvas overhead and rhythmic roll of swell on the rocks eventually lulls us into a comfortable doze, our desire to simply be present in the elements more than satiated. The following morning, we’re up at first

Seasonal living

The Summer Isles are a group of 44 islands in the northwest of Scotland famous for their remote beaches and sandstone arch and cave features. Named after the season when sheep were historically put there for grazing, they often live up to the title with crystalblue waters and sunshine.

light, which at this time of year is almost a lie-in. With the storms returning, we set our sights on rounding the headland and the surf back to Achnahaird before conditions deteriorate beyond safe paddling. This time, the spray in my eyes comes with the promise of returning home to a hot shower and a warm bed, and a chance to reflect on a fine foray to the Summer Isles in winter. Exploring out of season brings an added sense of remoteness. The harsher elements and shorter days contribute a sense of solitude and commitment that’s hard to find in summer. The archipelago is an area I know like the back of my hand, but in different seasons, different light, it becomes fresh and exciting once more. Cold, wet days and long hours in a tent make the experience less comfortable, but those added conditions enhance the challenge and, with that, boost the reward. Will Copestake is a Scottish explorer and sea kayak guide, leading and sharing expeditions around the world, from Scotland to Patagonia and Antarctica; willcopestake.com; kayaksummerisles. com. Instagram: @willcopestake; @kayak.summerisles

WILL COPESTAKE

Looking back beyond the beach, the Inverpollaidh mountains stand like lone leviathans against a broodingly dark November sky. Breathing a sigh of relief with a visible puff on the frigid air, I turn my sights westwards on rounding the Coigach peninsula, which in these conditions is as much of a physical commitment as the surf. While there are more direct routes to the isles, I like the idea of rounding the headland as part of the journey. Salt still stinging my eyes, I put my head down into the hail and paddle onward. Having met Jen midway, we land on Eilean Fada Beag’s lush, grass-covered outcrop after four hard hours of paddling. It’s only 2pm, but this is late in daylight hours – the sun already casts golden rays through the clouds at dusk, creating an almost ethereal feel. Fortunately, the hail has passed, leaving rainbows in its wake. Although small, the island reveals a hidden bay of rounded stones, tossed between the wider cliffs by an eternity of ocean swell. Above the tideline, a thick coating of mosses and lichens fades the beach into the grasses above. Atop the high point,

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IMAGINE IF YOU COULD GIFT THAT FEELING TO SOMEONE ELSE.

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NOW YOU CAN, WITH THE PURPOSEFUL ADVENTURE FUND. S S M I LE MI NDF ULNESS

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STREET EQUIPMENT/

SMART

Functional, fashionable urban gear equipped for the demands of city life Photography Daniel Cheetham

VENTURE

Yuki wears POCKIES Sand Logo Cap, pockies.com; OLIVER PEOPLES Avelin Sunglasses, oliverpeoples. com; PEAK PERFORMANCE Helium Down Parka and Explore Logo Tee, peakperformance.com; O’NEILL O’Riginals Cord Dungarees, uk.oneill.com; STUBBLE & CO Packable Sling, stubbleandco.com; jewellery, model’s own (Opposite page) ABUS Xoxo Eco Helmet, abus.com; PASHLEY Mini Velo Bike, pashley.co.uk

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Court wears THRUDARK HeriTech Grange Jacket, thrudark.com; FUTSOL Gessato Rosso T-shirt, futsol.co; POCKIES H.O.P. Faux Pants, pockies.com; ONEPLUS OnePlus Watch 3, oneplus.com; jewellery, model’s own

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VENTURE

Theo wears OAKLEY Lateralis Sunglasses, oakley.com; HELLY HANSEN Oslo Graphic Puffy Jacket, hellyhansen.com THE RED BULLETIN

Yuki wears PEAK PERFORMANCE Helium Down Parka, peakperformance. com; O’NEILL O’Riginals Cord Dungarees, uk. oneill.com; MERRELL SpeedARC Matis Gore-Tex Shoes, merrell.com; STUBBLE & CO Packable Tote, stubbleandco.com; jewellery, model’s own

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VENTURE

Owen wears LES DEUX Layton Denim Overshirt and Goods T-shirt, lesdeux.com; CROOTS Vintage Canvas Rolltop Backpack, crootsengland.co.uk; jewellery, model’s own

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TOPIC

Lila wears SKULLCANDY Crusher ANC 2 Headphones, skullcandy.co.uk; FABLETICS Principal Longline Medium Impact Sports Bra, Pureluxe High-Waisted TLC Shorts 4” and Cosy Fleece Oversized Mock Neck Sweatshirt, fabletics. com; GARMIN Venu 3S Smartwatch, garmin.com

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VENTURE

Lila wears STANCE Butter Light Crew Socks, uk.stance.com; SKECHERS Glide-Step Altus Shoes, skechers.co.uk THE RED BULLETIN

Amelia wears PROTEST PRTTISLIT Outdoor Shell Rain Jacket, protest.eu; HELLY HANSEN LIFA Active Stripe Crew Base Layer and Roam Trail Leggings, hellyhansen.com; STANCE Boyd Crew Sock, uk. stance.com; SALOMON XT-6 Gore-Tex Shoes, salomon.com; BELLROY Cinch Backpack, bellroy. com; ABUS Xoxo Eco Helmet, abus.com; jewellery, model’s own. SPECIALIZED Turbo Vado SL 2 4.0 Step-Through Bike, specialized.com

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VENTURE

Court wears THRUDARK HeriTech Grange Jacket, thrudark.com; FUTSOL Gessato Rosso T-shirt, futsol.co Thanks to Amelia, Court, Lila, Owen, Theo and Yuki THE RED BULLETIN

VENTURE

years of practice. I didn’t always have that confidence – I’ve learned it.” Then there’s the reward. “It’s a wonderful feeling. You’re moving through air where nobody else has ever been. It’s one inch away from flying. Once you make it [across], the euphoria comes from very deep. It’s very addictive.” It’s fair, then, to say Kühne has spent a lifetime mastering the art of balance. Here are his tips on finding your own centre…

Best face forward

“You have to look forward, with a fixed point, with your goal in front of you,” Kühne says. For a slackliner, this means fixing your gaze on a stable point such as the tree at the end of the line, and not at the ground below. “You don’t want that in your vision, because it’ll make your body slouch and throw you off balance.”

Embrace the wobble

Ever wondered how to beat the wobble? Just ask the ultimate scholar of slacklining Halfway across the Gorges du Verdon, arms outstretched, Friedi Kühne took a moment to steady himself. His highline – a strip of nylon 110m long but just 25mm wide – quivered as the abyss below swallowed all sound and, apparently, all sense. The German had no rope, no parachute, no net to catch him if he fell. One slip, one stray thought, would result in a fatal 200m plunge. His life, as well as his goal to set the longest-ever free-solo slackline walk, depended on finding stillness in motion. One of the world’s most successful slackliners, Kühne smiles as he thinks back to that sunny day in southern France in 2017. “It is possible to catch the line with your hands if you fall,” he clarifies, “so your own reflex is kind of a safety device. But if you miss the catch, yeah, you die.” Kühne made the walk, set the record and went on to break several others. His most recent (though since broken) was the highest slackline walk in recorded history, crossing between two hot-air balloons at 2,500m last November. He and slacklining partner Lukas Irmler wore harnesses this time, but there were other challenges: “The balloons move, spin, and then sometimes THE RED BULLETIN

one is higher than the other. It’s like putting a slackline on a carousel. It’s quite crazy.” Crazy is a word he hears often; it spurs him on. Asked why he does it, the 35-yearold takes a similar view to the mountaineer George Mallory, who said of Everest in 1923, “Because it’s there.” “Someone’s got to do it, right?” Kühne laughs. “In this case, that just happens to be me.” There’s a method to the madness. “Balancing on one-inch webbing over a canyon, I feel as safe as you might when climbing a ladder,” he says. “It took many

“The idea of falling so close to the finish line is almost unbearable” Friedi Kühne, slacklining pro

Do a reality check

“Fear isn’t black or white – there are good and bad aspects. Good fear keeps you alert – it’s an evolutionary response to danger. The trick is learning to differentiate between actual and perceived danger.” Some fear might feel real, he says, but it doesn’t always make sense – for example, when he has a safety leash. “You have to talk to yourself, and sometimes others can help you see whether the fear is justified.”

Save something for the ‘heartbreak zone’

When attempting a massive highline walk, the mental toll is as great as the physical. For Kühne and his fellow slackliners, the most challenging part of any walk is what they call the ‘heartbreak zone’ – the final 10 per cent. “At this point, you’re exhausted. Your muscles are burning – you’ve been holding your arms up for hours – but the idea of falling so close to the finish line is almost unbearable. That’s the heartbreak zone. The more of your life you’ve invested [in the sport], the worse it feels to throw it all away at the very end. But if you can suffer through the pain, it’s absolutely worth it, every single time.”

MATT BLAKE

BALANCE

JOCHEN SCHWEIZER, KYLE LOVETT

HOW TO/

“Your arms are your tools of balance, but they can’t be completely frozen. They have to move all the time, because slacklining isn’t a static balance, like on a tightrope, but a dynamic one – you must move as the line does.” Never was this truer than in 2018, when Kühne broke the world record for the longest slackline walk – 2,200m across a 2,800m-long line in Norway: “I was walking in sunshine, then a storm came very rapidly. Even with a leash, I got scared. But you have to keep going.”

PROMOTION

COMPEX

CHARLIE ALLENBY

utumn is a tricky time of year for fitness. Most outdoorbased sports hibernate during their off-seasons, and it can be difficult to stay motivated with no events or competitions to build towards. Throw in worse weather and shorter days, and there’s a temptation to delay any goals until January, when you’ll have the added incentive of a New Year’s resolution. But rather than seeing it as a time to ease off, autumn is the perfect season to lay a strong foundation for the following year and prepare for your best performances yet. Compex knows this. The muscle stimulation expert’s products are trusted by the world’s top athletes to give them a competitive edge, helping them stay consistent in their training and recovery, 365 days a year. Its top-of-the-range wireless stimulator, the SP 8.0, is a case in point. The module and electrodebased set-up features 40 targeted programs to trigger electro-stimulated muscle contractions, which are scientifically proven to aid training, recovery, toning and pain relief. The all-in-one kit is the perfect way to maintain gains while giving your muscles the boost they need, whether you’re training hard and

ENERGISE YOUR EXERCISE

Whether it’s training, toning, recovery or relief, the Compex SP 8.0 wireless stimulator can boost any workout goal

breaking through stubborn plateaus, keeping things ticking over with some focused strength and conditioning work, or undertaking much-needed rest and rehab on niggles and injuries. Unlike other wireless stimulators, the SP 8.0 is easy to use, too, and is ready to go straight out of the box. Guesswork has

been removed from the equation, too, thanks to the integrated smart Muscle Intelligence (MI) technology, which includes a MI-Autorange feature that ensures each muscle gets the optimum amount of stimulation it needs, every time, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. Completely wireless and simple to use on the go, the SP 8.0 adapts to not only your body but your lifestyle, too, enabling you to fit in a session any time – whether that’s during your morning routine, post-workout, or while relaxing in the evening at home. So instead of putting your fitness on hold this autumn, allow Compex to revolutionise your workout routine. Find out more at compex.com

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Start your winter at the biggest snowsports event in the UK. Meet resorts from across the world, shop with leading retailers, do some Christmas shopping along the Alpine Stroll... and meet the stars of Team GB heading to the Winter Olympics in 2026. If it’s on snow, it’s happening at Snow Show London!

WHAT'S ON AT THE SHOW

ALPINE BAR WITH LIVE BANDS DIRECT FROM THE ALPS MOUNTAIN THEATRE RED BULL HANGOUT FAMILY FUN PARK FITNESS AND WELLNESS ARENA EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUCTION THEATRE ALPINE STROLL SUSTAINABILITY STAGE NORDIC EXPERIENCE GIANT SCREEN SNOW SHOW RADIO

londonsnowshow.com

VENTURE

“I

never used to think I would ever do MMA – I’d never get punched in the face,” says Kelly Staddon. “But then I fell in love with it and didn’t stop.” The Mancunian athlete spent her formative years in the judo dojo, representing Great Britain professionally before falling out of love with the sport and retiring in 2019. While she was coming to terms with the switch to a conventional nine-to-five as a sports nutritionist, Staddon started mixed martial arts (MMA) training in her spare time, initially as a “bit of fun”. An unarmed fighting sport that combines striking and grappling across a variety of martial art disciplines, MMA’s origins date back thousands of years to the Olympic Games in ancient Greece. The modern iteration exploded in popularity in the early 1990s when it was promoted as a real-life version of popular video games such as the Street Fighter series, and now it’s gone from strength to strength – MMA is the focus of two of this autumn’s biggest movies: The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Emily Blunt, and Mortal Kombat II. Now a professional MMA athlete, Staddon, 30, trains two or three times a day, six days a week. But while the sport has a reputation for violence, you don’t have to hurt someone – or get hurt – to gain a great workout from it. According to Staddon, it’s an amazing way to get fit, with numerous additional benefits. “If you were starting out in fitness, you’d never be able to do an hourand-a-half on the treadmill, because you’d be so bored, whereas [that time] goes so quickly in an MMA gym. You get a lot fitter, it has its own community, and it’s a good, fun session.”

COURTESY OF KELLY STADDON

CHARLIE ALLENBY

Perfect combination

An MMA training session can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour and is a fullbody workout. “It’s a very well-rounded sport, and people lose weight so quickly because they’re just expending energy,” Staddon explains. “You need upper-body strength for grappling, and also cardio fitness to keep going for the five-minute rounds.” Hot yoga can add steel to your flexibility, too – “Flexibility [alone can] bring injuries: you’re almost over-mobile” – and is great for holding positions under pressure, she says. “For example, if you’re doing the splits, do it standing so you can walk your legs in and then walk them back out, building strength within the hamstrings.”

FITNESS/

MIX MASTERY

Athlete, coach and content creator Kelly Staddon reveals why MMA is the ultimate workout for your body and soul Sharp edge

Unlike a standard gym workout, where you might be searching for distractions to get you through, an MMA class is a fully immersive experience for your mind as much as your body. “MMA is a big game of chess,” Staddon says. “You’re always learning, and there’s never a point that it gets boring – even the UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] champion is still working on something.” She explains that keeping your mind sharp mid-bout is about simulating situations in training, ensuring you can remain three steps ahead of your opponent. “We do a lot of flow rounds where our partners give us 50-per-cent maximum resistance. They put us in situations and, unlike when you’re under the lights on fight night, you’re not under pressure to make the right choices.”

“MMA is a big game of chess. You’re always learning” Kelly Staddon, pro MMA athlete

First class

Despite its numerous benefits, Staddon admits that MMA is an intimidating sport. “Even after coming from judo, my first MMA session was very daunting – I didn’t know how to throw a punch,” she says. “But then, everyone looks like an idiot when they’re doing something they’ve never done before.” The professional athlete recommends gradually immersing yourself in the world of MMA to get comfortable: “If you’re unsure, don’t feel bad about going to the gym to watch and chat to people.” The ‘mixed’ nature of the sport can also make it hard for newcomers to know where to start. “Jiu jitsu is good for understanding your body and the movements of grabbing someone,” Staddon says. This discipline has less impact on the body because you’re already on the ground and can get comfortable in those situations. “For the striking aspect, you could start with kickboxing or just boxing,” she advises, “then eventually pair the grappling and striking [elements] for MMA.” livingwellwithkelly.co.uk THE RED BULLETIN

PROMOTION

ADVENTURE ISLAND Almáciga’s smorgasbord of sand breaks to Las Palmeras’ short, radical right – you can expect tubes, walls, and a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the water. If you prefer your surf with a sail, then El Médano is your mecca. This south-eastern town offers windy conditions more than 300 days a year, making it easy to see why the location is a favourite among local and

international windsurfers alike. It’s not the only spot, though, and the neighbouring El Cabezo and La Tejita are worth exploring in their own right. Tenerife’s adventurous side isn’t limited to its shoreline, either. Similar in size to the Lake District National Park, its expanse of protected natural areas – which cover 48 per cent of the volcanic island – are something of a hidden gem. The 900km of hiking trails are great for trail running and provide a unique way to immerse yourself in Tenerife’s unique beauty. If two wheels are more your thing, the island has a network of wellmaintained off-road trails and silkysmooth tarmac, and the 3,715m-high Mount Teide – Spain’s tallest mountain – is a serious test for any Lycra-leaning cyclist prepared to tackle the ride from sea level to its paved summit. Whatever your adventure, Tenerife is ready. So, what are you waiting for? webtenerife.co.uk

CHARLIE ALLENBY

atersports fans are often left with two choices come winter: chase waves on the other side of the world or stay closer to home and don a thermal wetsuit. This season, though, there’s a third choice: Tenerife. As well as boasting a reputation for R&R thanks to its pristine beaches, crystal-clear sea and an average year-round temperature of 23°C, the largest Canary Island is a haven for aquatic adrenaline junkies, offering worldclass surfing and windsurfing in always-warm waters that are just a four-hour flight from the UK. For surfers, the north, north-west and south of the island are home to the most powerful pro-level waves, and it’s possible to choose from sand, rock and volcanic reef breaks or a combination of all three. The sand spots tend to have something for all technical abilities – and if one location isn’t doing it for you, the next is only a 10-minute journey away. Wherever you end up – from

TENERIFE TOURISM CORPORATION

Boasting world-class surfing and windsurfing on a dramatic coastline, Tenerife is a year-round watersports playground

VENTURE

GAMING GEAR/

ARCADE FIRE

CHARLIE ALLENBY

This new accessory levels up your Nintendo Switch into an old-school gaming machine Nintendo has been a staple of arcade gaming since the early 1980s. Its most iconic franchises, including Donkey Kong and Mario Bros, were first played using the joystick and action buttons of a fullsized, coin-operated cabinet, and of the big three console makers the Kyoto-based brand still leans heavily on its origins. Following the release in June of Nintendo’s latest console, the Switch 2, UK gaming accessories firm iMP Tech is taking us back to those roots. Its Mini Arcade Pro stand and controller enable owners to transform their Switch into a scaled-down arcade machine with a retro-inspired shell, joystick and eight buttons to ramp up the old-school fun. What don’t hark back to the ‘80s are the graphics – the Switch 2’s highdefinition LCD touchscreen is integrated into the design of the Mini Arcade Pro, connected via an ultra-fast USB-C port – as well as features such as a turbofire option, and Home and C buttons that allow access to all of the console’s next-level tech including instant communication through GameChat. In the words of Nintendo’s enduring Italian plumber, “Let’s-a go!”

MULTIPLAYER MODE The stand also features a removable storage rack at the back for up to 12 of your favourite games and SD cards

impgaming.co.uk THE RED BULLETIN

VENTURE

CALENDAR/

THINGS TO DO AND SEE

October onwards

Punchdrunk’s Lander 23

November

Red Bull BC One World Final Tokyo The world’s biggest breaking competition is coming to the homeland of Street Fighter, and it’s set to be an innovative clash of the two battles. Staged at the historic Ryōgoku sumo hall, with visuals and music from Capcom’s latest beat ’em up, the event features a new format, ‘Break Fighter’, where breakers and gamers team up – the breakers compete on the mat, then the gamers on Street Fighter 6, and finally the breakers grab their PS5 controllers. Also, US rapper Redman will be making a guest appearance to do some deckspinning – and perhaps the odd spinning bird kick, too. redbull.com

October onwards

The Hunger Games: On Stage A dystopian tale of game-show contestants murdering one another until only one remains. It’s quite a popular genre, but the best of the bunch (that isn’t hosted by Claudia Winkleman) is Suzanne Collins’ acclaimed book series that’s been turned into five – soon six – Hollywood movies and now this stage show. Based on both Collins’ first novel and the first film, and adapted for theatre by Olivier Award-winning playwright Conor McPherson, this is the opening show at a new custom-built, 1,200-capacity theatre-in-the-round in London Docklands. Perfect for lording it up like Stanley Tucci with a pink bouffant and ponytail (watch the film and you’ll get it). Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, London; hungergamesonstage.com THE RED BULLETIN

LITTLE SHAO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, DANNY KAAN, PUNCHDRUNK

What would it be like to step inside a video game? That’s the intriguing premise behind this new experience from the near-faultless immersive theatre company. Less like its sprawling, mask-wearing, silent operas (Sleep No More, The Burnt City) and closer in format to the recent Viola’s Room (no live actors, audio headsets), here the audience is sent in crews of four on a space expedition. As two are dispatched to the planet’s surface, the others remain on the ship, guiding them via voice commands. Which role sounds like the worst deal? It doesn’t matter – you get to play out both during each session, and hopefully survive to spoil it for everyone else. Woolwich, London; punchdrunk.com

16 October to 22 November

Ocean Film Festival World Tour This year, on his 99th birthday, Sir David Attenborough warned of us of the perils our seas face. This annual selection of films reminds of how we can reconnect with them. From surfing in Liberia and cave-diving in Mexico, to Orcas in the Arctic and freediver Marianne Aventurier (pictured), this showcase is a celebration of the precious resource that covers 71 per cent of our planet. Touring nationwide; oceanfilmfestival.co.uk

to 26 October

AQUABALLET, CERI BLEDSHAW

Autumn trailclean weekender Trash Free Trails is on a mission to eradicate litter from the wild spaces where we ride, run and roam. This weekend at Cambusbarron in Stirling and Dalby Forest in the North York Moors, racers and spectators are being asked to do their bit to clear them up. Find out more about how you can help at trashfreetrails.org

Publisher Andreas Kornhofer Editor-in-Chief Andreas Rottenschlager Global Content Tom Guise (Manager), Lou Boyd Creative Directors Erik Turek (Manager), Kasimir Reimann Designers Marion Bernert-Thomann, Martina de Carvalho-Hutter, Kevin Faustmann-Goll, Carita Najewitz, Tara Thompson Photo Editors Eva Kerschbaum (Manager), Marion Batty (Deputy), Susie Forman, Rudi Übelhör Production Editor Marion Lukas-Wildmann Managing Editor Ulrich Corazza Publishing Management Sara Car-Varming (Manager), Hope Elizabeth Frater Art Direction, Commercial Peter Knehtl (Manager), Lisa Jeschko, Martina Maier, Julia Schinzel, Florian Solly Head of Publishing Operations Sigurd Abele Direct to Consumer Business Peter Schiffer (Manager), Marija Althajm, Matteo Luciani, Melanie Schmid, Katharina Tirouflet, Yoldaş Yarar Retail and Special Projects Klaus Pleninger Production Veronika Felder (Manager), Martin Brandhofer, Walter O. Sádaba, Sabine Wessig Repro Clemens Ragotzky (Manager), Claudia Heis, Nenad Isailovic, Josef Mühlbacher Finance Žiga Balič, Simone Kratochwill, Tobias Steiner Digital Business Mathias Fritsch Project Management, Publishing Katrin Dollenz Assistant to General Manager Sandra Stolzer General Manager, Red Bull Media House Publishing Stefan Ebner Editorial Office Am Grünen Prater 3, A-1020 Vienna Tel: +43 1 90221-0; 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 Dietmar Otti, Christopher Reindl, Marcus Weber The Red Bulletin UK. ABC certified distribution 279,129 (Jan-Dec 2024)

THE RED BULLETIN United Kingdom ISSN 2308-5894 Publishing Manager Ollie Stretton Editor-in-Chief, United Kingdom Ruth McLeod Art Director Miles English Photo Editor Susie Forman Chief Sub-Editor Davydd Chong Advertising Sales Mark Bishop, mark.bishop@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 Subscriptions getredbulletin.com Enquiries and Orders subs@uk.redbulletin.com Back issues are available to purchase at getredbulletin.com Basic subscription rate is £20 per year. The Red Bulletin is published six times a year. Please allow a maximum of four weeks for delivery of the first issue Customer Service +44 (0)1227 277248; subs@uk.redbulletin.com Distributed by Marketforce UK Limited, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, London W2 6JR; marketforce.co.uk Get in touch via mfcommunications@futurenet.com THE RED BULLETIN Austria ISSN 1995-8838 Editor-in-Chief, Austria Nina Kaltenböck Editors Stephan Hilpold (Senior Editor) Lisa Hechenberger Publishing Management Julian Vater THE RED BULLETIN France ISSN 2225-4722 Editor-in-Chief, France Pierre-Henri Camy Editors Marie-Maxime Dricot, Christine Vitel Publishing Management Fabio Lazzetta THE RED BULLETIN Germany ISSN 2079-4258 Editor-in-Chief, Germany David Mayer Senior Editor Stephan Hilpold Publishing Management Natascha Djodat THE RED BULLETIN Switzerland ISSN 2308-5886 Editor-in-Chief, Switzerland Anna Mayumi Kerber Editors Stephan Hilpold (Senior Editor), Christine Vitel Publishing Management Meike Koch THE RED BULLETIN USA ISSN 2308-586X Editor-in-Chief, USA Peter Flax Editors Melissa Gordon, Nora O’Donnell Publishing Management Gizelle McBride

THE RED BULLETIN

VENTURE

LESSONS FROM THE

WILDERNESS

From intrepid artist and adventurer Tessa Hulls

The next issue of THE RED BULLETIN is out on December 9 THE RED BULLETIN

THEMA

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