Extreme sports wouldn't be extreme if they played by the rules.
Imagine watching snowmobiles fly and back flip through the downtown Milwaukee air in April. Sounds crazy, right? Nope, that's just the evolution of freestyle snowmobiling.
Friday, 11 world-class freestyle snowmobile riders will compete — invite-only — in the fourth annual Red Bull Fuel + Fury event. Admission is free and people are encouraged to arrive early, as the riders will be on site to meet spectators and sign autographs.
Last year the event debuted in Milwaukee filled to capacity with a crowd of approximately 2,000. This year the event promises to be even bigger and better according to Red Bull spokesperson, Steven Pegram. The course area has been expanded and capacity has been increased to approximately 4,000.
"The site is vintage Milwaukee," Pegram said. "When dressed up for Red Bull Fuel + Fury, it looks like a Hollywood stage set with flying snowmobiles."
The snow may have melted away but that won't stop the riders. Last year the lack of snow nearly cancelled the event. Instead, 2,000 cubic yards of woodchips and dirt were used, which the riders practice on during the summer. Pegram said the feedback after last year's event was phenomenal.
"It was two firsts for the sport: an urban setting and (a) woodchips/dirt course."
"Red Bull Fuel + Fury will feature the most challenging, urban free-ride course ever constructed, Pegram said. "Course designers SCS Productions will build the dirt and wood chip course to include man-made obstacles such as a wall ride, rainbow rail ride, trailer gap jump and several super kicker ramp jumps. The 2005 event promises to push the boundaries of what is possible on a sled."
Each rider will take two time-limited runs through the course. There aren't many rules, so the riders can take any route and complete any obstacles they want. There will be eight ramps and the judges will be peers from the snowmobiling and freestyle motocross communities. The riders will be competing to finish in the top three and receive a share of the $10,000 prize.
"The sport of freestyle snowmobiling has primarily been pursued in the mountains of Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado," Pegram said. "Meanwhile in Wisconsin, it's more about traditional trail riding and snowmobile racing, so to host this event at an urban location in downtown Milwaukee is totally unexpected,"
The limits on what can be done in the sport are continually being pushed. Since freestyle is a relatively young sport it has room to grow and add more tricks.
Jay Quinlan was the first person to successfully land a back flip in competition in 2003 at the second annual event in Jackson, Wyo. Some of the tricks the riders will perform are the Oxecutioner, Superman, Cliff Hanger, Sterilizer, Dead Body and Rock Solid.
"The sport is going to keep getting bigger, the only limit is on the athletes," said freestyle snowmobile and motocross rider Justin Hoyer. This will be his third consecutive Red Bull Fuel + Fury event.
This year the participants are Justin Hoyer, Lee Stuart, Ryan Britt, Chris Burandt, Heath Frisby, Kourtney Hungerford, Sam Carver, Jimmy "Blaze" Fejes, Daniel Bodine, Bud Carpenter and Jason Semler.
Last year 23 year old Wisconsin native Hoyer won Red Bull Fuel + Fury. This year he says the event will focus more on the individual's style and skill.
"I like to be the dark horse of the competition," Hoyer said, since he competes only two to three times a year. He does both freestyle snowmobile and motocross demos and shows. From August to October, Hoyer switches to motocross.
"I feel like I've contributed in moving freestyle snowmobiling in a new direction with a motocross style," Hoyer said.
One of his signature tricks, the Kiss of Death, is a dirt bike trick. He is the only person to have done it on a snowmobile, which he feels gives him one up on everybody in the competition.
"It's the biggest and best in the world — it's for the elite," Hoyer said about Red Bull Fuel + Fury. Hoyer is the first person to ever successfully land a back flip on both a dirt bike and snowmobile.
Quinlan won the 2003 and 2004 Red Bull Fuel + Fury events, feats which earned him an appearance in the April 2005 issue of FHM magazine and on the David Letterman show.
"I spent a good three years filming freestyle snowmobiling to show people what can be done on a sled," said Quinlan, who is often referred to as the godfather of freestyle snowmobiling.
He wowed last years crowd by being the first ever to land consecutive back flips on back-to-back 55-foot gap jumps. In March, he was one of four snowmobile riders in the 2005 winter Gravity Games, along with Hoyer. He broke his collarbone during the games and said he is disappointed he can't ride in this year's Red Bull event.
According to Quinlan, bringing the event to downtown Milwaukee makes it more extreme.
The Red Bull Fuel + Fury competition runs from 7-9:30 p.m. this Friday, is free to the public and is located at the old Pabst Brewery on 8th St. and Juneau Ave. Gates open at 5 p.m. Show up early to meet the stars of the show who will be available to sign autographs.
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on March 31 2005.