German skier Bene Mayr shares some insider info ahead of this weekend’s Red Bull Playstreets freeskiing contest in Bad Gastein, Austria...
How does an inner city contest compare to being in the mountains?
The good thing is that a sport that is usually in the mountains can be seen by a lot of people. They can watch it live and the whole town can see it and the crowd almost carries you down through the course. The downside is that there’s not as much snow so it can be icy and sometimes a bit sketchy, I guess. It is completely different and you just can’t compare it to anything else. You don’t have to hike as far as you would at a backcountry contest and you don’t need an avalanche shovel or a probe… but you definitely need to wear a helmet.
'You just can’t compare it to anything else' – Bene Mayr
Do you need to adapt your style for this kind of urban environment?
You do need to adapt your style for this kind of course, as while features are not big, everything is very technical. Everything comes really quick and the type of jumps and features on a course like this you won’t find in a park. That’s going to be really exciting and you can’t do everything you would normally do in a park, so you are more restricted. You’ll have to be really good. Everybody has the ability to win and it’ll be fun to see how it turns out.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever jumped off?
Good question! I don’t know, probably a big cliff? Everything is scary in its own way and I think if you land and fall, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the backcountry or in a city – either would hurt! I haven’t seen the course yet but I imagine there will be the first corner like in 2009 followed by the jump and then the step down over the road. They had a box over a roof before but I don’t know if they’ll have that again.
'The whole package of the weekend is awesome at Playstreets.' – Bene Mayr
Where in the world would you like to do inner city contest?
I think Bad Gastein is really good as it is but if I could take the whole thing and place it somewhere else then maybe I’d say New York, in Times Square, as I’ve never been there. That would be a good reason to go. You get to travel to a lot of cities as a skier but sometimes you are only there for an hour or two before you move on again.
What are your thoughts on the event and are you aiming for a big win?
The whole package of the weekend is awesome at Playstreets. I just missed the podium in 2009 so I will do my best this year to make it on there! The person that can get their thoughts together and keep their nerves under control will do well. I try to not watch any of the other skiers and just focus on myself. You don’t have to practice anything stressful beforehand as there isn’t a course like this anywhere else in the world. You’ll figure out your run when you get there. When a sport is judged on points then you can’t influence that and if you’re happy with your run you’ll still be happy afterwards. I just try to do my best.
Want more?
- Check out Bene Mayr's profile page
- Visit the Red Bull Playstreets info page
- Go to RedBull.com's Winter Sports page
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