Travel
The 2018 edition of Red Bull Can You Make It? really showed just what's possible with a little charm and 24 cans of Red Bull.
The snapshot
April 10, 2018 saw 200 three-person student teams line up at five different start points across Europe: Madrid, Budapest, Manchester, Stockholm and Rome. The aim for all of them was to be in Amsterdam seven days later.
The twist
This was anything but a straight 'point A to point B' journey, however. Teams had to hand over their cash, cards and phones at the start line in exchange for 24 cans of Red Bull and a smart phone with unlimited data. They then had to use their wits, charm, ingenuity and creativity to barter their way through six checkpoints across Europe, using only the cans as currency, before ending the adventure in the Dutch capital. Along the way, they had to complete various challenges; from giving a lecture to over 100 people, to taking over a store's intercom system. Checkpoints passed, challenges completed and experiences shared on social media each meant more cans to trade and more possibilities for adventure.
The numbers
In just one week, the teams racked up a scarcely believable set of figures:
- 459,399km travelled in total
- 40 different modes of transport
- 20,658 cans traded
- 20 countries visited
The winners
After a tense last couple of days, where the leaderboard was hidden and nobody knew who was winning, victory was awarded to Team GIT from Linköping, Sweden. The three members – Gustav, Isac and Tobias – topped the standings by amassing an astounding six countries, 12 checkpoints, 4,140km travelled and trading 233 cans. They were pushed all the way by #Freeriders from Lisbon, Portugal and Naughty Boyz from Bochum, Germany.
The highlights
The Swedish victors did more than just make it to Amsterdam, they made it in some style. From their first trade – one can for a six-scoop ice cream sundae – things only got more impressive. At one point they managed to swing themselves a suite at a five-star spa hotel, and another deal earned the guys a ride in a supercar! The week wasn't all spent in the lap of luxury, however, with the lads having to snatch sleep on trains as the deadline loomed closer.
The next time
If this sounds like the sort of challenge you might be up for, the next edition of Red Bull Can You Make It? is pencilled in for April 2021.
