Tempest Freerunning

The following is an exclusive look at the 2012 Red Bull Art of Motion Santorini contest, written by Luci Romberg.

Art of Motion is a competition, but it is so much more than that. It is a gathering of athletes from all over the world who come together, train, have fun, progress, and inspire not only one another, but people worldwide.

Tempest’s History with Art of Motion

September 29 was my ninth time competing in Art of Motion over the past four years. Team Tempest has been a part of the Art of Motion from the very beginning. Vik, Paul, Gabe, and Rich were invited to the first competition in 2007 in Vienna. We are honored to continually be invited, and it means a lot to us to have such a strong relationship with Nico and Patrick of Ape Connection, because without them, Tempest would not have had so many amazing opportunities in Art of Motion and to represent the U.S.

Every competition has been an amazing experience, but for me, Santorini was the most memorable so far. With each contest, the athletes become closer and more unified, and the structure of the contest is, little by little, getting dialed in. Maybe it was beautiful Santorini, but there was such a positive and strong vibe the entire week I was there. From the boat tour, to training on the course, to renting ATVs and driving around the island, to the competition…everything was magical, and I am so honored to have been a part of it.

On the Competition Itself

My main goal for the Santorini course was to improve my flow. Flow is my weak point, and it is important to me that I continue to progress my style and the sport – and to represent women as well. I have a long way to go still, but I am proud of my runs as I feel I linked more tricks and was more fluid with my movement.

I was confident in my first run, because I put a lot of time and effort into planning every step I was going to take. I don’t intend to sound negative, but I really didn’t plan on making finals because the line-up of athletes was so strong. I tentatively planned a final run, and I was proud that I did the 6-foot front flip precision (I honestly didn’t want to do it, but Vik knows my capabilities more than I do, and he essentially said I had to! It seems he had great advice!).

I was a little tired going into the finals because I didn’t have much rest time after my first run, but I went out there, had a blast, and did the best that I could do. With each competition that I complete, I get less and less nervous. I train hard, and I am confident in the skills I am going to throw. I love competing in the Art of Motion, and I want to give a big thank you to Red Bull for putting on these competitions, because without them, I would not have made such amazing friends from all over the world!

I am also very proud of Cory DeMeyers and Josh Yadon for stepping up, training hard, and doing an awesome job in the last two Art of Motions. They both have a long and successful careers ahead of them!

On Technology, Food, and Gratitude

It was wonderful how Red Bull streamed the event live in HD so friends, family, and fans could be with us and catch the action! It is hard to describe how it went in words to your loved ones who aren’t there, so to have them be able to watch it was really special! I think it is important to stream Art of Motion live so people can really feel that they are a part of it. Rather than seeing clips on YouTube, they can get the entire experience. [If you missed the live competition, watch it on demand here.]

I want to give a special thank you to Quest Nutrition for supporting and sponsoring me at the competition. It means a lot to have the support of such an amazing company that I believe in! I was very proud to represent them. I hope to continue to grow our relationship and to get the word out about freerunning and the positive and healthy lifestyle that surrounds it!

American Ninja Warrior Season 4 was a whirlwind. From our hometown all the way to Las Vegas, Tempest Freerunners went the distance in this year’s competition. But one of our newest teammates took home the No. 1 spot: Brent Steffensen. We are incredibly proud of his hard work, determination and sheer force of will and thought it would be fun to sit down and ask him about what was going through his mind as Stage 3 loomed ahead.

When you realized you were the only competitor to make it to Stage 3, what was going through your mind? It was crazy to find out that I’d be moving on to Stage 3 all alone. I was super excited that I had done so well, but I was pretty bummed that none of my buddies were going to give Stage 3 a try with me. I’d been there once two seasons ago but, I had a few fellow ninjas with me to talk over strategy and hang out with. It definitely helps you relax a little! The guys that hadn’t made it past Stage 2 were super supportive and stayed behind to help cheer me on, even though it was leading into the early hours of the morning. It helps to have your boys there to keep you pumped up for the course.

Before you started your last run, what was it like looking over and seeing that sea of yellow as your family cheered you on? It was so awesome to look down the line of Stage 3 and see Team Brent going crazy!! Their energy was completely contagious! They had everybody there rooting for me too. It was an incredible feeling

Even though you didn’t finish Stage 3, are you still happy with what you did? As soon as I had taken revenge on the Cliff Hanger, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment! That was an amazing moment for me! But…I was shooting for the top that night! I really felt like I was fully capable, but this course isn’t shy to let you know where your blind spots are. Now its back to the drawing board.

Going to try again next year?  I fully plan on coming back this next season to do my best! It’s such a fun sport to be a part of! Not only is running the course a blast, but you get to meet a lot of super-fun, talented people through the whole experience. So much fun

In the meantime, keep up with Brent!
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Starting July 8 at 9/8c on G4, the final showdown for this season of American Ninja Warrior is set to begin. The competition heads to Las Vegas, with the mother-of-all courses facing the contestants.

Hundreds of competitors across the U.S. battled for a coveted top spot in regional competitions. Members from Team Tempest and our Family graced the local stages, and we are proud to announce our favorite competitors who will continue to move up in season 4 of ANW.

Paul “Diddy” Darnell, Dan “Shooter” Mast, Michael “Frosti” Zernow, Jessie La Flair and Brent Steffensen will run the course in Nevada – we don’t need to tell you who we’re rooting for! Keep an eye out and your fingers crossed for these amazing freerunners and their chances to win this grueling competition.

Finals continue Monday, July 9 at 9/8c on NBC – so tune in to cheer on your favorite competitors (who we hope are listed above!).

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A weekend-long community celebration of water sports, activities and conservation is heading to Traverse City’s bayfront, June 1 and 2, and Levi “SkyNative” Meeuwenberg will be a key part of the fun.

The Great Wakes Festival will focus on raising funds and awareness for water-focused non-profits, supporting efforts to protect and keep clean the region’s rivers, streams and lakes and offering a wide variety of water-themed activities and entertainment throughout the weekend. Festival proceeds, which will be distributed by Bay Area Recycling for Charities, will help benefit local non-profit organizations focused on water-related causes.

Artists and performers will move throughout the festival, and if you want to see SkyNative in action, here’s where to look: Keep an eye out around the Open Space while Levi and other top freerunners jam for most of the festival. There will also be two featured performances on Saturday, one around 3p.m. and between 6 and 10p.m.

SkyNative will be at the festival in part to promote the local gymnastics gym, Water’s Edge Gymnastics, where he first started learning parkour and acro. He also launched, and currently runs, a freerunning class there.

The issues the festival celebrates, however, also ring true to SkyNative’s perspectives on clean water and the environment.

“I do take the issue of water conservation very seriously,” he said. “In 2000, 55 percent of U.S. lakes, rivers, and estuaries were not clean enough for fishing or swimming according to EPA testimony before congress in 2002. In 1995, 40 percent were too polluted to allow fishing, swimming or other aquatic uses at any time of the year, according to the U.S. EPA. On top of that, the natural gas industry is pushing to install fracking operations all around the country which have been proven to pollute the air and ground water.”

Beyond roving freerunning performers, the festival also features a beach race, local food, games, bands, and even an aerial art project.

Head out and say hello to Levi!

It’s time to go drop a few dollars on one of the summer’s first big blockbusters: The Avengers.

Tempest’s own Levi “SkyNative” Meeuwenberg doubled Captain America (played by Steve Rogers) in the new flick, alongside other classic heroes including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and more.

In the Avengers, the heroes come together with the help of the international peacekeeping agency, SHIELD, to fight an imminent global disaster.

Captain America, who made his mark as a Super Soldier during WWII, has been frozen for decades in the Arctic and now must come to terms with the modern world while battling alongside The Avengers.

Sound like fun? Yeah, we think so too.

Check out The Avengers soon, and give a whoop in the theater for SkyNative!

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Tempest Teammate Brian “NoSole” Orosco is part of a brand-new daredevil campaign, and 7-Eleven’s Big Energy Stunt Squad is just a little bit crazier thanks to his part on the team. Freestyle motocross rider Lance Coury and BMX rider Connor Lodes are also part of the Stunt Squad.

Voters had a chance to challenge the Stunt Squad to crazy antics, and now, videos are being released showing just how far they can go.

When we last talked to him, NoSole couldn’t reveal what the stunts might be,  but he’s been overheard saying that “it would be pretty rad to do some monster trick while on fire!” Will it happen? Who knows! But we’ll be watching to find out.

Check out this exclusive profile on NoSole, and keep checking in with the Big Energy Stunt Squad to see what else comes up.

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For the first time, the Tempest Family has released a new video: “Represent.”

The concept developed from the fact that freerunning worldwide is a collective movement, where everyone is bound with their freedom, passion and love for the art form.

In this spirit, we made a shout-out video to show our admiration and appreciation for all the teams out there who are making freerunning better through their blood, sweat and tears every day. In the video, 23 different teams are represented by a Tempest Teammate or a close friend. The list is below if you want to check out who was featured in this first video.

Don’t see your team’s shirt? Chad Bonanno, our Creative Director who edited this video, probably puts it best, “Even if your ‘flag’ was not featured in this video, it doesn’t mean we don’t have mad love for you. It just means we didn’t have one of your t-shirts.”

Enjoy!

CREDITS:

Director: Luci Romberg
Editor: Chad Bonanno
DP/Post: Chad Bonanno
2ND Camera: Wayne Dalglish
Camera Assist: Joey Wilson

Special Thanks to our friends and the teams they wore:
Heath Hensley (Trü Freedom Dealer)
Spider: The Pack (Miami, FL)
Nosole: Parkour Malaysia
Josh Hill: Urban Freeflow
Shane Daniels: SFPK
Diddy: Storm (UK)
Rich King: Tokyo Parkour
Dan Mast: Air Wipp (Sweden)
Victor Lopez: Tranquil Movement (CO)
DeVille Vannik: South Africa Parkour
Luci Steel: Apex Movement
Jesse La Flair: Parkour Brazil
Timmy Di Cecco: Aura (CO)
Alex Duong: Tru Hope
Natalie Strausser: APK
Levi Meeuwenberg: Philippines Parkour
Brent Steffensen: Airborn (UK)
Mclovin: Lost Boys (CA)
Cory DeMeyers: Team Traverse (TX)
Frosti: FreeZ (Switzerland)
Josh Yadon: Ape Connection (Austria)
Filip Mr. Bubbles Ljungberg from Air Wipp: Tempest
Gabe Nunez: Monos Urbanos (Mexico)

(Colin Farrell rocks a Tempest t-shirt in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. Click the photo to watch the full video on ET's website.)

“Now, this is the plan. Get your ass to Mars.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous 1990 flick, Total Recall, took us on a trip to mutant-filled Mars and had us questioning what was real. Now, leading man Colin Farrell, along with stars like Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel, will have us once again wondering what’s true in a remake launching August 3, 2012.

Our amazing teammate, Gabe “Jaywalker” Nunez, doubled Farrell in the film. He also helped prep and train Farrell and Biel for the action-packed flick. Click the photo above where Farrell rocks a Tempest t-shirt to see his thoughts on shooting Total Recall. You can also nab your own Tempest gear (We promise that if you wear the same shirt, you’ll look just as studly!).

Check out the trailer for Total Recall below, and make sure to mark your calendar for August 3!

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It’s been a beautiful run for The Tempest Years. Our own “flashback” to the 70′s, we took freerunning disco-style with some groovy moves, swanky sweatbands, and a flashback at a time when we weren’t alive, but it sure was a trip.

For your viewing pleasure, we give you the complete set of: The Tempest Years.

Volume I: Travel Back in Time With Us

Volume II: Sweet Stylin’s and a Beautiful Fro

The Final Installment: Dancing, Sweatbands, Even Barney

This week, submissions for the upcoming season of American Ninja Warrior were due in our neck of the woods, and Team Tempest and our friends answered the call. Check out videos from our top teammates [Spoiler alert: You will see scantily clad, rapidly flipping and not-so-orthodox means of showcasing our ninja skills ]

NoSole Teaches You a Lesson

Luci Steel’s Got Moves You Should Fear

Rich King Needs No Pants

Shane & Baby Jaiden Leap With the Greatest of Ease

Frosti is a Ninja/Monkey/Warrior Machine Runnin’ for the Kids

Jesse LaFlair Is Doing It Because…YouTube Asked Him To!

Brent Steffenson’s Steppin It Up

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