Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. - Record Snowmobile Jump in San Diego‏ 1

Santa Monica, Calif. (November
10, 2010) – While our friends to the north call them snowmachines, most
of us know them as snowmobiles, and the hipper folks simply call them
sleds. No matter what you call this mode of transportation, history
will be made by Levi LaVallee on New Year’s Eve at Red Bull: New Year.
No Limits., airing live on Friday, December 31 on ESPN, immediately
following the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (approximately 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m.
PT).

LaVallee, a seven-time Winter X Games medalist and champion snocross
racer, will attempt to jump his Polaris snowmobile longer than ever
before and eclipse the current record of 301 feet. In addition to his
racing exploits, Levi is widely-known for becoming the first person to
double backflip a snowmobile in 2009.

The event will take place at Embarcadero Marina Parks North and
South in the downtown area of San Diego Bay. Embarcadero is Spanish for
"landing place," making it an appropriate location for LaVallee’s jump,
which will be over water from the North park to the South park. On-site
viewing will be free to spectators at both parks. Gates will open at
6:00 p.m. PT.

"I can’t even explain how excited I am to be part of this year's Red
Bull: New Year. No Limits.," said LaVallee. "With the jump gap itself
being longer than the existing distance record, it is going to be one
heck of a ride!"


"For the fourth year we have the opportunity to showcase an
extraordinary athletic feat. This year's jump by world champion
snowmobiler Levi LaVallee will continue in that tradition," said Joan
Lynch Owens, vice president and executive producer, ESPN content
development. "This is the kind of anticipation television our fans
expect to see on ESPN."

San Diego may not be the first place one thinks of when discussing
snowmobiles, but the lack of snow won’t hinder the 28-year-old native
of Longville, Minnesota (population 180), the Turtle Race Capitol of
the World and home to weekly meat raffles. Yes, turtles and meat – but
not turtle meat. LaVallee will use artificial turf on his 1,100-foot
run-up path, which will provide the necessary grip for his snowmobile’s
track to ensure maximum speed as he hits the take-off ramp. LaVallee’s
jump will take him over a 300-foot water gap at the entrance of the
Marina. A small amount of snow will be sprayed on the landing ramp to
provide necessary slickness so Levi can make a smooth landing.

"It will be awesome for people to see a snowmobile making a world
record distance jump in San Diego," said LaVallee. "Snowmobiles are
made for snow, and last I checked there isn't much snow in San Diego,
but it is a great location for this event. Only at Red Bull: New Year.
No Limits. would you see something like this."

Leading up to his big night, LaVallee will work with athlete
performance experts, physicists and engineers, in addition to his core
team, in an effort to get the most out of his body and 450-pound
snowmobile. Valuable information will also be attained and put into
future snowmobile development.

LaVallee has had a very successful career in several snowmobile
disciplines. A snocross racer for more than 15 years, he took up
freestyle in 2007, and at Winter X Games 12 in 2008, he won the gold
medal in the Freestyle and Speed & Style events and was named
Athlete of the Games. In 2009, he won the Pro Stock Snocross
championship and came thisclose to landing the first-ever snowmobile
double backflip at Winter X 13, falling off on the hard impact but
garnering global media attention. Earlier this year, at Winter X 14, he
took gold in the newly-created Snowmobile Knock Out event.

LaVallee becomes the fourth athlete to star in Red Bull’s annual New
Year’s Eve celebration on ESPN, which highlights extraordinary athletes
pushing their physical, mental and technical limits to break boundaries
and records. Robbie Maddison kicked things off in 2007 by jumping his
motorcycle 322 feet over a football field in Las Vegas and followed it
up in 2008 by jumping onto – and off – of the 96-foot-tall Arc De
Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas. Also in 2008, Rhys Millen backflipped an
off-road truck and just missed sticking the landing. Last year, Travis
Pastrana jumped his rally car a staggering 269 feet over water, landing
on a barge in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor.

For Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. event details, visit www.redbullnewyearnolimits.com.

For high-res images of LaVallee, free for editorial use, visit www.redbullphotofiles.com.

For moving images content, please visit www.redbullcontentpool.com.

For a video of the announcement, click here.