Red Bull X-Alps: Elevating Adventure Experiences
A Story of Human Endurance and Digital Transformation
A Story of Human Endurance and Digital Transformation
In 1999, German adventurer Toni Bender flew solo across the Alps—but he wasn’t piloting a plane or a helicopter. Instead, he traversed Europe’s largest mountain range via paraglider, flying when possible and hiking with his gear when conditions kept him on the ground.
Austrian pilot Hannes Arch heard of Bender’s feat and imagined turning the journey into a competition. This idea soon became reality—the inaugural Red Bull X-Alps race took place in 2003. Seventeen of the world’s top athletes set out from Salzburg with their eyes on the finish line in Monaco. It proved a challenge like no other; only three racers crossed the finish line, the rest bowing out along the 1,100-kilometer route.
The 2021 race began in Salzburg on June 20 just as a heatwave struck. For the next 12 days, fans around the world joined the athletes virtually along the challenging 1,238 kilometer route.
The first few days saw the lead change multiple times. On day 2, six-time winner and reigning champion Christian Maurer made the first breakaway, but the pack reined him back in.
Around Mont Blanc, the race's biggest challenge, Maxime Pinot and Maurer flew wingtip to wingtip—but on day 8, Maurer once again pulled ahead and secured his victory, finishing the day 160 kilometers ahead of his nearest rival.
Day 10 saw a closely fought battle for second and third place, decided between three athletes. Ultimately it was Patrick von Känel who triumphed, with Simon Oberrauner placing third just 11 minutes later.
Races are not often won with a large gap between first and second place. It's the small differences in strategy, preparation, and agility that give the winner an edge. These same factors are also needed to gain a competitive advantage as a business. Then, with the right technology to mobilize your ideas, your brand can stand out.
As we emerge from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are craving adventure more than ever —and at the same time, consumers have become used to high-quality digital experiences they can enjoy from home. Technologies like three-dimensional, real-time maps bring these two trends together, inspiring a completely new kind of connection between people, brands, and experiences.
Want to try it for yourself? You can explore and use the same basemaps from the Red Bull X-Alps app in ArcGIS Location Platform, a powerful set of location-based developer tools from Esri. Sign up for a free developer account today to bring a world-class user experience to your own apps.