The Red Bulletin January 2017

How to survive the Dakar Rally When the 39th Dakar Rally starts on January 2 in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, there will be plenty of dangers awaiting the competitors: serious crashes in the middle of nowhere, lack of sleep and merciless stages in the desert. But how do you become a Dakar driver? What’s the cost of a car? And do you even need a driver’s license to take part? Red Bulletin motorsports writer Werner Jessner, who drove all 5,000 miles of the Rally in 2012, answers your questions in this issue. Page 48. WHO’S ON BOARD MEGAN MICHELSON For our travel cover story, “Winter Awakening” (page 22), the California-based writer tapped local experts for advice on how to take your favorite outdoor activities to the next level in colder climes.…

SWING TIME FROMBERG, AUSTRIAPHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP PLATZER The Red Bull Skydive Team took playing on the swings to a new level in the skies over Austria. Armed with a seat attached to a 410-foot-long rope—the “Mega Swing”—Marco Fürst and his three teammates ascended in two hot-air balloons for a four-second freefall, followed by half a pendulum swing and a leap from 5,900 feet. “It’s everyone’s dream,” said Georg Lettner, one of the skydivers. “To swing higher and higher, and finally jump off and fly.” To see the video, go to redbull.com CHANGING THE COURSE VIRGIN, UTAH PHOTOGRAPHY: GARTH MILAN Every year the world’s best mountain bikers tackle the demanding terrain near Zion National Park in Utah for Red Bull Rampage. While battling windy conditions in October, former winner Andreu Lacondeguy of…

Life was sweet for Chris Pratt at 19—working in a Maui restaurant, sleeping on the beach. Then a customer offered him a role in a low-budget film; by saying “have a nice day” and meaning it, Pratt had opened a door. “It’s how I was raised,” he said later. “[It’s about] understanding that your attitude is contagious and asking yourself if it’s worth catching.” 1 Moving to L.A., he did the hard yards—a decade of auditions, small TV and film parts—before becoming Andy in sitcom Parks and Recreation. In 2014 he broke onto the Hollywood A-list with Guardians of the Galaxy, then Jurassic World, The Magnificent Seven and now Passengers. At 37, Pratt is up there with the top box office stars of the day. He’s certainly proof that good…

1963 On August 3, James Alan Hetfield is born in Downey, California, to Christian Scientist parents. When he’s 16, his mother dies of cancer, choosing prayer over medicine. It shapes him: “I know what my higher power is all about,” he later said about writing the song “The God That Failed.” 1981 “Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden.” That’s the listing Hetfield sees in L.A. paper The Recycler. Having learned piano, drums and guitar as a child, he is well placed to reply to the drummer, Lars Ulrich, and the first seeds of Metallica are sown. 1983 Metallica’s demo tapes and small gigs get them noticed, but no record company will fund an album. Their promoter borrows cash,…

In her early 20s Miller was making a big impact in big movies, but then suddenly her private life became the bigger story. In 2006 she starred in Factory Girl, the story of the rise and fall of an actress-socialite, and it was only a couple of years later that the crueler critics were saying how that film’s plotline might be applied to its falling star. She kicked ass in 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, but a Scarlett Johansson-like action career did not kick off. Undeterred, she has bounced back, stealing scenes in Foxcatcher, American Sniper and High-Rise, and now she’s a major part of Ben Affleck’s upcoming crime epic Live by Night. Now 34, the woman whose notoriety was often measured in malicious gossip column inches is…

“I’m really understanding the virtues of meditation now more than ever in my life—just learning to not attach, to just let thoughts go by.” ALLISON JANNEY, ACTRESS 1 “Two years ago I was always practicing, doing my stuff, and I was making things too complicated. Now I try to relax a little bit more . . . the feelingis different from the things you do every day with the same rhythm.” ANGELIQUE KERBER, CURRENT WORLD NUMBER ONE IN WOMEN’S TENNIS 2 “I’ve learned over the years that if you start thinking about the race, it stresses you out a little bit. I just try to relax and think about video games, what I’m gonna do after the race, what I’m gonna do just to chill. Stuff like that to relax…