Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025 Issue 2 i The Red Bulletin

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

DANCING IS MAGIC

As you likely have surmised by surveying the cover of the magazine you’re holding, this issue is a celebration of dance—more specifically, a global event series called Red Bull Dance Your Style. This annual competition is of special interest to us (and hopefully you) this year because the World Final will be held in the U.S. for the first time—in the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on October 11. The format of Red Bull Dance Your Style is unique. Participants can perform any style of dance they want—whether it’s house or hip-hop, popping or whatever—and must instantaneously react to unpredictable mainstream tracks. And as competitors tackle one-on-one battles, the crowd gets to decide who advances. As you might imagine, it’s a format that rewards dancers with improvisational composure and a…

2 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

BORN TO DANCE

THE TORTURED ARTIST. IT’S A TIRED TROPE THAT ROMANT ICIZES THE IDEA THAT GREAT ART IS BORN OUT OF SUFFERING. But what about the nurtured artist? When a creative mind is supported from an early age, great art can also be made. That explains the origin story of movement artist Marlee Hightower, who has been grooving to a beat since she was in diapers. Just ask her mother, Anna, who’s also her manager. “I remember this moment,” Anna explains. As her mother tells it, Marlee was six months old, crawling on all fours in the living room. While music played in the background, her little baby started rocking back and forth. “She had perfect rhythm,” Anna recalls. In disbelief, she looked to her husband and Marlee’s father, Marlon, and they…

11 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

BATTLE READY

SonLam Nguyen, reigning U.S. champion of Red Bull Dance Your Style, is aware that his serene composure isn’t exactly what people expect from a competitive freestyler. “I don’t really fit the mold of what people envision as a street dancer,” he told The Red Bulletin last year. But beneath Lam’s calm surface lies a secret weapon, an inner tranquility that’s been honed like a sword. As one friend puts it, “We need more people in a competitive space for whom humility is a weapon.” Consider that a call to action for anyone who wants to compete—or watch the action—this season. June 28 Chicago qualifier and New York City qualifier July 11 Salt Lake City qualifier July 26 North USA qualifier in Kansas City, MO August 9 West USA qualifier in…

1 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY THE RIGHT WAY

Watch a dog wake up from a nap; he’ll likely give his back a good stretch before he gets moving. “No one tells my dog to stretch when he gets up, he just does it,” says Brian Kent, a former pro baseball player and Chicago-based trainer. Athletes can benefit from following their pooch’s example, but the science of flexibility is more complex for humans. What do we mean when we talk about flexibility? “Flexibility is how well your muscles can let a joint move through its own range of motion under different loads,” explains Dr. Leada Malek, a board-certified sports clinical specialist and author of The Science of Stretch. Flexibility is measured at the joint angle, and it involves two interconnected ideas. “When we look at research about joint mobility,…

4 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

STRONG MOVES

R.A.D ONE V2 This update to a beloved cross-trainer offers more midsole cushioning, a reinforced heel clip for greater rotational stability and a distinctive-looking midsole wrap that provides added durability for abrasive rope climbs. If you want to lift weights, run, do plyometrics, gymnastic movements or a tough HIIT workout, the ONE V2 will give you a categoryl eading mix of cushioning, stability and protection. The unisex shoe is available in 19 sizes and eight colors. Tracksmith Van Cortlandt Singlet Whether you’re a serious runner, a cross-trainer who puts in hard intervals or an occasional treadmill user, you’ll likely appreciate the way this singlet integrates technical features with a classy throwback style, anchored by the horizontal sash across the chest. The silhouette is tailored (slim but not tight) and the…

2 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

RAW TALENT

Ray Vaughn is the living embodiment of resilience. The Long Beach, California, native has navigated more than his fair share of adversity. He was raised in a single-parent household alongside six siblings, a childhood marked by frequent moves between his mother’s and grandmother’s homes before he was kicked out at 16. “It was a little unstable,” he explains. “My mother struggled with mental illness, but she tried.” Despite his complicated relationship with his mother, it was her “Freestyle Friday” house parties where Vaughn, who started rapping at the age of 8, would showcase his MC skills alongside other kids from the neighborhood. “We’d rap for hours,” he remembers. “That’s when I knew I was gonna rap for a living.” This wasn’t his only path, however. After graduating high school as…

3 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

Portfolio ESTEVAN ORIOL

Estevan Oriol is the true definition of a one of one. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the legendary photographer is responsible for some of the city’s most iconic images. Once known as the tagger SCANDALOUS, Oriol traded spray cans for camera lenses, becoming an influential documentarian of L.A. hip-hop and city life—something he still prides himself on today. “I wave the L.A. flag wherever I go,” he says. “I take L.A. all over the map, and I bring those countries back with me to L.A.” Beginning his career as a tour manager for iconic groups such as Cypress Hill and House of Pain provided him unparalleled access, igniting his passion for photography and allowing him an intimate and authentic insider perspective that other photographers couldn’t match. His lens wasn’t…

5 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

STEALTH FIGHTER

In an early season shaped by high-profile driver swaps, vaunted wonder kids and rumors of early exits, the arrival of one 2025 rookie went almost unnoticed. While the F1 news cycle feted the debuts of the prodigiously talented 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes in place of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, and Briton OIiver Bearman, who at 18 became Ferrari’s youngest-ever F1 driver in a Hamilton-beating, point-scoring appearance for the Scuderia at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the rise to Formula 1 of French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar barely raised an eyebrow. After Oracle Red Bull Racing parted ways with Sergio Pérez last December and briefly elevated Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson to the senior team, Hadjar was seen by many as just the latest product…

10 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

FEELING PEACHY

RECIPE SLICE OF SUMMER Ingredients ½ oz fresh-squeezed lime juice4 slices of ginger1 ½ oz white cranpeach juiceRed Bull Summer Edition2 white peach slicesMint sprig Directions Add ginger to a shaker tin and muddle a few times. Add lime juice and white cran-peach juice and shake with ice for 8 seconds. Strain into a mule cup over fresh ice and top with Red Bull Summer Edition. Stir to combine and garnish with a fresh mint sprig and peach slices. Ready to make it yourself? Scan here to learn more about Red Bull Summer Edition White Peach.…

1 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHER KOURY ANGELO The Los Angeles–based photographer shot West Coast hip-hop legend Xzibit for this issue. “It was so awesome working with Xzibit on this project,” says the Austin, Texas, native. “I love photographing musicians, and shooting at his personal recording studio was the perfect backdrop for this photo production.” Angelo’s clients include Apple, Netflix, Nike, Rolling Stone, Vibe and the Hollywood Reporter. Page 70 WRITER WILL LAVIN “As someone who grew up obsessed with California rap music, being able to write about so many great West Coast artists for this issue was a lot of fun,” says the U.K.-born, Los Angeles–based journalist, who interviewed Xzibit, Ab-Soul, Estevan Oriol and others. “Spending St. Patrick’s Day with Xzibit is something I will never forget.” A former managing editor of HipHopDX, Lavin…

1 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

THE QUEEN OF L.A. DANCE

It’s hard to think of a dancer who reps Los Angeles harder than Storm DeBarge. So when dance industry veteran Fatima Robinson needed a choreographer to bring authentic Westside flavor to the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, she knew exactly who could translate L.A. dance culture to the football field. For DeBarge, a native Angeleno, the opportunity was the moment she had been working toward—as a movement artist, choreographer and director. In a show headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, featuring Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Eminem, DeBarge danced gleefully atop a white lowrider to “California Love.” Then, to close the show, she set choreography on an ensemble of dancers decked out in khaki Dickies, C-walking across the field to Dre’s hip-hop anthem “Still D.R.E.” It was a…

6 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

GRIT & GLORY

The Cowboy Ninja wears a black hat, brown work boots and blue jeans. Running through the soft dirt spread across the arena floor at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, he leads a reporter through four obstacles being tested in the leadup to a new, one-of-a-kind event called Red Bull Rancher Strong. A fitness and agility challenge designed to celebrate and test the folks who produce our food, Rancher Strong is part American Ninja Warrior, part CrossFit Games—and all country. The inaugural Rancher Strong competition will be held at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards in June. The mastermind of Rancher Strong, event director Lance Pekus, is a former college wrestler, wilderness guide and grassfed-cattle rancher who gained acclaim as the Cowboy Ninja on 14 consecutive seasons of NBC’s popular…

9 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

STRONG GROWTH

An ascendant heavyweight in the world of fitness competitions is HYROX. This series—launched in Germany in 2017—features eight tough workout stations, each separated by a 1-kilometer run. Participation has skyrocketed in recent years, with more than 3,500 HYROX-affiliated gyms now operating worldwide. And in mid-June, all eyes in this space will be on Chicago, as the HYROX World Championships comes to the city’s Navy Pier. To learn more about HYROX, find an affiliated gym near you or get info about the World Championships in Chicago, scan the QR code.…

1 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

California LOVE

The clear skies over Los Angeles on this morning in March mirror a shimmering pool at a Bel Air mansion—the kind that makes you instinctively reach for a pair of sunglasses and consider an impromptu road trip. Today’s drive to Chatsworth is less spontaneous. The suburb in the San Fernando Valley is the home of Vanguard Studios, where platinum-selling rapper, actor and business mogul Xzibit awaits. On site for a photo shoot with The Red Bulletin, X, whose reputation precedes him, greets the team with a wide and radiant smile. Ever the affable host, he thanks everyone for taking time out of their day to come and work on the shoot. Surveying the collection of photographers, editors, writers and publicists, he dissolves any lingering professional stiffness with a declaration regarding…

14 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

TRUSTING THE PROCESS

“Rapping like the rent’s due” is a phrase used to describe an MC delivering lyrics with such a sense of urgency, intensity and high stakes that their livelihood—or something equally important—depends on the success of said bars. Examples of this include most verses by Lil Wayne, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. But for Peter $un, the meaning is much more literal. “The making of my new album was a very stressful time because I was late on rent,” the L.A.-based artist says. “Because of that, I had to challenge myself to try something new and make something big and personable—which I did.” Aptly titled Rent Was Due, the rapper/producer’s latest project is a melodic smorgasbord steeped in sunshine, pairing incandescent backdrops with hypnotizing, feel-good hooks. A departure from previous projects, such…

5 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

CRUISING ATTITUDE

Teamwork is everything for the members of the U.S. SailGP Team as they fly above the water at speeds as fast as 60 miles per hour on their super-high-tech 50-foot foiling catamaran. There’s Taylor Canfield, the boat’s driver, charting their course, and strategist Mike Buckley guiding him along the best path. Other team members keep the boat floating above the water on its hydrofoils, adjust the sail to catch the wind or grind a winch to drive power to the wing. The intense teamwork taking place onboard the F50 sailboat during a SailGP race weekend is almost impossible to absorb from the stands along the shore. Even Buckley—who not only races for the U.S. team but also happens to be its co-owner and CEO—can only describe the experience in lyrical…

11 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

CROWNING GLORY

TRUE KINGS ARE ANOINTED, NOT SELF-APPOINTED. And so it’s fitting that the dancer known as The Crown didn’t name himself. “It’s common for street dancers to have a dance name, but I didn’t have one. It was just David Jr., because my dad’s name is David. Simple,” says David Stalter Jr. “In high school, my crew would always try to give me one. At one point they tried ‘D-Pop,’ and I was like, No.” Content moving through the scene with such a nonflashy stage name, Stalter was five or six years in when he was struck with a case of stage fright before a performance at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis, his hometown. “I was 18 or 19, and it was my first time doing a solo according to my…

15 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

MASTERS OF MOVEMENT

Daisy “VMZ” Vazquez Age 19 Hometown Bay Area With a decade of experience in ballet, contemporary and hip-hop, Daisy “VMZ” Vazquez gained viral recognition in 2023 as the youngest finalist at the Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final in Chicago, where her battle solo to “Gypsy Woman” has netted more than 6 million views on TikTok. Thanks to her dedication to training, she’s often the youngest competitor at prestigious global competitions like World of Dance and Hip Hop International. She’s also made her mark in the dance community by appearing in music videos for artists such as E-40 and Gordo. Self-described style “My dance style is a fierce fusion of hip-hop energy and raw power. It’s all about bringing that intensity and fire to every move! I also add…

3 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

TRAIN LIKE A PRO

Noah Ohlsen Fitness athlete Ohlsen has competed in the CrossFit Games 11 times and has finished in the top 8 six times, including a second-place finish in 2019. It took Noah Ohlsen a while to find competitive fitness, but once he did, it became a durable passion. The son of an All-American lacrosse player, Ohlsen thought that sport might be his destiny—until he realized his high school didn’t field a team. “So I had to pivot and try a few other things.” A talented and versatile athlete, he competed in wrestling, swimming, water polo and bodybuilding. A pivotal moment came when he was a freshman in college and saw a poster of an absolutely shredded guy at the beach—it was an advertisement for a CrossFit gym. He called the number…

5 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

WORTH THE EFFORT

Kai Lenny—one of the world’s most accomplished watermen and an elite big-wave specialist—is always searching for newfangled ways to improve his fitness and find a competitive edge. But at the same time, the wildly versatile pro surfer knows that some old-school moves are classics for a good reason. That’s why if you see Lenny on the beach, you’re likely to see him doing burpees just moments before he paddles out to test himself on a monster wave. That’s right, burpees—that agonizingly simple and dynamic fullbody movement that combines a jump squat, a plank and a push-up. “I like to do burpees before I go surfing because it’ll basically turn my whole body on from my head to my toes,” Lenny says. “It’s a quick exercise to get my heart rate…

3 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

INSPIRING THE GREATS

In the sprawling landscape of hip-hop, where narratives can sometimes prioritize flash over substance, Ab-Soul stands as a compelling anomaly. Hailing from Carson, California, his journey into rap was deeply intertwined with the legendary musical tapestry of nearby Los Angeles. For the young man raised in a record shop established by his grandfather, music wasn’t just an interest; it was an inheritance. This early immersion cultivated a profound appreciation for the art form, laying the groundwork for his own lyrical explorations. Signing to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, joining Black Hippy groupmates Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock, Ab-Soul (real name Herbert Anthony Stevens IV) carved out a distinct niche with his introspective verses, complex rhymes and philosophical undertones. Showcasing his intellectual depth and willingness to confront personal…

9 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

BEST OF THE WEST

TRACKS 213 “So Fly” (2004) “I love Nate Dogg’s voice and his cadence, and how smooth his shit was. It wasn’t necessarily R&B, but it was melodic rap, that’s for sure. I remember hearing this song and wanting to take the instrumental off the internet and rap over it. It’s such an iconic beat.” JOYCE WRICE “Good Morning” (2017) “The first time I heard it was when I was visiting L.A. before moving here. It was a nice morning, I was smoking a cigarette, and I was just vibing. It’s such a beautiful song; it feels like sunrise. It’s definitely one of my fondest memories of first coming to L.A.” 2PAC “Rather Be Ya N***A” (1996) “When I was young, my sister and I used to ride around Richmond, VA,…

1 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

DRIVEN BONKERS

There are tons of very serious races in the world, and Red Bull Soapbox Race is definitely not one of them. The whole point is for everyone to have an absurdly good time. This summer, you can enjoy this spectacle in Salt Lake City on June 14 or Los Angeles on July 19. These are unforgettable events to see IRL, but if that’s not doable, check out Red Bull Soapbox Race, a hilarious recap series on Discovery, co-hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. To learn more about the Red Bull Soapbox Race event in Los Angeles, scan the QR code at left. Trust us, you want to be there.…

1 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

THE NATURAL

There’s an adage that says one should never meet their heroes. There’s not much guidance regarding besting one’s heroes at the very thing that made them heroic. There’s even less instruction on how to handle that when you’re still too young to sign legal documents. Take that scenario and place it behind the goggles and full-face helmet of a wildly talented and humble teenager and you have a rough idea of what it’s like to be junior downhill world champion Asa Vermette. Vermette, who turned 18 in January, is the most exciting downhill racer to emerge from the United States since Aaron Gwin—who first reached the World Cup podium in 2009 at age 21 (and went on to win the World Cup overall title five times between 2011 and 2017).…

10 min

The Red Bulletin|2025 Issue 2

Party Palace

Some wild year things for about Caitlin Coachella—the Simmers peaked heat, on the September diverse 6, when musical she offerings, was crowned th endlessly World Surf upbeat League party champion vibes—following never change, a dramatic but for three-heat 2025 there battle was against a striking defending addition champ to the festival Caroline lineup: Marks. Red Simmers Bull Mirage. became This the three-level, youngest competitor 20,000-square-foot to win a WSL pyramid title (18 structure—located years and 316 days). directly across was from a very the high Quasar high,” stage—was Simmers says the about cool new the moment oasis when for good jubilant times upporters at Coachella, lifted with her panoramic up moents views, after Nobu her win. omakase, “Achieving dozens a career of A-list goal guests, with all world-class the people…

1 min