RED BULL BAILOUT: Midwest Skaters Make History on the Mississippi Riverfront

RED BULL OPENED UP THE NOTORIOUS FED FOUR STAIR SET IN MINNEAPOLIS TO LOCAL SKATERS.

Minneapolis, MN: August 2nd, 2009 - Tonight more than 600 people witnessed local Midwest skaters slaughter the ?Fed Four Stair Set during Red Bull Bailout, a massive 5 feet high and 12 feet long set of stairs behind the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Building. A skate spot often patrolled heavily by the police, only 3 tricks have ever been landed here.

After 12 broken skateboards and a slew of new tricks landed, 22 year-old Aaron Christensen from Minneapolis took the top prize with a backside 360 Ollie.
"I'm new to the whole contest thing. I never won anything, and I for sure never did a backside 360° down any set of stairs", said Christensen after the results were announced.

Second place going to Dan Coe of St. Paul with a backside kickflip and third place going to C.J. Tamborino with a switch frontside kickflip Red Bull Bailout was a two hour long best trick jam, with local skaters taking their turn to show the crowd what they can stomp down the gigantic set of four stairs. Judged by local skaters Chad Benson, Dennis Burdick and Jud Prosinski, and they would all agree it takes some confidence to jump down the Fed Four, let alone jump down backwards into a 360 like Christensen did with so much style.

"I remember coming to the Fed Four as a kid and being blown away by the size. I always wanted to host a competition so everyone could skate this spot freely", said Dennis Burdick of Cal Surf, who approached Red Bull with the event idea in 2008.

Sixty-eight skaters from Chicago, Wisconsin and Minnesota competed in Red Bull Bailout. All the Twin Cities best skaters were out. "This contest was new and fresh, and brought the entire Minneapolis skate scene together for one hell of a night, which doesn't happen enough", said Cal Surf owner Scott Oreschick.

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