The teams participating in the Nissan Outdoor Games, Europe’s top outdoor event, have taken over the Bernese Oberland for the past few days. The world’s top specialists in climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, BASE-jumping, hanggliding and paragliding are doing everything they can to provide the film-makers in their respective teams with breath-taking images. Meanwhile, the organisers are constructing the sports activity village at the “Stadthausplatz”, here in the centre of Interlaken. Entirely dedicated to the general public, on Friday and Saturday you can come and take part in several initiations and demonstrations of outdoor sports.


In the centre of town, the “Stadthausplatz” is getting ready to host the Nissan Outdoor Games village. For this, the 4th edition, the activities on offer are centred mainly around giving the public a chance to come and meet the athletes. Over two days, anyone can come along and have a go at some of the sports on offer: kayaking on a section of the Aare, free-climbing on an artificial structure named “Boulder”, and mountain biking on a wood constructed track called “the North Shore”. The public will also be welcome to come and meet the athletes and ask for autographs.

5 teams, 5 sports, 5 days…to make a film
The week got off to a great start for the invited teams. On Sunday afternoon, Seppi Strohmeier didn’t hang around to get straight into the Reichenbach falls. On this white-water part of the river, the German kayaker managed to string together two drops of more than six meters, jumping over the impressive falls.

In climbing, Stephan Siegrist amazed everyone with some outrageous high-wire antics. At more than 2500 meters up, the Swiss climber attached a slackline between two pitons near to the Schilthorn. From the terrace on the Birg, spectators could watch him walking at more than 40 meters off the ground, with the Eiger, the Monsch and the Jungfrau as a backdrop. An almost surreal spectacle of poetic beauty…

Austrian Flo Orley was having a great time in his hang-glider, playing with the clouds like a bird in the dappled sky above the Bernese Oberland.

Check out the images from the Nissan Outdoor Games at www.outdoorgames.org, which is inaugurating a new photo and video gallery.
All the video footage will also be available on www.youtube.com/outdoorgamestv

A change in the program for the competition
Owing to the tragic accident on Tuesday afternoon of a French BASE-jumper participating in the filmed production of one of the teams, it was decided unanimously by the teams and organizers that the event will continue in a non-competitive format.

The teams are very keen to finish their films and will be proud to present their productions to the public. Both the athletes and the film-makers are weighing up how to present the images taken from their passion for sport, with as much sensitivity as possible. On Saturday evening, on the giant screen, the films will no doubt be of an excellent quality, combining creativity and commitment. The productions will not however be judged as initially planned, and the prize-money will be shared out equally between all the teams.

Program:

Friday 4th July 2008

15:00 - 23:00 Street fair
15:00 - 20:30 Kayak, boulder and bike initiations
17:30 - 18:00 Film presentation by the Soul Flyers Loïc Jean-Albert (FRA)
18:00 - 18:30 Kayak happy hour, film & autographs by Simon Hirter (SUI)
18:30 - 19:30 Boulder happy hour, film & demos by Dave Graham (USA)
19:30 - 20:00 MTB “north shore” happy hour, film & demos by John Cowan (USA)
20:30 - 21:30 Live band on the Nissan Hub: Elijah and The Dubby Conquerors
21:30 - 22:00 Opening Ceremony


Saturday 5th July 2008

15:00 - 23:00 Street fair
15:00 - 20:30 Kayak, boulder and bike initiations
17:30 - 18:00 Film presentation by Géraldine Fasnacht (SUI)
18:00 - 18:30 Kayak happy hour, film & autographs by Simon Hirter (SUI)
18:30 - 19:30 Boulder happy hour, film & demos by Dave Graham (USA)
19:30 - 20:00 MTB “north shore” happy hour, film & demos by John Cowan (USA)
20:30 - 21:00 Teams autograph session on the Nissan hub
21:15 - 22:00 Live band on the Nissan Hub: Knackeboul
22:00 - 23:00 Film & Photo Festival on giant screens
23:30 Outdoor Games Party at Goldener Anker
Live with Elijah & The Dubby Conquerors and Knackeboul