Danny MacAskill and Kriss Kyle Take On Red Bull’s 200-Meter Floating Obstacle Course Without the Help of AI

Spring arrived at Eastnor Castle lake in Herefordshire with a surprise waiting for two of the most skilled bike riders on the planet. Danny MacAskill and Kriss Kyle knew only the broad outline of the day. They arrived ready to ride, yet the full scale of Red Bull’s construction floating on the water remained hidden until they stood on the shore.

Red Bull had created a gigantic floating obstacle course that stretched across the lake for nearly 200 meters. The entire structure sat directly on the water’s surface, posing a major engineering challenge. The platforms and beams that made up the course were placed on floats, causing them to heave up and down under the weight of a bike and rider each time someone passed through. The seesaws would also rock significantly merely by having someone on them, and you’d have to maneuver the narrow areas on the log skinnies without swerving off course even slightly.

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Then there were the wall rides, which would provide a moment of solid grip, just long enough to make you think you’re good to go, before the surface shifted beneath you again, and you’d be scrambling to maintain your balance. It would be a difficult decision to choose between bouncing across the ladder bridge on the poles and threading a sliver of a board along the edge. Then there are the zigzag parts, which are basically tight 90-degree twists on boards that are narrower than your tire, and the final length is just a tightrope-style pole run, where any slip sends you out into the liquid below.

Earlier that day, a few pro UK riders attempted the entire length, but none of them made it to the other side without getting drenched, as each effort ended with a large splash. That set the tone when the two Red Bull squad riders arrived. MacAskill switched from his typical trials bike to a trail bike since he’s known for being quite exact on a bike, but he was up against a new type of bike for the day. Kyle, on the other hand, has a history in BMX and chose a mountain bike. He ditched the bike he was regularly riding; having a shared platform for his BMX history and MacAskill’s trials upbringing required them to change riding techniques and learn to balance on bikes they were unfamiliar with.

Kyle stepped right in and launched a full-fledged all-out attack, throwing the aggressive style he’s known for at the floating sections while repeating the difficult elements until he was too exhausted to continue. Water got to him several times, but he kept going and made it all the way to the end. He’d clear a lot of portions and make it to the final poles on multiple runs, but the last bit always got the best of him. Eventually, his arms gave up and he lost control of the bike. He got within a hair’s breadth of the finish line several times, but ultimately ended up swimming.

MacAskill worked in a very different way. For a time, he just sat there, observing and studying to see how the entire floating section behaved, and then gradually built together larger and longer successful bits by connecting the smaller ones he’d already mastered. He solved each new challenge systematically, as is typical of his approach. Most of the day, he merely stayed dry by keeping his calm and working steadily through the course. First, the early sections were under control. The ladder bridge eventually gave way to the zigzags that had been wreaking havoc on the pro UK riders all day. By late afternoon, after hours of tinkering around, the light was beginning to fade. Everyone was exhausted, and their legs and arms were spent, but they still had at least one clean effort left.