Queenstown Bike Festival Opening Ceremony
The Queenstown Bike Festival kicks off on Saturday 12th April 2014 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Last year the festival was officially opened when Kelly McGarry took the plunge by riding off the AJ Hackett Ledge Bungy platform at the Skyline. It was a fitting stunt as New Zealand was the first place to open up commercial bungy operation and the bungy is located at Skyline Queenstown, home to New Zealand's first gondola assisted bike lift, providing direct access to Queenstown Bike Park. Awesome riding surrounded by majestic mountains. After a few practice runs, this was the glamour shot of the official opening in 2013.
![Kelly jumping from the Aj Hackett Ledge Bungy in Queenstown New Zealand]()
So now it is 2014 and the bike festival eventing team needed to think of something equally sick to kick off the festival this year. Something central, iconic to New Zealand and spectacularly awesome .. jet boats, flaming hoops of fire, helicopters were all thrown around as ideas until we thought of the huge historic steam boat that chugs across the crystal clear Lake Wakatipu many times each day.
![photo]()
New Zealand MTB jump star and Queenstown resident, Kelly McGarry will officially open the 2014 Queenstown Bike Festival by back-flipping off the roof of the iconic 101-year old TSS Earnslaw into the chilly waters of Lake Wakatipu. Starting from the captain’s cabin, Kelly will ride along the TSS Earnslaw’s roof, around the smokestacks and cut through a ceremonial red ribbon before back-flipping into the lake some 25 feet below. Local jet boat operator, K-Jet will be performing pickup/rescue and recovery.
With the ridgeline of the Remarkables mountain range creating a stunning scenic backdrop for photo and film coverage this provides a unique opportunity to capture the thrills, spectacle and craziness of the festival in a one-take only shot the day before the first event.
Speaking ahead of the stunt Kelly said, “My bike floats. Hopefully I do too!” He’ll be available for photos and autographs once he’s on dry land.
![figuring out the details of hucking off of the roof of the TSS Earnslaw]()
Kelly McGarry and festival director Geoff Hunt discussing the finer points of the operation.
So now it is 2014 and the bike festival eventing team needed to think of something equally sick to kick off the festival this year. Something central, iconic to New Zealand and spectacularly awesome .. jet boats, flaming hoops of fire, helicopters were all thrown around as ideas until we thought of the huge historic steam boat that chugs across the crystal clear Lake Wakatipu many times each day.
New Zealand MTB jump star and Queenstown resident, Kelly McGarry will officially open the 2014 Queenstown Bike Festival by back-flipping off the roof of the iconic 101-year old TSS Earnslaw into the chilly waters of Lake Wakatipu. Starting from the captain’s cabin, Kelly will ride along the TSS Earnslaw’s roof, around the smokestacks and cut through a ceremonial red ribbon before back-flipping into the lake some 25 feet below. Local jet boat operator, K-Jet will be performing pickup/rescue and recovery.
With the ridgeline of the Remarkables mountain range creating a stunning scenic backdrop for photo and film coverage this provides a unique opportunity to capture the thrills, spectacle and craziness of the festival in a one-take only shot the day before the first event.
Speaking ahead of the stunt Kelly said, “My bike floats. Hopefully I do too!” He’ll be available for photos and autographs once he’s on dry land.
Kelly McGarry and festival director Geoff Hunt discussing the finer points of the operation.
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