Levi LaVallee

LaVallee Speaks

Levi LaVallee is on the mend back home in Minnesota.

Levi LaVallee planned to spend New Year’s Eve jumping his snowmobile across the San Diego Bay, entertaining thousands of spectators and setting a new world distance record as part of this year’s Red Bull: New Year, No Limits event. But an accident on the final day of testing in Fontana, Calif., derailed those plans. Two weeks after the accident and six days after being released from the hospital and returning home to Minnesota, LaVallee talks for the first time about the crash, setting the world record and his new plans for ringing in the New Year.

ESPN.com: First things first: How are you feeling?
Levi LaVallee: I’ve been better, but I’m just happy to be alive and kickin’. Well, not kickin’.
Read the rest here.

LaVallee Back Home

Levi's world record jump. Photo: Marv Watson/Red Bull Photofiles

Levi LaVallee posted a statement on his blog yesterday:

Levi LaVallee has been released from the hospital and is headed home to Minnesota. He will continue his recovery from injuries sustained during testing for the Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. snowmobile distance jump in San Diego, which was set to be telecast on ESPN. Here’s a statement from Levi:

Levi’s World Record Practice Jump

Filed Under: Snowmobile racing News Tagged With: ISOC, isoc racing, ISOC snocross, Levi LaVallee, Red Bull, Red Bull: New Year. No Limits, snocross, snowmobile, snowmobile racing, snowmobile racing news

LaVallee Injury Necessitates Event Cancellation

SANTA MONICA, CA (December 17, 2010) – Levi LaVallee was injured on Tuesday, December 14, while practicing in Southern California for his planned world record snowmobile distance jump at this year’s Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. event, set to take place in San Diego on December 31 and telecast on ESPN. LaVallee was immediately transported to a local hospital where he is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. As a result of this incident, however, it has been decided that Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. will be cancelled this year.

The safety of Red Bull’s world-class athletes is paramount, and all precautions were taken during LaVallee’s testing sessions to ensure he could perform in the safest-possible setting.

Leading up to the event, LaVallee, 28, from Longville, MN, worked with athlete performance experts, aerodynamics experts and engineers, in addition to his core team, in an effort to get the most out of his body and snowmobile. During testing, LaVallee jumped an astounding 361 feet, eclipsing the existing record by 60 feet. This jump will be submitted for world record certification.

Levi On The Line

Levi LaVallee is looking to claim the distance jump world record new years eve. Photo: Garth Milan/Red Bull

Objectively speaking, snowmobiles are not supposed to fly. They weigh around 500 pounds, these things, and the combined unwieldiness of their many components — engine, track, suspension system, skis, exhaust — makes leaving the ground a difficult and dangerous proposition. This hasn’t stopped anyone, of course, least of all X Games champion Levi LaVallee, who plans to break the world record for longest snowmobile jump on New Year’s Eve, 2010. ESPN caught up with LaVallee to see what goes into preparing for a 300-foot sled launch.

Read the rest here.

Filed Under: Snowmobile racing News Tagged With: ISOC, isoc racing, ISOC snocross, Levi LaVallee, Red Bull, Red Bull: New Year. No Limits, snocross, snowmobile, snowmobile freeride, snowmobile freestyle, snowmobile racing, snowmobile racing news, winter x games

Winter X Games Updated Athlete List

Jeff Mullin is headed to Aspen.

Adaptive snocross
Jesse Gildea
Doug Henry
Chris Heppding
Mike Schultz
Jeff Tweet
Jim Wazny

First Practice: Levi LaVallee

Filed Under: Snowmobile racing News Tagged With: Levi LaVallee, paul thacker, Red Bull, Red Bull: New Year. No Limits, snowmobile world record

Who Is Levi LaVallee?

Levi LaVallee Reviews History Of Red Bull New Year No Limits

Filed Under: Snowmobile racing News Tagged With: Levi LaVallee, polaris, Red Bull

sledRacer.com Does The Duluth National

The Duluth track sent riders around the track clockwise instead of counter-clockwise as in years past.

What a difference a year makes. Last year the Duluth National Snocross was delayed because temperatures leading up to the race were too warm to make enough snow. This year? The snow piles were so high the crowd had trouble seeing over them. Plus, the Duluth area had at least 6-8 inches of natural snowfall leading up to the race. It made for a white thanksgiving as well as for a really sweet race weekend.

We spent two days at Duluth prowling the pits and checking out the racing. The way Duluth goes you could spent a week there and not see and do everything, but here are a bunch of photos that we hope will make you feel like you were there. Read on as sledRacer takes you on a journey to the Duluth National Snocross.