Video: The Reinvention of Tarek Rasouli

It is not easy for anyone to completely reinvent themselves. Especially not if you are used to an adrenaline-fueled lifestyle full of action and then have to start a completely different life almost from scratch. Mountain bike freeride professional Tarek Rasouli was forced to take exactly this step when he seriously injured his spine at the height of his career and was confined to a wheelchair from then on. Since that momentous day in 2002, Tarek has been proving every day that giving up is not an option and that there is nothing that can drive a thoroughbred mountain biker out of the mountain bike business. Red Bull TV’s “The Reinvention of Tarek Rasouli” shows how the Munich native ticks and how he managed to go from being a professional freerider to becoming one of the most important opinion leaders and influencers in the bike industry.

The dramatic accident turned Tarek’s world upside down. His whole life, from BMX Races around the world to his admission to the legendary Rocky Mountain Froriders, was geared towards a career as a professional athlete. In all the uncertainty that set in after the paraplegia, only one thing was certain: Tarek wanted to remain part of the mountain bike world – and not just on the sidelines, but still in the middle of it.

With the development of the freeride pages of the German Bike Magazine, Tarek’s second career began to take shape. His first event “Ride to the Lake” soon followed – a huge success, from which the famous Red Bull District Ride would later emerge. In addition to journalism and event organization, Tarek kept asking himself what was missing in his active time and what would have made his life easier back then. His conclusion: for someone who really just wants to ride bikes, having somebody to take care of the organization and administration involved. The idea of ​​professional management for bike athletes was born.

Today, Tarek’s agency RASOULUTION manages top athletes like Danny MacAskill, Fabio Wibmer, Thomas Genon, Emil Johansson or Erik Fedko, organizes bike events all over the world and develops and supervises communication concepts for various brands from the bike industry. Additionally, Tarek volunteers as an ambassador for the Wings for Life Foundation, which supports research and studies on spinal cord and spinal cord injuries with the declared goal of finding a cure for paraplegia one day.

Tarek is particularly looking forward to the annual Wings For Life World Run on May 9th: “Wings for Life is so important to me because it gives me hope – not just for me, but for everyone who has a spinal cord injury. Taking part in the Wings for Life World Run is therefore something very special for me. This year, thanks to a special exoskeleton, I will actually be able to take part in the run for the first time walking with my feet.”

But deep down, Tarek is still the mountain biker who just only wants to ride a bike – he is happiest when he’s out on his hand bike.

 

Follow Tarek Rasouli online:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tarekrasouli

Facebook: facebook.com/tarekrasouli.page

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tarekrasouli

Website: www.rasoulution.com

 

Join Tarek’s Team for the Wings for Life World Run on 9 May 2021:

Team RASOULUTION

Gravity Card 2021 – Trail Pleasure to the Fullest

It’s that time of the year again: The snow in the mountains is melting and the urge to get our bikes out of hibernation becomes stronger and stronger. Well, good news for all bike park fans: after Pohorje Maribor, Bikepark Wurbauerkogel, too, already opened for the 2021 season on April 24. With the other bike parks of the Gravity Card to follow soon, mountain bike riders all over the Alps (and beyond) don’t have to wait much longer until they finally can do what they love most: shredding trails.

Hotshots Line in Epic Bikepark Leogang, © Klemens König

After a record-breaking season 2020 with more Gravity Card tickets sold than in any previous season, there are huge expectations for the 2021 summer season. With 22 bike parks and 175 trails across six countries there is plenty to discover this year as well. Due to the huge variety of the Gravity Card bike parks, every rider can find themselves the right offer – no matter if bike park pro or beginner, adult or child, enduro enthusiast or downhill rider. The latest addition to the bike park group is the Bike Areal Kitzski in Tyrol, Austria with four single trails with a total length over 20 kilometers. “Hahnenkamm”, namesake of the infamous downhill ski race, is a versatile trail of 7.2 kilometers and 850 meters downhill. Its newly built the connection to the Fleckalmtrail offers 7.1 kilometers on a challenging track directly connected. With the Lisi Osl downhill trail for advanced riders and Gaisberg Trail for beginners offers something for every riding level – not to mention beautiful panoramic view of the Kitzbüheler Horn.

Kitzski Bike Areal, © Michael Werlberger

“It is a great pleasure and honor for us to be part of Europe’s largest bike park network from next summer. The bike tracks are signposted, a new connection between Fleckalm and the Hahnenkamm was built last fall, we have prepared suitable bike wash areas and our lift staff will be happy to meet our guests’ individual needs. We want to offer all bikers who come to visit us a perfect holiday experience in Kitzbühel and Kirchberg and are already looking forward to summer 2021!”, says Christian Wörister, CEO Bergbahnen AG Kitzbühel.

Heading towards the bike season 2021 with big steps made, preparations are in full swing. The first two parks are already open, MTB Zone Geißkopf is waiting in the wings and aims to open its season on May 1. Shortly after, Epic Bikepark Leogang will follow on May 8, as well bike parks Schladming, Lenzerheide, Semmering, Brandnertal and Petzen on May 13, opening their gates for the riders – some of them only on weekends in the beginning. Due to their higher alpine location, Bike Republic Sölden and Bikepark Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis open eventually on June 11 and 12.

Nino Schurter dropping the Bike Kingdom logo, © Hannah Bichay

As already known from the previous year, the Gravity Card special arrangement in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be valid in 2021, too. Highly appreciated, though only hardly put to use, the arrangement gives customers the option to cancel season tickets that have been bought through advance sales completely until the end of the summer season free of charge, provided that they have not been used. Furthermore, if legal regulations or lockdown measures in individual states mean that opening the bike parks and their associated lifts is delayed or not possible at all, the graduated price alterations will apply. For more information and details please visit https://www.gravity-card.com/#vorverkauf

Philipp Kettner, Marketing Manager of the Gravity Card can’t wait for the new season to start: “After an initially quite uncertain start into the last year, we are now more than confident that the 2021 season will build on the success of last year. It’s nice to see how more and more people find their way into biking and enjoy it to the fullest. The Gravity Card offers the perfect conditions and, with 22 bike parks and 175 trails, is becoming more and more interesting, even for mountain bike newcomers or late bloomers. The Covid-19 special regulation introduced last year naturally also applies this season. In this way we can guarantee that the buyers of the Gravity Card have no disadvantage by unscheduled developments.”

 

The Gravity Card season pass is valid from 3 April 2021 to 7 November 2021 with the following prices:

Adults: 519,- €

Youth (2002-2004): 390,- €

Kids (2005-2014): 252,- €

 

For more information about the GraVity Card visit: www.gravity-card.com

Facebook: facebook.com/gravitycard

Instagram: www.instagram.com/gravity_card

 

Header picture: saalbach.com., Nathan Hughes