Behind the curtain of Gymkhana 5
Ken Block showed the streets of Bay area a great time, and then some, in the latest Gymkhana video. Photo gallery
To witness that screaming, smoking three-way between man, car and road, around 200 mostly well-groomed guests filled The Mixing Room in the JW Marriott during X Games weekend for the premiere of "Gymkhana FIVE."
The 10-minute video, live at the DC Shoes Film YouTube site and presented above, is Block's latest translation of the growing motorsports discipline by which drivers negotiate complex, obstacle-filled courses with drifting, spins, reversals and other advanced driving skills.
Right before the house lights dropped, industry guests paused from their open-bar refreshments and complimentary prime rib as Block climbed the stage to distill his gymkhana track record.
"I am truly a lucky b------," he told the crowd. "I reach drive these cars as hard when i f------ can."
Shot in four days in May, "Gymkhana FIVE" showcases Block maneuvering his 650-horsepower 2012 Ford Fiesta through Bay area streets that look like these were built for such high-octane antics. Despite he uses a Taylor Street apex as his personal launching pad, Block's driving -- and the production company's capture of it -- just gets better. Plus, Block's DC teammate Travis Pastrana bakes an appearance, mounting his dirt bike for the first time since crushing his ankle finally year's X Games. And, yes, that's Thrasher magazine's Jake Phelps swinging the checkered flag towards the top of Twin Peaks.
"Fortunately, i was capable of working with [producer Scott Allen] Logan to get all the permits in the city to do what we should wanted to do," Block told ESPN.com after the screening. "The city of Bay area welcomed us up there, and they were really great to utilize. It was really a dream become a reality."
Each video within the Gymkhana series has its own high point, starting off with 2008's "DC Shoes: Ken Block Gymkhana Practice," which only came into being following a rally series got canceled and Block didn't have spot to race his newly built car. So he made some gymkhana lemonade from lemons and served it up online.
Annually later, that viral video spawned "Gymkhana TWO: The Infomercial!" promising "nonstop motorsport eye-candy" in a 566-horsepower 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Cue up more threaded needles, smoking tires and screaming RPMS, and throw in a cameo by a paintball rifle-wielding Rob Dyrdek.
Promoted like a "blatant but cleverly crafted marketing scheme," "Gymkhana THREE: The Music Video Informercial" hypes up rappers and hotties before cutting to the chase: Block gets control an oval speedway with banked turns pitched at 51 degrees.
Last summer, "Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial" ran its course within the back plenty of Universal Studios, with "Zombieland" director Ben Conrad calling the creative shots. "Gym FOUR" seems over the top by design, with all of those pyrotechnics and fake brick walls nearly upstaging Block's work on the helm of the 650-horsepower 2011 Ford Fiesta able to running 0-60 mph in just under 2 seconds.
Fortunately, "Gym FIVE" brings the series to basics: man, car, road. And blessed with glorious weather around the Bay and also the city streets roped-off for his personal use, Block can just smash the pedal towards the metal and let his driving speak for itself.
Steve McQueen could be proud.
Labels: Nascar 2012
