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Don’t Know What Wakeskating Is or How Cranberries Are Really Harvested? This Visually Stunning Video Somehow Combined Both

Dec. 17, 2012 7:00pm Liz Klimas

Redbull strikes again. The energy drink maker and extreme sport supporter has combined two unusual mediums — wakeskating and a cranberry bog — to create an unexpectedly beautiful video.

Redbull says so itself calling it the “the most aesthetically pleasing wakeskating sessions you will ever see.”

The first half of the video provides an interesting education into how cranberries are grown and harvested (beyond what you know from Ocean Spray commercials). The family-owned Bartling’s cranberry bog in Manitowish Waters, Wis., was originally four acres and is now more than 180 acres. Steven Bartling says in the video that it’s a misconception that the cranberries grow on top of the surface of the water. The plant is actually dry and vine-like. When it’s time to harvest, the fields are flooded with several inches of water. He explains that the machine harvesting them knocks the berry loose from the plant and, since they’re hollow inside, they float to the surface.

Redbull Takes Wakestakers to Wisconsin Cranberry Bog

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

The second half of the video, gets into wakeskating, which is like wakeboarding but the athlete’s feet are not attached to the board. You can imagine how this would make the sport more challenging.

Wakeskater Brian Grubb says in the video that what he knew of growing cranberries, before participating in this clip, came from the commercials.

Then he and fellow wakeskaters take to the bog as part of Redbull’s “Winch Sessions” series. The patterns the wakeskater boards make in the bog is mesmerizing.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Watch the video for yourself:

And in case you were wondering, the video description states that no cranberries were “wasted or destroyed” during the filming of this video.

(H/T: Huffington Post)

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Comments (22)

nelan72
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:11pm
This is so American: The largest cranberry producer state is Wisconsin and water skiing was invented in Minnesota.

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Tracy Y. Andersen
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 3:42am
I chuckled at times, watching the skill of the wakeboarder. That ramp is too similar to the rails that too many skateboarders split themselves on, but that very skilled wakeboarder made it look too easy.

I don’t drink Red Bull, but I thank them for making this interesting video. Well done.

Remember Benghazi
Laus Deo

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BlessedONE333
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:16pm
oh yeah that’s what you want – someone playing in your food before it gets to your dinner table

yech

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- xenolith
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 6:03pm
  BlessedONE333
  
  Not to worry, the cranberry itself has natural anti-bacterial properties, hence their well known efficacy on urinary tract infections and gout.
  
  If that’s not enough, all those cranberries will be processed with disinfectant washings in the processing plant. Further, 95% of them will be used to make juice concentrate, sauces, or sweetened dried fruit (like raisins) with heat enough to kill any bacteria. Besides, I don’t know anyone who can tolerate unsweetened, raw, whole cranberries. When they are in season (which is right now) I like using whole cranberries in stews and stir-fries to add a lot of flavorful zest… it’s very yummy.
  
  The cranberry is a “superfood.” They’re one the richest sources of the antioxidant flavanol called proanthocyanidins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proanthocyanidins
  
  Report this comment
ChipBlood
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:19am
The music is from a band called Tycho. They’re a really great all instrumental group…

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n7plus1
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:37am
awesome video. the music was perfect…very relaxing, calming watch.

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- ChipBlood
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:21am
  The band is Tycho. The album is called Dive. All their music is instrumental.
  
  Report this comment
RRFlyer
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:55am
I guess I missed what was pulling them across

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- uberben
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:34am
  They are being pulled by a special high speed Winch. Just do a search for “winch sessions” on youtube to see what I’m talking about.
  
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grannyrecipe
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 6:17am
I think it’s great marketing! I guess I’m thinking with regard to the teacher’s resignation letter and the ills in education. This video, while marketing mostly to young people, is also educational and explorative…it’s a heck of a lot better than using boobs or appealing to a persons pride to market a product. Thanks Blaze! A news site doesn’t need to be all about the dire.

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uberben
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:49am
I think it’s great that they are featuring this. Just because you aren’t in alternative sports, doesn’t reduce the skill and artistry it takes to create a short video like this. I personally know the guys that produced, directed and edited this video (and the rest of the series). They run their own small businesses and are incredibly hard working guys.

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48Straights
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 10:53pm
Really Blaze? Cranberries?

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FISH_BONE
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 8:22pm
Monk is not going to be happy.

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- The-Monk
  Posted on December 17, 2012 at 9:41pm
  Hi FISH_BONE,
  
  Why is that?
  
  Report this comment
KyleD
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:56pm
Those are some beautiful images and some information about cranberries I didn’t know but I can’t help but wonder why redbull is wakeskating in some farmer’s cranberry bog (I think that’s what they called it).

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LakeHartwellSailor
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:45pm
I think I needed to see this. With all the carnage out in the world that dominates the news; albeit some of the carnage does not get enough coverage, I found this particular piece a nice break.

This film reminds me when I was a teenager, living on a Michigan inland lake, going out on our little ski boat and straping on a slalom ski (I know, pretty old-fashioned), and “cutting the lillies”. We had a water lily field on one end of our little lake and when the water was like glass, it was a blast to make some nice cuts through the lily field and going for that perfect water arc that was high, and solid from peak to surface.

Of course, this video is far more colorful. Like I said, it was a nice little break from all the sad news that we see all day, every day.

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JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:37pm
I was entertained and educated in the first half, but, for myself, I found the last half well, to be fair I did enjoy the first maybe 30 seconds of it, however, the rest of the last half of it for what seemed an eternity was boring.

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- 48Straights
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:34am
  TheBlaze is digging hard to find stories to distract its readers from the real world. But the dumber TheBlaze’s readers get, the more the liberal agenda passes.
  
  TheBlaze is more harmful to conservative thought than MoveOn ever could be.
  
  Report this comment
- mokyfellow
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:35pm
  What’s enjoyable by the goose is not necessarly enjoyable by the gander !! As for me, I enjoyed this video from start to finish…
  
  Report this comment
gbgreta
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:21pm
Yep, cranberries float! :)

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TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:20pm
Uh…. okay… wakeskating. Hope he adds something to society also instead of wakesketing all over it and cranberries. I know, I know…. it’s an art form… lol. I also have a problem with most skateboarders…. shoooo and get a job and stay outa’ my hedges….

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oicu814me2
Posted on December 17, 2012 at 7:18pm
I can sleep better now.

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