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43rd Ryder Cup opens with spectacular stunt: Wingsuit pilot
Peter Salzmann flies into Whistling straits from 3,000 metres
above the venue with the Ryder Cup trophy. - BMW Group Designworks developed the airworthy trophy case.
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The iconic gold trophy received a zero-emission chauffeur
service in a BMW iX for the final few kilometres to the opening
ceremony at Whistling Straits, where Salzmann brought it onto the stage. -
From Thursday, hosts
Ryder Cup
USA and defending champions
Team
Europe will go head-to-head, with sports fans all over the
world following every shot. - BMW is Worldwide Partner of the 43rd Ryder Cup.
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„Ultimate Journey“ video and microsite at:
https://www.bmw-golfsport.com/en/ultimatejourney
Few sporting events combine an intense atmosphere, sporting
drama and excellence, and global interest in the same way as the
Ryder Cup has done since 1927. The ‘Ultimate Journey’ to the opening
ceremony, for which Worldwide Partner BMW, BMW Group Designworks and
the team around wingsuit pilot Peter Salzmann (AUT) chose the skies
above Wisconsin as the stage, was equally spectacular.
Equipped with a wingsuit in a Ryder Cup design, as well as a
transport capsule for the trophy, specially developed by BMW Group
Designworks for that purpose, Salzmann and his team leapt out of a
helicopter from 3,000 metres above sea level. The Ryder Cup Trophy
Case was fastened to the Austrian’s body using a construction that
guaranteed him the necessary freedom of movement and also had the
required aerodynamic properties. This made it possible to land safely
with the trophy after two minutes of flying, despite a top speed of
230 km/h, before it was driven in its case to the opening ceremony at
Whistling Straits in the BMW Group’s fully-electric technology
flagship, the BMW iX xDrive50*. The Ultimate Journey ended with
Salzmann carrying the trophy onto the stage at the opening ceremony.
“The Ryder Cup is of significant importance in the golfing and
sporting world. This contest casts its spell over the competitors and
teams, just as it does the enthusiastic spectators at the course and
the many fans watching from the edge of their seats all over the
world,” said Stefan Ponikva, Vice President Brand Communication and
Brand Experience BMW Group. “To acknowledge the prominent position of
this competition, and to celebrate the premiere of BMW as Worldwide
Partner of the Ryder Cup, we wanted to make the arrival of the trophy
particularly special. To do so, we created a unique case for the
trophy, which is both innovative and representative.”
The chief criterion when developing the trophy case was to protect
the Ryder Cup during the stunt. At the same time, it had to guarantee
the freedom to move for the wingsuit pilot, as well as optimal
aerodynamic properties. Furthermore, it should be an emotive design,
which continues to represent the status of the trophy and the event
even after the stunt – the challenge was to create a product that is
innovative, luxurious and inspiring, and thus reflects the spirit of
BMW i. A challenge tailor-made for Designworks, the innovative engine
of the BMW Group, with its expertise in bringing together the needs of
mobility and other sectors.
“When asked to work on this project connected to the historical Ryder
Cup event it was something that excited me to be part of. We just knew
it had to be a product that blends the BMW i excitement for technology
with the prestigious and honourable aspects surrounding the event
itself,” said Tommy Forsgren, Designworks Lead Designer. “The case
design is a true innovative BMW i product – its premium qualities and
exclusivity matching the new BMW iX in terms of colour and material finish.”
The trophy case consists of an outer aluminium frame and a 3D printed
space frame capsule with large gaps, allowing the Ryder Cup trophy to
be seen, even when closed and during the flight. The case can be
attached to the interior skeleton of the wingsuit just as quickly as
it can to a wall – for example, for exhibition purposes. The opening
mechanism is like that found on a wing door.
The Ryder Cup is not the first project, on which BMW i, BMW Group
Designworks and Peter Salzmann have collaborated. Together, they
developed the ‘Electrified Wingsuit by BMW i’: an innovative, electric
drive module and a wingsuit designed from scratch allowed Salzmann to
fulfil his dream of developing his sport and breaking new ground with
sophisticated drive technology.