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6 years ago

The Jaguar #02

  • Text
  • Grosjean
  • Racing
  • E
  • Sportbrake
  • Pace
  • Jaguar
  • Racing
  • Drone
  • Formula
  • Audio
  • Drivers
  • Hepburn
  • Steering
In this issue, we introduce a fresh new addition to the Jaguar family with the launch of the E-PACE. F1 racer Romain Grosjean reveals his passion for Jaguar while the Panasonic Jaguar Racing Team give an insight into their preparations. Plus, we get to grips with the fast-paced sport of drone racing and spend a unique day with the XF Sportbrake.

THE ULTIMATE ONE-DAY

THE ULTIMATE ONE-DAY ADVENTURE Back on the streets of central Munich, the white slopes of the Zugspitze seem like a different world altogether. Up next: the world-famous Eisbachwelle inner-city surf wave as the unmistakeable sound of a snowboard cutting through powder snow breaks the silence. Seconds later, Daniel hits the point of no return and with a deep, heavy thump he takes off into the air. We watch him gracefully turn 360 degrees as he glides through the blue sky above us. For what seems like an age, we behold this small miracle unfold. With no one else around, the coming together of the Alpine backdrop, fresh snow, blue morning sky and Daniel landing expertly on his board, feels like we just witnessed the very essence of snowboarding; a moment of freedom so pure that you cannot help envy the grinning rider as he pulls up next to us with a cheeky “How’s that?!”. We spend the rest of the morning like this, trailing the pair as they find one natural obstacle to conquer after another. We learn that Basti fractured his spine not only once but twice in a four-year span, but still made it back on his board. “It’s all part of it,” he says with a shrug before taking on a four metre drop. Daniel, hyped by the endless playground beneath him, throws his board through the powder again and again, chasing the perfect spray of white snow for our photographer. Their energy level is remarkable, and yet the day is only halfway through; after a quick lunch watching the shadows play on the mountain slopes, it’s time to head back to the bustle of downtown Munich. We’ll need to get moving if we are to catch the city wave. For decades, the Eisbachwelle has attracted surfers to the Bavarian capital from all over the world. Located in the middle of Munich, the wave used to only be up and running for a few weeks a year, when the conditions of the river bed were just right. That all changed in the 1980s, when Walter Strasser, a local legend in the surf scene, took matters into his own hands. On his own initiative, he one night brought power tools and generator lights to the riverside, and laid a single, heavy railway tie across the riverbed. The tie broke the wave just right, and today it stands proudly at around 1.5 metres all year round. Visit Munich any day of the year and you’ll notice just how much of a surfing hotspot it has become. Dozens of surfers queue up on the river bank every day, packing wetsuits and custom shortboards, ideal for this kind of wave, while scores of tourists and spectators gather to cheer them on. “Especially in summer, it gets very crowded,” says Daniel as he emerges from the water following a first run. “But people surf here all year round at all times. I used to get up at five in the morning in winter to have the place to myself. That’s how you learn; of course we do it to have fun, but you need to be obsessed with getting better. There’s no easy way around it.” Behind us, Basti has already made the first few turns on the wave, pushing his feet across the roaring waters as he commands his board back and forth. As soon as he slips and gets carried away by the strong current, the next surfer in 64 THE JAGUAR

“I USED TO COME HERE AT FIVE IN THE MORNING IN WINTER TO HAVE THE PLACE TO MYSELF” PHOTOGRAPHY: RASMUS KAESSMANN, MATTHEW MICAH WRIGHT / GETTY IMAGES line jumps in. The spectacle is truly impressive, and as the hours pass by and the afternoon turns into early evening, the pair continues to take turns in a seemingly endless line of short battles with the perpetual wave. The sky above is no longer blue, and the serenity of the Zugspitze has been replaced with the deafening noise of the wild city river and cars passing by above it. It is as if we have travelled between parallel realities, only connected by the two riders’ dedication to showing us the best of both their worlds. “This is what it is all about,” Basti says, as the two boarders finally call it a day, the cold water running from their wetsuits and their skin still marked by the morning mountain sun. “Living here means that you have the luxury of choice; mountain or river, winter or summer, it’s all there,” he continues. “You’d be a fool not to take advantage.” As the day comes to an end, the traffic at the wave wears off, and only a handful of dedicated surfers still jump into the water, trying to land that final big trick before calling it quits. And as for Daniel and Basti? They are done for the day – and what a day it has been. But to them this is every day, and by no means the end. They’ll be back on their boards again tomorrow. And the day after that. SNOW TO SURF WORLDWIDE Sierra Nevada in Andalucía, Spain, lies just two hours by car from the Mediterranean Sea and the waves of Costa del Sol. A popular CALIFORNIA Big Bear destination for surfers is Mountain and the nearby the sleepy seaside village Big Bear Lake in California of El Palo, just outside (above) offer excellent charming Málaga. conditions for a full day on your board. Less than two THE CHILEAN ANDES hours apart, one can easily Snowboarding in the make the morning snow Andes is on many a bucket and still hit the waves in list, but why stop there? the afternoon sun. Start the day in Santiago de Chile, and you’ll have SIERRA NEVADA One of plenty of time to make it to Southern Europe’s most Valparaíso on the Pacific popular skiing destinations, coast, all in a single day. THE JAGUAR 65

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

© JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED 2020

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A vehicle's actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.