Bicycle motocross rider Daniel Dhers built ramps out of salt at the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, a high altitude desert known as the largest salt pans on the planet.
Known as Dalí’s desert because of their aesthetic views, the Salar de Uyuni stand 3,600m above sea level. At this height, the atmospheric pressure decreases and results in a blood oxygen shortage.
“I would make a line in the Salt Park and would stop for five minutes to catch my breath again,” explains Dhers, a five-time X-Games BMX Park gold medalist. “Plus it was really hot during the day and when the sun was covered by a cloud I was freezing.”
Locals from the Bolivian town of Colchani helped the Venezuelan athlete build the ramps designed by John Saxton.
“We built the ramp’s structure out of salt bricks, and had to create a secret mix to smooth them out,” adds Dhers, who’s been riding since the age of 12.
The Bolivian salt flats are the world’s largest salt flat with a surface of 10,582km2 – they are visible from space, and an ideal location for NASA’s satellite calibration. Flat horizon, hostile weather and high altitude challenged Dhers, who pushed his limits to perform his tricks in a short production time.
“This is the roughest project I’ve done in my life, it’s a beautiful scenery but riding at this height is crazy.”
“The whole project was crazy, you get Daniel who’s one of the best riders in the world and throw him out here at a crazy altitude in Uyuni, in this ramps made of salt,” adds Kyle Carlson, film maker and editor for VitalBMX.com.
“Obviously when you make a ramp out of a salt block, the transition is not going to be perfect. While he’s used to ride in perfect ramps, without difficulty there is no reward, so shout out to Daniel for making it all happen.” (www.redbullcontentpool.com)