Vienna, Austria, June 6, 2018 - A game of beach volleyball like no other…
Soaring high above the streets of Vienna, beach volleyball stars Clemens Doppler, Alex Horst, Anders Mol and Christian Sørum do battle 215 feet (65 meters) in the air on Vienna’s iconic Riesenrad Ferris wheel.
In a pulse-racing, spectacular photoshoot, the two teams confront their fears ahead of their task of tackling Olympic champions at this summer’s A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch, which kicks off on August 1.
Last year’s World Championship silver medallists Doppler, 37, and 35-year-old Horst thought they had seen it all in their distinguished careers – but never before has beach volleyball hit these jaw-dropping heights.
Now, as the legendary Austrians prepare to make their return to the scene of their fairytale 12 months ago, Alex and Clemens not only enjoyed a bird’s eye view of their home city in the morning sunshine – it also helped them overcome their fears as they rose majestically to the summit of Vienna’s most famous landmark.
“I was scared and I’m still scared,” Alex told
www.beachmajorseries.com. “I closed my eyes on the way up but when we reached the top I opened them and the view was amazing. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Clemens said: “The Riesenrad is world famous. To be on top of it, not inside of it, playing with a beach volleyball, is unforgettable.”
Standing on the other side of the net on top of the Riesenrad were formidable opposition. The youngsters intent on rising to beach volleyball stardom. Norwegians Anders, 20, and Christian, 22, mean business, having already beaten reigning Olympic champions Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt of Brazil this season.
Now the Vikings are aiming to become the youngest winners of a Beach Volleyball Major Series tournament when they return to Vienna in August. High in the sky, they surveyed the scene of a city they hope to conquer in August.
“Vienna is a beautiful city; we got a little guide from Clemens at the top,” said Anders. “We now know where they live and what all the different buildings are, and we can’t wait to come back. We just hope we can get a match on Red Bull Beach Arena and play against the Austrians and silence the massive crowd.”
The A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch takes place August 1-5, 2018. For further information on the tournament visit
www.beachmajorseries.com and keep an eye on the
Beach Major Series YouTube page for more videos.