Golf fans have had to hold their breath for a long three years since the last Ryder Cup, but the 43rd iteration of this prestigious tournament did not disappoint. From the drop of Drakes Nike Golf x NOCTA collection to the opening day battle of the fits between the Ralph Lauren kitted US team and the Loro Piana donning European squad, the tournament acted as an activation proving ground for many brands to experiment in the style stakes. On the performance front, the US team ran away with the spoils, and Dustin Johnson hogged the limelight, but the most eye-catching moment came from a more unexpected place, the skies. Kicking off the tournament, Ryder Cups' partners BMW dropped the cup from 10,000 feet in a stunt BMW coined "The Ultimate Journey."
Not content with the usual hand delivery service, BMW called upon the services of Austrian professional wingsuit pilot Peter Salzmann to jump out of a helicopter above Wisconsin. During the event's opening, BMW also previewed its new fully electric BMW iX in person.
Obviously, when jumping out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet at 230km/h, Salzmann couldn't just chuck the trophy in a backpack. BMW's crack innovative design arm, BMW Group Designworks, created a super lightweight, aluminum, 3D printed frame based on the design of the BMW iX that can be attached to the interior skeleton of the wingsuit to ensure the trophy didn't go awol.
All in all, it was a stunt that will be hard to top, but we will certainly be keeping our eyes peeled for what BMW has in store in two years. Can we suggest a space drop?
