Jonathan “Dangerman” Goodwin hanging from a cable car. Image from BBC.
Between the Valentine’s Day date night on Emirates Air Line in London and the Airbnb suite installed in a Courchevel cable car, it seems that the possibilities for what one can do with a gondola are limitless. Good promotional events just take the right kind of company and the right kind of cable car. But there’s a fairly long history of broadening riders’ experience through interactive fun. We took a look at some of the more memorable examples:
The Telecabine Show
The website/magazine for Three Valleys ski area in France, magdescine.com regularly posts videos of interesting happenings inside the gondolas. Episodes of The Telecabine Show have included live jazz bands performing to bemused cable car riders, and at least one pole dancer.
Dangerman versus Derbyshire
For the third episode of the BBC show Dangerman: The Incredible Mr. Goodwin, the eponymous thrill-seeker grabbed onto the base of the cable car at Matlock in Derbyshire and hung on as it ascended to the top of the Heights of Abraham. Judging by the number of camera angles, there had to be at least some preparation for the stunt.
Airbnb suite at 9,000 Feet
As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Airbnb is giving away a night for four in a converted cable-car at Courchevel in the French Alps.
Suspended Slackline
Red Bull is renowned for pairing brand with extreme stunts. So it’s not surprise that they were the source of this particularly fascinating—especially for us—tale of Alex Schulz walking on a slackline between to gondola cabins on the Zugspitze cable car in Germany.
Pumpkins Away
Inexplicably, the Hell’s Gate Airtram in B.C. has an annual event where riders are invited to toss pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns out of the cabin to try and hit a target below. In any case, it makes for some good YouTube footage.