Red Bull tackles the Ramayana

By Madushka Balasuriya

Bike trials, Red Bull and… the Ramayana. An unlikely union to say the least, but tied together by one man: Dougie Lampkin. 

With 12 trials world titles to his name, Lampkin is a legend in the world of bike trials, an extreme sport that incorporates skill, balance and power using a purpose-built motorcycle to traverse precarious obstacles. His choice of career is far from surprising though, as he says he has been riding a motorcycle since the age of three.

“My family are very, very motorcycle orientated. My father was world champion in 1985 in trials. So I was sort of, not forced into it, but certainly born into motorcycling,” observes Lampkin. “And I’ve been lucky to turn that passion into my work, if you can call it work.”

Lampkin is speaking to me barely a day recovered from a four-day journey across Sri Lanka, where he has stunned tourists and onlookers by taking his bike across terrain that most would not even dare tread on foot.

“I’ve not really done something like this before,” he reveals, “You know, to tell a story with so much history behind it. I’ve done a lot of videos and promotional things around the world but never something so important.”

The story he is referring to is the Ramayana, the ancient Sanskrit epic which narrates the story of Rama’s wife Sita Devi being abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka. Lampkin has been retracing the mythical trail of the Monkey Soldier Hanuman, who was sent by Rama to rescue Sita Devi from King Ravana, who had hid her in various locations across Sri Lanka.

Rumassala, Galle

“This was my first impression of Sri Lanka,” says Lampkin of the first stop on tour, Rumassala in Galle. “We went to a beautiful coastal location with a fantastic horizon, and great weather, so we managed to get some really nice photos and some really great footage.”

Legend has it that during the war between Rama and King Ravana, Rama’s brother Lakshmana was badly injured and so Hanuman flew to the Himalayas to retrieve medicinal herbs. Upon reaching the mountain though, Hanuman, unable to identify the herb, brings back the whole mountain. The mountain however slips from his grip, breaking into five pieces, one of which falls into Rumassala.

“There were some massive rocks in certain areas, where you didn’t want to get touched by the sea water, because it’s not good for the bike. That brings a danger element into it as well.

“But it’s a fine line really between making something exciting and not taking too much risk,” he adds.

And that is really Lampkin’s modus operandi. He rides a 69kg 300cc Vertigo motorcycle without a seat; with a top speed of around 60kmph, he admits it is “completely useless for everything apart from trials”. However he says that is what is needed to reach the level and extreme conditions he rides at.

“We don’t do too much really with regard to safety. The safety measures are just how I feel, it’s not really any more technical than that. 

“At times, it is a challenge but that’s the difference between making a good video and a great video.”

So what if something happens to the bike?

“I’d say there was quite a big risk about losing the bike and destroying the project in some locations. It’s very difficult to send bikes because I’m riding a lot in different locations continuously.”

Indeed, in May alone Lampkin will be touring Scotland, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Germany and finally London. In Sri Lanka, he’s travelled for 18 hours over four days. I ask him how he manages to keep his energy levels up.

“Red Bull is a bit different, because it’s a like a big family really. And we had a great team and we had a laugh. It wasn’t really like working. It was difficult but it was fun.”

Ussangoda, Tangalle

On day one, after Galle they made their way to Ussangoda, Tangalle. This is where Hanuman is said to have provoked King Ravana and his army of Rakshasas.

“This was fantastic. We arrived down a long lane and there were some old-style stalls which I had never seen before.”

“I think this was one of the most picturesque locations that we had.”

Before the war begins between Rama and King Ravana, Hanuman finds Sita. He is caught by surprise though when she refuses his help saying that it is Rama’s fate to avenge her. Hanuman’s hubris then gets the better of him and allows himself to be captured by King Ravana, who proceeds to set his tail on fire. Hanuman flees, hopping upon rooftops and sets fire to parts of King Ravana’s empire – Ussangoda is one of the torched areas.

“Just as we passed through a bush, there was a really nice clearing and the rock was a fiery orange. It was really beautiful.”

Ironically, while fire thwarted Hanuman, it was water that spoiled the party for Lampkin and his crew.

“I think we were a little bit unlucky because the rain arrived so hard. It would have been nice to have another hour or two, the sunset was coming and we missed that a little bit,” bemoans Lampkin of the weather which was a constant theme on their journey. “It followed us a little bit. If we had done the tour the other way around we would’ve definitely encountered some problems.

“But there are really no excuses. If you want to call head office and tell them that we can’t do it because it’s raining, that doesn’t work in our company. We just need to make it happen.”

Ravana Cave and Ella Falls

The next stop saw them spend the day in Ella. “We parked on the road and disappeared into the trees and there was this beautiful rock face with a clearing just below.”

The Ravana Ella cave, which is located in the massive Ella Rock, is said to be one of the main locations where Sita had been held captive by King Ravana. Hanuman is thought to have climbed up Ella Rock in order to find her.

“This was probably the only stunt that was downhill. There was no chance to ride up, it was too slippery and too steep. So I basically pushed the bike up around the vines and made my way to the top.”

Legend states that the cave used by King Ravana to hide Sita also belonged to a network of tunnels connecting it to the Dova temple and to all his palaces and dairy farms. The tunnels, which are man-made, were also at times used as secret passage ways. While the location is now less of a secret, Lampkin was nevertheless impressed by Red Bull’s scouting effort.

“I’m not sure how they found some of these locations judging by how long it took us to drive there and the small tracks and lanes in the middle of nowhere,” he exclaims. “I think that really makes a difference, finding really good locations.”

Sita Pokuna, Hakgala Rock

The morning of their last day on the tour they took on Hakgala Rock. At the top of the rock is believed to have existed Sita’s Pond, or Sita Pokuna in Sinhalese. 

“This was probably the most challenging location. The team were joking a little bit with me here, saying I need to push myself and that was the moment where the safety button went off!

“We’d had a lot rain so there was a lot of water, which had made the falls look amazing but also made them a lot more dangerous.”

Hakgala Rock is thought to be one of the pieces of the Himalayas that fell down when Hanuman carried the mountain to Sri Lanka, even though usually the Ramayana Trail identifies only five other places as originating from these events.

Hakgala Ella Falls, meanwhile, is a small cascade with a total height of about 5 meters lying close to the famous Hakgala Botanical Gardens. Hidden away from the main routes, this waterfall is not a popular destination for those traveling to the Garden. However Lampkin had an audience.

“A lot of people were standing on the bridge. They were taking some videos, we took some photos, and it was nice to show something completely new to them because they had no idea about me or my sport. 

“I think that’s another great thing about Red Bull, these opportunities to show ourselves to the world and cause some surprises. None of these tourists and people around were expecting a motorcycle to ride up towards the waterfalls.”

Sita Amman Kovil, Nuwara Eliya

Later in the day they reached their final location, the Sita Amman Kovil. The temple is believed to be where Sita spent most of her time in captivity. It was also where Hanuman met her for the first time.

“This was definitely my favourite location. I’ve seen some of the photos and the raw video footage from there, and I think it’s going to be one of my favourite locations to take away from this trip to Sri Lanka.”

Located halfway between the highland village Sita Eliya and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, it has become the most venerated of all Ramayana Trail sites in Sri Lanka. However Nuwara Eliya is famous for other reasons as well, most famously its tea estates.

“I think that’s what has been so unique about this trip. I’ve ridden in a lot of different locations before but to ride in the tea estate was something very special. It ranks very highly [alongside the other locations I’ve worked in].

“Although it wasn’t a challenging location I think it’s a nice part of the video, showing off a lot of the area and its beautiful scenery.”

In the end Lampkin’s tour took him to six locations in the Western, Southern, Eastern and Central provinces of Sri Lanka. It saw him take on cultural and historically significant natural terrain, and he hopes the end result is one that all involved can be proud of.

“The video is going to be really interesting. You know, how they take a story such as this and convey it in terms of a man riding a motorcycle on the trails! That’s going to be a challenge for the editor but I hope it brings across the story.”

The final video is expected to be released by the first week of June, with a trailer out in Late May. Lampkin, having seen the raw footage, is pleased with what they’ve accomplished in such a short span of time. Though he does admit they always feel like they could have done with a few extra days.

“We could’ve done with another one or two days this time because the locations that I’ve seen I’ve been amazed by. But I definitely feel like we got the most out of the four days. From the photos we have seen, it shows Sri Lanka and the locations really well. “I think it would have been nice to maybe do one or two shows in the towns to, you know, bring our sport to the people. Maybe that’s for next time.”

Next time?

“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to coming back next year. To be continued…” he teases. When I press for details though, it’s clear I’m not going to get much further.

“It’s a secret, we can’t tell you.”

Pix courtesy Red Bull