Hero of the Day: The Scandi-flicking Facemelter
Watch closely, and witness a very dark art in motion.
This is a Russian Arm. A big black crane, slinging a big black camera off a big black car. It’s neat, it’s expensive, it takes finesse and experience to operate, and until drones can haul ass and become unsusceptible to wind and other environmental factors, the Russian Arm is still the best way to get spookily smooth high-resolution footage from one car of another. Which is fine, we should all admire finesse and experience, and Hero of the Day Fredrik Sørlie has those traits for days.
Seen here caning the ever-loving bejesus out of a Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG just inches ahead of Dani Sordo’s Hyundai i20 World Rally Championship car, Sørlie clearly has a knack for railing a thing. You might have caught the Norwegian maniac flogging his fantastic 1977 Toyota Cressida through his snowy homeland in Scandanivian Flickfest. When not beating the life out of the old Toyota or raising funds to do it again, the reformed single-seater pilot apparently lends his talents to camera car driving. And man, does he ever drive.
Going through my mind? That ML55 is packed with equipment, toting a giant crane and carrying three very mortal souls. But forget the souls, the whole car and crane and camera package is worth, what, $250 grand? Half a mil? And the rally car sucking dust just inches behind? Easily another quarter million. Going through my mind is: What if, what if, what if? In Sørlie’s? I imagine just one thing: This is gonna be great. And that’s why he’s our Hero of the Day.
