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Photography by Daniel Schenkelberg Well, if you haven't seen it yet, RJ is back! Bigger, better and in a completely new unreleased as of yet Polaris RZR PRO R. The world hasn't felt quite the same without RJ Anderson taking a RZR up and down lines that would make Evil Knievel stand up out of his seat. With Hoonigan moving out of the Donut Garage in Long Beach, there was no better way to give their old location a proper sendoff than with a full Send-Off! The scene is Long Beach, it doesn't seem like the place where a RZR would typically belong, but the crew at Hoonigan changed that rather quickly.. With RJ jumping over the 710 freeway, on to stunts in downtown Long Beach, a drag race on the beach with our very own 4WP Official crew Blake Wilkey and Darren Parson. To the coming to a stop on the beach, with Long Beach Lloyd(also part of the 4WP Official crew) & his car club. Yes, in the video Lloyd also drove his yellow 61 Impala which was formerly 2Pac's actual Impala. We got RJ to answer a few of our questions. The Dirt Staff: We know you can't say much until the new 2022 Polaris RZR Pro-R is released on November 9th, but what can you tell us about this new off-road vehicle because it looks INSANE!? RJ: I think the video speaks for itself!! November 9th is going to be a HUGE day for the SXS community. While I can't say much about the vehicle specs, I can say my team handled ALL the modifications to the PRO R for this shoot and we didn't do much. Lets just say I would have never jumped UP a set of stairs in any other UTV on the market! The Dirt Staff: Tell us what it was like working with The Hoonigan's and filming in the city of LBC? RJ: The Hoonigan Crew is top notch. They make a plan and execute. No sitting around and waiting, no doing things 10 times, just bangers from top to bottom! I mean, who else could have the keys to DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH handed to them?? The spots we got to film at were absolutely insane, and a major part of the video's success in my opinion. This was my first time working with Hoonigan, and hopefully not the last. The Dirt Staff: Which stunt do you think was the most intense for you as a driver? RJ: Obviously, the staircase landing and jump over the 710 off ramp were both INSANE. But one of the sketchiest jumps that people won't grasp onto was the jump onto the beach. I totally psyched myself out on that one!! It wasn't a huge jump at all, but it had a ton of consequences. I had to pop up over the handrail which was about 3' high, then perfectly grease the steep hillside landing. There was little room for error because the hillside was so steep. A few more MPH and I would have jumped roughly 50' down to flat. The Dirt Staff: Tell us which stunt for you was your favorite to perform in the video? RJ: My favorite stunt was definitely the staircase landing at the convention center. For one, what an insane place to be able to shred the PRO R! But also, these videos are about progression for me. Being able to pull off that sketchy angle and use a set of stairs as a landing truly shows how far UTVs have progressed. Due to the size of the area, I truly don't think any other vehicle could have pulled off that stunt. The Dirt Staff: Is there anyone you would like to thank in helping you bring this project to life or who helped make this happen? RJ: First off, I'd like to thank the entire HOONIGAN crew!! I think they were a little uneasy at first working with a "new guy" but we quickly earned each other's respect. These projects are a lot of work and their hustle is a big reason they are so successful. My team knocked out this build in just a week and let me tell you, busting out two cars while trying to keep them under wraps is no joke! So thanks guys! I'd like to thank Brett, Rachel & the entire Marketing team at Polaris for trusting me in launching yet another Polaris RZR. Matt and the rest of the RZR engineering team were also very helpful and key ingredients in making this shoot happen. My brother Ronnie, Darren Parsons, & Blake Wilkey were all my right hand men during this shoot. They were the behind the scenes hustle, motivation, & advice that helped me pull this off. My boy Daniel Schenkelberg who is sitting on some BANGERS and can't wait for Nov 9 to release them, lol. Last but not least, my boy Joey D! We've done a lot of these projects together and it wouldn't have felt the same without him. From pre shoot testing to the real deal, I was stoked to have him there! I'm sure I'm leaving out some people but it's been a few months since we wrapped this shoot so I apologize if you slipped my mind. The Dirt Staff: For the 4WP customers who don't know you or follow you.. YET.. where can they keep up with all your adventures, career, and learn more about you?? RJ: My two biggest outlets are Instagram and YouTube! You can stay up date to date with my daily life and message me on Instagram @therj37. For all the behind the scenes shenanigans and rad content, follow our youtube @ youtube.com/andersonbros. I appreciate the support, thanks guys! |
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