“Face your fears – live your dreams”
– Robbie Maddison
Think Bold is a mindset. It’s about pushing the limits and never settling for the status quo. In life, we need to think bold in order to break boundaries and move forward.
When we started this series with Insta360, we knew that we were not only going to meet inspiring figures in the world of sports, technology, and adventure, but we also had to think boldly about how we approached the project itself.
Dream Big
Robbie Maddison is a household name in the world of stunt performing. Nicknamed “Maddo”, he hails from New South Wales, Australia. He started riding bikes at 4 years old. He idolized Robbie Knievel (a.k.a. Evel Knievel), awed by his historic jump over Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas – a jump that Robbie would make himself on the 40th anniversary of the original event in 2007.
He has traveled the world, challenging himself to continually test the boundaries of possibility, performing unparalleled motorbike acrobatics. In early 2004, he won Gold at the X Games in Australia after completing 13 backflips. He then went on to win numerous international FMX events around the world, and has been recognized as one of the best FMX riders of all time. But as you’ll quickly realize upon getting to know him, he’s not the type to settle once he’s achieved the world record. He’s the kind of guy who wakes up in the morning and strives to beat himself.
Make a Splash
Before his illustrious stunt career, Robbie was working as an electrician, jet-skiing on his days off. Then an accident out on the water left him with viral meningitis, a serious and life-threatening disease. It was a long road to recovery, but that’s the kind of “never-give-up” attitude that Robbie embodies. Ultimately, it was a wake up call for him to go full force towards his goals and live the life he had always imagined.
Thinking Bold isn’t only about testing boundaries and stepping outside the box – it’s also about using your intuition. After experiencing so many close brushes with death, Robbie lets his own soul be the guide. When something is right, you know. When something is wrong, you know. But the trick is to listen to that little voice inside, and trust it.
“Accept that you are worthy of what you dream of. You’ve just got to put the hard work in and it’s right there for you to take.”
– Robbie Maddison
When you stop doubting yourself, that’s when the best ideas can come to the surface. Robbie has more recently branched out to inventing, recently building a unique motorized bike that can ride on water! You won’t want to miss these epic shots in the video. This watercraft is the first of its kind. Just one way that Robbie is building on the legacy of his heroes, and showing the world that anything is possible.
Stick the Landing
We filmed the majority of Robbie’s Think Bold episode at his home in San Diego, CA. During our pre-production Zoom call, he mentioned that if we wanted, he could jump out of a hot air balloon in the morning and land in his backyard before we got started – As casually as if he was suggesting a favorite coffee spot. This set the tone for the day, and the rest of the video.
We were ready to capture it all with an Insta360 X2 mounted directly to his helmet, and a drone operator ready to go on the ground. We kept the shooting schedule flexible as the day went on, not wanting to cut short any of the authentic experiences that Robbie shared with us, between his insightful interview, to freestyle rides, and sweet moments with his family.
From Robbie’s house, we made our way over to Mission Bay, where we had the chance to take his one-of-a-kind watercraft out for a spin. Well, Robbie took it out for a spin. We did our best to keep the camera equipment dry as we followed along to capture the footage!
At the end of the day, it was clear to us that Robbie is someone who not only thinks boldly about his personal goals, but is also bold in the way he seeks to inspire others. And we found ourselves among the inspired, as the sun set over the bay. And just like Robbie we found ourselves wanting to push towards the next bigger, better challenge in our own lives.
