iPhone 17s Rigged to a Drone Capture Motocross Rider’s Insane Lake Stunt
Apple recently deployed more than 40 new iPhone 17 Pro Max devices to capture Red Bull motocross athlete Tyler Bereman hopping from island to island on his motorcycle.
The crazy stunt involved rigging two iPhone 17s to a drone as Bereman was clearing gaps of up to 150 feet over open water.
As well as being airborne, the iPhone 17s were positioned on the islands, on motorcycles, on drones, and on the athletes themselves, recording in ProRes 4K with Log color grading.
The production team developed custom mounting systems to secure devices on Bereman’s handlebars and chest, overcoming the intense vibrations of motocross. The FPV drone iPhone integration, tracking Bereman through the air during 150-foot gaps, represents an innovative approach in action sports cinematography.
While Bereman was busy hopping from island to island, wakeboarder Parks Bonifay was filming alongside him on an iPhone 17 Pro with the new Dual Capture feature. In his review of the iPhone 17 Pro, PetaPixel’s Jordan Drake noted that the new selfie camera’s larger square sensor leads to substantially improved video stabilization.
The stunt itself was conceived by Bereman and motocross track builder Jason Baker of Dreamtraxx. Baker developed custom floating platform systems designed to handle the impact of a 190-pound rider (inclusive of gear) landing on a 220-pound dirtbike at speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour — all while floating on water.
It required 12 months of meticulous planning, training, and preparation. Feasibility tests spanned several months, including 3D scanning of the lake, calculating precise jump distances and trajectories, and developing platforms that could be transported cross-country and assembled with minimal environmental impact.
“This is the funnest half-mile line ever,” says Bereman in the Red Bull video. “I live for this stuff right here. It’s still scary the first time, but it feels great.”
