Tomorrow is July 25th, or Christmas in July, but instead of thinking about Santa Claus and Rudolph, I’ve got sleek trucks, crazy stunts, and the coolest action heroes of all time on the brain. Do you remember the epic feat Jean-Claude Van Damme pulled off in that infamous Volvo truck commercial two years ago? The on where he did the splits between two moving trucks?
It was a legendary move from The Muscles from Brussels. First of all, how many professional stuntmen are still getting work at his age – 53! We looked into the mechanics of the stunt and found out it’s completely legit. The only safety measure you don’t see is that Van Damme isn’t solely held to the truck’s mirrors by his own balance. There are a few wires looped around each ankle so that just in case of any accident, he doesn’t hit the pavement. But otherwise? It’s exactly as you see it. I couldn’t have done a stunt like that in my twenties, but in my fifties? Forget about it!
We’re all about the unsung heroes of the industry here at Matchmaker, so I’d like to take a moment to praise two very important folks in that video: the drivers of those trucks! Imagine the training and the confidence it takes to get behind the wheel, knowing that you’ve got one of the greats of martial arts balanced on your side mirror.
Not to be out done, for his Christmas card that year, Chuck Norris decided that he would up the ante on Jean-Claude Van Damme. Ground Chuck took Van Damme’s stunt and made it look like chopped liver. Forget Santa landing on roofs and coming down the chimney, imagine seeing this on Christmas Eve! Of course, as with Santa, first, you must believe….
Have a holly, jolly weekend,
~Bob
