Our Commitment to Natural Energy

Chris Bachmann

In 1997 Chris Bachmann founded the SuddenRush surf travel agency. One of his surf trips brought him to the North East of Brazil. He settled there and got to know Guarana as well as the Atlantic Rainforest. During this time Bachmann commentated various international extreme sports events, many of which were sponsored by energy drink companies trying to introduce youths to their products through these events.

In Guarana he recognized a healthy alternative and wondered why no one had harnessed this effective and healthy rainforest plant.

The first SuddenRush Guarana-Shots were produced in 2006. The natural energy spread like wildfire through snowboard pros worldwide. Although many were sponsored by large energy drink companies, they preferred to consume the Guarana-Shot before competitions to increase their performance.

Snowboard legend Terje Haakonsen and multiple “Rider of the Year” award winner Nicolas Müller soon joined the SuddenRush team.

Even with the support of highly regarded international snowboarders, SuddenRush is still a small family run Swiss business. Many internationally successful athletes, as well as amateurs from various sports, consume our shots. Artists, students, professionals, long distance drivers, night shift workers and people that can’t drink coffee all cherish our products as a natural energy booster.

On top of that, every Guarana-Shot actively supports a good cause: preserving the Atlantic Rainforest. Now if that isn’t reason enough to try it out…

 

SUSTAINABLE GUARANA

 

One of our main targets is to transfer deforested land, that still boarders intact rainforest, into secondary rainforest by a new and sustainable way of planting Guarana. In this scenario ARFI provides land and Guarana seedlings for an all organic and fair trade production to local farmers.

As a creeper - Guarana grows in our new designed cultivation upwards a tree - in a eco-friendly symbiosis. Guarana can only be harvested by hand and the world market literally screams  for the natural and healthy energy seed, because it only grows in the Amazon- and the Atlantic Rainforest. Since the demand is so big, the prices for Guarana are very high and herewith guarantee a very good income for local farmers.

After the first year of cultivating Guarana, the plant already creates 20% of the seeds, but it takes seven years to reach 100% of the crop. The local farmers then will harvest for only seven more years. 14 years after putting the seedlings in the soil,  we will transfer the whole piece of land into a „RPPN“(natural reserve). Wind will spread seeds and some decades later we created a new area of secondary rainforest. This scenario can be repeated various times in order to restore rainforest for our future generations, while local families can still enjoy a good income. By only preserving rainforest we eliminate the chance for local people to survive in their habitat. Normally rainforest is chopped down to create new areas of cultivation – we change this picture and created sustainable Guarana cultivations in order to create more rainforest – think!

Guarana (paullinia cupana) is a creeping shrub and part of the Sapindaceae family, native to the Amazon and Brazils Atlantic Rainforest. The plant can grow up to 12 meters long, nestled around the massive trees of the equatorial rainforest, which provide nutrition as well as stimuli.

The secret of Guarana is it’s high caffeine content, which is the highest naturally occurring caffeine content in the world. But unlike traditional coffee bean caffeine, it is free of any adverse effects and longer lasting (4-6 hours) and not aggressive towards our system. Guarana also contains ether oils and saponines. For the indigenous of south America, Guarana used to be as highly valued as Gold was by the Europeans. Today Guarana is also known as “Brazils Ginseng” or „Elixir of Youth“.

Guaraná is reputed to be a stimulant and increase mental alertness, fight fatigue, and increase stamina and physical endurance.

In addition to its stimulant properties, guarana is also a popular ingredient in herbal weight loss pills. Evidence indicates that guarana may suppress appetite and increase fat-burning. After all Guarana is Brazil’s hangover cure No. 1!