Question: Will Red Bull soon be the most popular drink in Lillooet?

Answer: It could be, because Red Bull has a new YouTube video that gives Lillooet the kind of international exposure money can’t buy.

As part of Red Bull’s Life Behind Bars extreme sports videos, a film crew and a group of mountain bikers recently visited Lillooet to film a 12-minute YouTube video amidst the rugged terrain, sagebrush and steep slide “zones” of this area.

“Some of the raddest mountain biking ensues,” according to the video description. The segment also includes views of the “Guaranteed Rugged” entrance sign to Lillooet on Highway 99 South and the Fraser Cove Campground, where the crew stayed.

Lillooet Economic Development Officer Jerry Sucharyna told the News the video had more than 60,000 hits during its first two days on YouTube. “We knew nothing about it until Ron Taylor (from Fraser Cove) told me about the video,” said Sucharyna. “It shows we’re doing something right with marketing and we’re doing it as a community. It’s not just me.”

One of the mountain bikers on the video had high praise for the mountain biking in Lillooet: “It’s insane here. This is like what you dream about finding.”

Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 4.5 billion cans sold last year. It is primarily marketed to young males.

Its international marketing campaign includes numerous sponsorship activities featuring extreme sports such as mountain biking, BMX, motocross, windsurfing and snowboarding as well as Formula 1 racing and professional soccer.

“For them to highlight Lillooet like this is very special,” said Sucharyna. “If you read the comments on YouTube, some people say this is the best segment they’ve ever done. Another talks about the awesome location. It’s pretty cool for Lillooet.”

The YouTube address for the video is www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Q9RyOoFiY