Red Bull Crashed Ice 2012 | Niagara Falls
2012 has been a busy year for the iconic Skylon Tower in Niagara falls. It hosted the first official stop of the Gumball 3000 Rally in May, acted as a breathtaking Vantage Point as Nik Wallenda crossed the Falls on a tightrope and was the starting point for another tightrope walked (Jay Cochrane) who walked high above Niagara Falls dozens of times this summer.
On December first, the world will be watching again, as the Skylon Tower and Niagara Falls hosts the Season Opening race for the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championships. One of the most intense contact sports in the world, crashed ice is where hockey skate clad athletes race down an ice track with twists, turns and obstacles, battling eachother to see who can reach the finish line first.
Red Bull Crashed Ice promises to impress with its epic course: Running 460 metres (1,509 feet) in length, an average width of 4.5 metres (15 feet), the Red Bull Crashed Ice course unfurls into a massive total of 2,500 square metres (26,910 square feet) of ice! The race will start under the gaze of the world’s famous 775-feet tall Skylon Tower and will conclude by one of the seven natural wonders of the world – Niagara Falls.
The 30-degree drop at the starting line launches competitors to intense speeds of over 50 km/h before hitting a steep turn and a step up bridge in the IMAX theatre parking lot. Then, these sultans of speed will sprint in a series of waves, pushing them up and down on the inclined hill. The action continues as skaters battle for first place on a course that heralds obstacles, including jumps, bumps, and gaps, draining competitors down to Murray Street for the straight that gives them the chance to battle for position. With glory and the magnificent Niagara Falls again in sight, the skaters will sprint down, making a sharp turn next to the Edgewaters Tap & Grill and hit the finish in the park. Then its back to the top for another go until one racer is crowned champ in the both the men’s and women’s divisions.
It will take a crew of hundreds 4 weeks to complete the discipline-twisting course, spreading over 50 boxes (4ft x 4ft x 4ft, 1700 pounds each) of “crashed ice” across the streets of Niagara Falls. A cooling system featuring chiller machines will help produce the right temperature throughout the build of the course and keep the ice smooth and even for the athletes. Polymer boards will be used to keep competitors on the track and fans from harm’s way. The crowd on the Saturday night should energize the skaters and launch them to break neck speeds as they rocket from the Skylon Tower down to the falls.
This exciting event will be broadcast on NBC and other affiliate networks, but to really experience the action first hand, come visit the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls and watch as these world class athletes battle it out in the first Crashed Ice event of the season.
Coco’s is one of the after party destinations that will be open until 4 am that night. If you’re staying up that late, we recommend getting a room for the night!
5 comments
We will be there to shoot it! Chris has aerial photography coming in, should be amazing.
i read this article twice to try and understand what is Crashed Ice exactly? and i still don’t know… is it a race? I’m forced to go looking elsewhere to answer the question.
[...] unfulfilled. Now they can use their skating skills for something totally unique. Read more about Crashed Ice on this Niagara Falls blog. Below is the course that has been set up for Dec 1st event which is the start of the 2013 Crashed [...]
I was in Niagara Falls last month before they started building the track. This sounds like an amazing event set up against the perfect backdrop of Niagara Falls lit up at night. Can’t wait to see the footage!
[...] more about Crashed Ice on this Niagara Falls blog. Below is the course that has been erected for this wknd’s event, which is the start of the [...]