MAX CRANSTON
Sports Writer

Four individuals and a long sloping track made of ice is the recipe for a crazy sport that sends athletes slipping and sliding down a frozen circuit on skates.

It’s called Red Bull Crashed Ice and its surprising that a sport with characteristics so similar to hockey has not garnered more attention in Canada.

Crashed Ice brings together ice hockey and racing and the sport will come to Saskatchewan on Feb. 4.

Four competitors skate down an icy track up to 500 metres in length. The downhill track consists of jumps, sharp turns and steep slopes. The winner is determined by the first competitor to arrive at the base of Crashed Ice’s track.

Switzerland, Finland, Russia, Germany, U.S.A. and Canada all boast Crashed Ice venues and annually host the adventure-seeking adrenaline junkies this sport produces.

Accidental contact (i.e. falling) is permitted, but there’s no pushing, shoving or intentional contact. New courses are being designed, including one with a 180-degree turn, which forces competitors to stop and accelerate around a bend. Athletes compare the experience to a lengthy shift in hockey.

The Canadian appeal of Crashed Ice is understandable, especially given our country’s zany hockey history. From a traditional hockey background, many athletes turn to the circuit after they fall short of their ultimate goal of making the NHL. It combines lightning-fast reflexes with tremendous cardio and conditioning. Balance is already an essential skill to hockey players, and one of the most crucial in this wild event. Plus it’s a chance for athletes to show just how speedy and tough they are.

Winners of tournaments qualify for other icy European destinations such as Helsinki, Munich, Moscow and Stockholm. The men and women’s divisions are separate if there are enough female entrants, otherwise the races are mixed.

Thanks to the gracious sponsorship of Red Bull, Crashed Ice offers a cash pot of over $15,000 that is split between both the men and women’s divisions. The 2011 Crashed Ice finals will unfold in Quebec City.

Crashed Ice has been in existence for over a decade, sending contestants down icy slopes since 2000. In 2006, Saskatonian Gabriel Andre soared down the ice track to victory in Quebec City and ended Sweden’s Jasper Felder’s reign. Felder had won the first-ever Crashed Ice and retained the title for five consecutive years until Andre was able to claim it.

Crashed Ice has more significance than simply racing, especially for Quebec City native Christian Papillon, who was named sporting director for 2011. Papillon is moving from athlete to director after a debilitating knee injury.

Now Papillon focuses his energy on creating ideal conditions for the tracks and innovating current tracks, rather than speeding down them. This move from participant to organizer is a dream come true for Papillon, who never lost his love and devotion for the sport.

The Crashed Ice stop in Saskatoon is scheduled for Feb. 4 from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Aberdeen Recreation Centre northeast of the city. Register by Jan. 14 if you wish to race. Athletes are selected at random from the entries received.

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image: Andreas Schaad/Global Newsroom