Speed, agility and an insane mind-set are the qualities needed to compete in the RedBull Crashed Ice challenge.
Andrew Dunaenko, a second year broadcast student at Lethbridge College, will need all those qualities when he attempts to qualify for this year’s event in Edmonton on Feb. 12.
Over the next couple of months the best ice cross racers from Canada and across the globe will strap on their skates in an attempt to claim one of the 100 spots to compete in Québec and Munich, Germany.
In Edmonton, Dunaenko will find himself descending shoulder to shoulder with three other competitors down a 350 metre ice track at speeds of up to 70 km/hr.
Crashes are anything but rare in this event as the twisting, turning ice track poses a lot of difficulties for these competitors.
“Broken bones heal, except for a broken neck, but I’m not going to think of that.”
RedBull Crashed Ice is a race that involves four skaters battling shoulder to shoulder as they descend an ice track full of obstacles, jumps, and hairpin corners.
Despite the extreme nature of the sport, there are certain rules that must be followed by all athletes participating.
Skaters aren’t allowed to intentionally cause a competitor to fall, slow down or leave the course, for example by holding his shirt, pushing or even striking him.
Any athlete found guilty by the competition committee of hindering another athlete intentionally will automatically be disqualified.
On Jan. 26, Dunaenko got the invite to go to the qualifiers in Edmonton. He was one of 200 people who were randomly selected through on online contest to compete in Crashed Ice.
Dunaenko says his initial reaction to his email was one you would have needed a camera for. “I was like: ‘Oh, oh my God,’” says Dunaenko. His skating isn’t at an elite level, but he does know the basics as he learned how to skate when he was really young, and played pond and some league hockey as a minor.
“I’m not like NHL worthy, but I can skate both ways, and turn both ways,” says Dunaenko.
However, the dangers posed in this event won’t discourage Dunaenko. That was one of the main reasons he decided to apply for the competition. Plus, he says, he has always dreamt about competing in a world class sporting event and Crashed Ice fits that bill.
Dunaenko says he has always liked the concept of Crashed Ice and says that he thought it would be cool to combine ice skating with jumps and speed.
“Yeah, this is my sport.”
In the weeks leading up to this event, Dunaenko plans on going to a skating rink to “work on getting faster and getting my balance back. I haven’t skated for a year. I’m not really scared of anything. I know my abilities, and I know that I can do this.”
The biggest concern for Dunaenko is not the risks that could occur during this competition.
But rather not making it to the qualifiers, as he feels not being able to continue on will probably hurt his ego, he says.
Dunaenko doesn’t know what the prize for winning the RedBull Crashed Ice is, that isn’t really a concern for him. Even without a prize, it would still be exciting, though he says that he wouldn’t mind one.
“I really don’t have words to explain how awesome that would be,” says Dunaenko.
“All I have seen is a big bottle of champagne and that’s good enough for me. I have no idea what I can get out of this. I’m just going in this for the ride.”
So far, only two Canadians have won a RedBull Crashed Ice event, Kevin Olson, who won two in 2007, and Gabriel Andre who won in Quebec City in 2006.
The first Crashed Ice event took place in Stockholm, Sweden on Jan. 20, 2000, the day the new sport was born.
The winner of this event was Jasper Felder from Sweden, who won the most Crashed Ice wins with seven.