HELSINKI, Finland – The Ice Cross Downhill season is moving almost as fast as the racers themselves. After a thrilling all-time record crowd of 140,000 in Saint Paul, USA on January 24, the fastest sport on skates is rushing into Europe this week, with the second contest of the new Riders Cup series charging the slopes of Wagrain-Kleinarl, Austria on January 31. Then it’s north to Finland when Red Bull Crashed Ice returns to Helsinki on February 7, followed by the third Riders Cup event, this time in the Finnish city of Jyväskylä (February 14).
Anticipation is off the charts as the 15th Ice Cross Downhill season moves to Austria and Finland after two historic races in the USA. With a former World Champion and hot rising stars snatching the american podiums from the frontrunners, this year’s battle for the title is shaping up to be the most competitive ever.
As Helsinki welcomes Red Bull Crashed Ice back to its unique natural track for a second time, fans will be cheering familiar faces like reigning World Champion Marco Dallago of Austria and the second- and third-place overall finishers for 2014, Scott Croxall of Canada and Cameron Naasz of the USA. But with the insane depth of talent in the field this year, Dallago has his work cut out for him in looking to become the first rider ever to earn a repeat World Championship.
In Saint Paul, it was 2012 World Champion Kyle Croxall of Canada who earned a benchmark win that ties him with Finland’s own Arttu Pihlainen for the most Ice Cross Downhill victories in history. Finishing in second at Saint Paul was Dean Moriarity, an up-and-comer from Quebec, Canada who is currently ranked in the number-two spot of the World Standings, thanks to also taking second at the first Riders Cup competition in Afton Alps on January 18.
The Riders Cup is a new series designed to make the sport of Ice Cross Downhill more accessible to even more athletes worldwide while enabling participants to earn points toward the World Championship. Created by the riders for the riders, the Riders Cup in Wagrain-Kleinarl will be hosted by Dallago himself, while the Riders Cup in Jyväskylä is being organized by Pihlainen.
2015 Calendar
Jan 18 – Riders Cup Afton Alps/Hastings, MN (USA)
Jan 24 – Red Bull Crashed Ice Saint Paul, MN (USA)
Jan 31 – Riders Cup Wagrain-Kleinarl (AUT)
Feb 07 – Red Bull Crashed Ice Helsinki (FIN)
Feb 14 – Riders Cup Jyväskylä (FIN)
Feb 21 – Red Bull Crashed Ice Belfast (NI)
Mar 07 – Riders Cup Sherbrooke, QC (CAN)
Mar 14 – Red Bull Crashed Ice Edmonton, AB (CAN)
Pictures: Jörg Mitter, Predrag Vuckovic, Sebastian Marko
