Here's a new sport to me. Crushed Ice!! And of course it is sponsored by Red Bull as so many other extreme sports are.
Do you think one has to drink a bucket of Red Bull to even consider participating in these extreme sports?
Of course there is controversy about the name of the event in Quebec, not sure if they want it changed to French, just because they want everything to be French or just to get rid of the Red Bull tag (good idea). You know if the commercialization of sport meant that we the fans could save money I would be all for it. But when it still costs $60 to $80 for average seats at a football game, plus $9 for a beer you have to ask what the sponsorship or naming after a company does for you and me.
Gets off soapbox!
Anyway back to Crushed Ice, it could easily become crushed heads or crushed nuts. This is crazy. If you want to see in detail how extreme this course is click here.
Get a bunch of guys (or girls) dressed like NHL players complete with skates and send them down a slalom course (or an extreme bob-sled course) with hazards and dramatic vertical drops. Ohh and send them all at once, not one at a time. Wow!
Rumor has it that it was invented in Stockholm in 2000, those crazy Swedes. Gotta love 'em.
Red Bull Crashed Ice 2009 sped into Quebec City as 64 male – and for the first time ever – 16 female daredevils careened to the bottom of a thrilling and chilling urban ice track.
Some other facts to think about. A crowd of 90,000+ in temperatures of -33C. The winner this year was Miikka Jouhkamainen,from Finland.
Here is one of the 2009 semi-finals, complete with French Canadian commentary.
And here is the final
Here is the 2008 Red Bull Crashed Ice Final from Quebec - done as a music video.
