Christian Papillon started analyzing Ice Cross Downhill tracks as a competitor in 2007, and in his current role of Red Bull Crashed Ice Sport Director, he has driven the design of every track in the official world championship over the past five seasons. By summertime each year, he's deep into plans and innovations for the winter to come, but he took a few moments to tell us about his objectives, his thought process and why he's looking forward to next season more than ever.
What's your primary focus in designing tracks for Red Bull Crashed Ice?
My main goal is to make sure we have different kinds of tracks all across the season. One might be more technical, another might be a super-fast downhill, and yet another could be more physical and explosive – maybe with 180-degree pin turns that almost create restart situations mid-race. I look at locations and try to use each one in a different way. It's all in the quest of crowning the very best skater in the world – the one with the biggest and strongest skill set.
So how do you determine which location is best for a particular type of track?
I'm always trying to get the feeling of the place, the soul of it. Whether it's urban or a ski resort, I try to connect with the location and integrate the natural characteristics. At someplace like Québec City, with those fortifications and old buildings, what's interesting is to ride Québec – going right over the fortification and riding down behind it. Ski resorts tend to be good for speedy tracks, because of the elevations and the terrain, but even there we can use Sno-Cats to create obstacles. The key is to be open-minded. Each location is a blank page and we have to create something out of it.
Besides the inspiration that locations give you, what other factors influence design?
Cool flow is always important, but in addition, a major consideration is to create chances for riders to overtake each other. It's racing, so you want it to be fast, but look at Formula 1: there was a time when the guys who took the lead at the beginning always won, which wasn't very interesting. In our sport, a chance to overtake is even more important because the average time for a race is only about 45 seconds – you need to build in those opportunities by creating either more obstacles or more turns, or a combination of both.
In recent years the level of the riders had skyrocketed. Agility and stamina are off the charts, and the fastest sport on skates is getting even faster, with riders now reaching speeds of over 65 kmh/40 mph. Does that progression influence your design?
Definitely. With the complementary tours, like the Riders Cup that started last year, we've got even more athletes getting more ice time, so the riders' level is going to keep increasing like crazy. This is another thing I have to keep in mind – how to reflect that progression in the course so that the riders are continuously challenged.
Beginning last year we designed courses with the realization that riders now have the experience to handle a variety of lane options. Take an obstacle with triple waves: depending on their style, some riders will jump over the whole obstacle, while others will go through the waves and absorb them. We're trying to create obstacles that can be used in different ways to showcase the different styles, which is super exciting to watch.
The 2016 stops haven't been announced, but since you're already thinking about the tracks, you obviously have the inside info. Can you give any hints?
Next season will be super interesting. The popularity of Ice Cross Downhill is growing phenomenally, and we'll not only be returning to some favorite locations, but we're going to some new territories where I'm sure we'll discover something breathtaking. Belfast last season was an example – a place where no one knew about the sport, and now everybody there loves it. Who would have thought so many people would turn out? People are amazed by the action, and when they see it, they realize it's not just some fun activity, but a real sport. Plus, these new environments inspire new young guns who will be the riders of the future.
Thanks for talking with us, Chris! We'll look forward to seeing your creations next season.
Most people live for the summer, but me, I'm just waiting for winter, waiting for those first snowflakes to fall so we can have the hoses in our hands again and start getting the tracks done. I'm really pumped!
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