The wait is nearly over. On Saturday night the fastest sport on skates will reach a climactic finale in Saint Paul following the biggest, most thrilling and competitive season yet. The athletes are primed for action, the ice is set and the fans are ready to welcome their heroes. Soon, we'll be hearing that "five-second warning" ringing out through the cold Minnesota air, and competition will commence.
Fans will no doubt be anticipating some fierce, high-speed battles on the ice, but it's not just on the track where things are full throttle. There has been plenty of fast and furious action behind the scenes to ensure that this great city is ready to deliver a truly amazing season finale. From track build to television production, and sound systems to security, an army of dedicated staff from all over the world are working around the clock to make this an event to remember.
Here are a few amazing facts and numbers to give you a glimpse behind the scenes of Red Bull Crashed Ice in Saint Paul.
TRACK FACTS
• Length: 1,200 ft.
• Vertical drop: 90 ft.
• Average width: 16 ft
• Ice surface: 21,625 ft
ICE PRODUCTION
• Ice-making system specially developed for the sport.
• Three high performance refrigeration units ("Chillers")
• 30,000 liters of salt water brine (coolant) will be be piped through the refrigeration system and then through the refrigerated rubber mats that stretch the length of the track.
• A team of 8 ice makers sprayed water in a fine mist onto the refrigerated mats 24 hours a day for 6 days to create the competition ice surface
• After the competition, three 500KW electric boilers are used to heat the brine and circulate it through the mats to help melt the ice.
TRACK CONSTRUCTION
• Over 40% of the track is built on top of scaffolding & lumber structures
• Over 5000 scaffolding steel pieces;
• Over 8 @ 53' truckloads of steel are used in the construction
• +/- 4,500 ft. of a mixture of puckboard and clear lexan are used to construct the hockey rink style dasher boards;
• 900 4 x 4s mounted to custom steel legs help keep the dasher boards in place and provide stability in high impact zones;
• 650 Plywood sheets to cover the track flooring;
• Over 30,000 screws to hold everything in place;
• Over 12,000 man hours just for the construction of the track structures and the ice;
• 250,000 ft of pipes to make the ice;
• 1,000 cans of Red Bull for the track build team.
LIGHTING
• To ensure that HD TV standards are met, 400 @ 500W quartz light fixtures with 500W have been installed into the dasher boards;
• This unique system was created specifically for the needs of Red Bull Crashed Ice.
• The production lighting system includes a wide quantity of technical material:
• 60,000 ft. of electrical cable;
• 160 moving head projectors & 200 stage projectors that light the architectural & the crowd;
• Five 53' trailer loads of lights, LED, and audio equipment;
• 8 scaffolding towers ranging from 20 'to 60' in height for hanging of audio-visual equipment;
• More than 8,000 KW of power is needed on site for all systems to be running at the same time.
IMAGES AND SOUND LIVE BROADCAST
• Two giant screens using LED technology installed at various points along the course:
• The entire site will receive sound coverage by a cutting edge sound system.
TELEVISION PRODUCTION
• 16 HD cameras including a 20' jib crane, and one cable cam;
• Several POV cameras and microphones placed into the course;
• Two HDTV production 53' trailers;
• Wireless system retransmission by microwave;
• Wireless Intercom system connecting all the team members in real time;
• Fibre optic network to broadcast HD screens;
• Over 80 people worked for 3 weeks to build the track & to set up the audio-visuals.
WORKFORCE
• Carpenters;
• Refrigeration technicians;
• Warehouseman;
• Heavy Equipment Operators;
• Tractor-trailer drivers;
• Electricians;
• Electrical Mechanics;
• Crane Operators;
• Scaffold Erectors;
• Security Officers;
• Civil engineers;
• Audio Technicians;
• Lighting technicians;
• Network specialists;
• Cameramen;
• Audio Engineer;
• Video Technicians;
• Technicians stewards TV;
• Technicians Riggers;
• Welders;
• Team management and logistical;
• Accounting;
Before, during and after the racing action, the frantic work behind the scenes never stops, guaranteeing both athletes and fans an unforgettable experience.