As the new season gets ready to bust out of the gates, just how did this year's crop of contenders get to where they are today?
Ice Cross Downhill is fast, physical and tactical, and the athletes who make their mark spend countless hours turning raw talent into World Championship results. "Our sport is so unique that it has taken our elite athletes years to find efficient ways to get themselves to the place that they are in now," says the USA's Cameron Naasz, who after four seasons earned second place on the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship ranking in 2015.
So, let's take a look at the ingredients that make up the perfect athlete -
Experience - Introduced in 2001, Ice Cross Downhill is relatively new, and athletes have flocked to it from other disciplines. To succeed in the fastest sport on skates, a competitor needs serious background in dealing with speed, slopes, head-to-head battles and/or tests of agility. While many top competitors have come from ice hockey, others have experience in (to name a few) speed skating, skiing, snowboarding, downhill mountain biking, motorsports and watersports of the non-frozen variety, like wakeboarding, waterskiing and surfing.
Training – Having the goods is one thing, but developing them into a package that can win against athletes like 2014 Ice Cross Downhill World Champion Marco Dallago takes dedicated effort. "The vision of being a top rider drives me," says the innovative Austrian, who is known for pioneering methods like training on outdoor wooden tracks with in-line skates, in addition to playing hockey, running, cycling and hitting the gym. Dallago's triumphs have driven other athletes in turn, who now recognize the "off" season as prime time for training on everything from ice rinks to trampolines.
Gear – Having the proper equipment isn't just an advantage, it's a requirement. According to the Red Bull Crashed Ice rules, it is mandatory to wear shoulder, elbow, knee and shin protection, as well as gloves and a helmet. Some athletes choose to add additional safeguards. Skates are important, too. Hockey-style blades are essential, but riders have preferences specific to the sport when it comes to aspects like a blade's length, curvature, edge quality and materials, with new lightweight alloys becoming increasingly popular.
Track smarts – The rules state that each athlete must undergo on-site training and make a track inspection; and while that track study is meant as a safety requirement, it's also key to developing winning tactics like identifying the best spots for passing. "If I was only able to give one tip for a first-timer, I would tell them to memorize the course and to take the exploration runs slowly and safely," says reigning World Champion Scott Croxall of Canada. "It's very important."
Sportsmanship – While casual contact is inevitable when charging around tight turns and obstacles elbow-to-elbow, intentionally hitting, pushing or otherwise interfering with an opponent won't just get you booed – it'll get you disqualified.
Passion – Talent can bring you only so far. In the end, you've got to have heart. Take Canada's Kyle Croxall (Scott's brother), the 2012 Ice Cross Downhill World Champion who is coming into his ninth season as fired up as ever. "It is an amazing sport. I have been fortunate enough to race for eight years now and can't imagine stopping," says the athlete. "Racing in front of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide is like nothing else!"
Think you've got what it takes to be the next Ice Cross Downhill standout? Step up to the Riders Cup! Developed to introduce athletes to Ice Cross Downhill under competitive conditions, the Riders Cup is open to all, and participation is the only way to gain the world ranking points and experience necessary to qualify for a spot in the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship. Six Riders Cup events are scheduled across North America and Europe this season. For more information visit http://www.atsx.org/