Scott Croxall's slick run in Finland delivered a win at last for the Canadian, as 32 of ice cross downhill's top athletes battled it out on the shortest and steepest track of the season in Helsinki.
It was the 24-year-old's 14th final appearance in an Ice Cross Downhill World Championship career that has seen him rack up five second-placed finishes, but not until Saturday night a victory! "It's the best feeling ever," said Croxall, immediately after winning his first-ever race in Red Bull Crashed Ice. "It's long overdue... I'm just happy to be in that number one spot!"
Finnish ice cross downhill fans were treated to one of the most exciting finals ever after a nerve-wracking weekend as Scott Croxall got his first win, holding off a series of ferocious charges by defending world champion Marco Dallago, of Austria, and American Cameron Naasz in a breathtaking final.
Kyle Croxall managed to hold onto first place overall in the 2015 Ice Cross Downhill World Championship with 1,737.5 points at the midway point of the eight-race season, with Dallago moving to within striking distance in second place with 1,612.5 points. Miikka Jouhkimainen, of Finland, delighted the home crowd with a strong fifth place.
"I finally got the monkey off my back - this is the best feeling ever," said Scott Croxall, who had made it to the finals of the world's fastest sport on skates 14 times in his seven-year career but had never won a race until Saturday night's race run under bright moonshine and an appreciative Finnish crowd.
In a star-studded finale with four of the best ice cross downhill athletes ever assembled, Scott Croxall got off to a flying start and grabbed a small early lead at the first of nine corners. Dallago kept attacking on the right, while Naasz was a constant threat, but Croxall displaying remarkable composure for the first time in the finals, would not let either past him. "I felt them on my back the whole time," said Croxall.
Unseasonably warm temperatures had caused headaches for the organisers, track builders and athletes all weekend, but temperatures mercifully dipped below freezing just in time for the finals and the knowledgeable Helsinki crowd was treated to one of the most exciting final battles in years.
The 2015 Ice Cross Downhill World Championship now moves to Jyväskylä, Finland, for the third Riders Cup of the season followed by Red Bull Crashed Ice in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on February 21. The world championship will move to Canada, with the last Riders Cup taking place in Sherbrooke and then crown its world champion in Edmonton on March 14.
For updated standings following the race in Finland, visit redbullcrashedice.com/results, or watch the race again in full as Video On Demand at redbullcrashedice.com/helsinki-live.
