Derek Wedge

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Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Derek Wedge moved to Switzerland at the young age of four. Growing up near Lausanne, Wedge started playing hockey at eight years old and showcased his skills in freestyle skiing a few years later at 21. With solid skills, Wedge competed in freeskiing and freeride skiing for a couple of years and combined downhill biking to fulfil his need for speed and embrace his passion for extreme sports. After seeing Red Bull Crashed Ice on the web, Wedge searched for local qualifiers and decided to get into ice cross downhill. Wedge qualified for Red Bull Crashed Ice in Ingolstadt, Germany, in December 2010, and his love for the fast and technical sport gave him a rush of adrenaline and encouraged the Swiss athlete to battle against the world's top skaters. In March 2013, Wedge took home the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship title for the very first time. "I can't believe it," said an ecstatic Wedge, "I didn't think it was possible; I've always dreamed of becoming a world champion, and now I've actually done it. I never had a chance to compete in front of so many spectators before."