Ice cross downhill
Ice cross downhill is the fastest sport on skates. Take some of the best and toughest skaters in the world, a sizzling atmosphere, stunning surroundings, and thousands of square metres of frozen water. The result? Red Bull Crashed Ice! Athletes skate down a massive ice track filled with drops, hairpin turns, and gaps at speeds of up to 80 km/h. World Championship points are up for grabs at each of the stops and the competitor who skates through the season with the most points accumulated after the races is crowned World Champion.
Since the first-ever race back in 2001, Red Bull Crashed Ice has developed into one of the world's most breathtaking winter sports events. Riders hurtle down courses up to 600 metres in length in groups of four, shoulder to shoulder, as they fight it out for victory. The whole race is held on a steep downhill track dotted with chicanes, jumps and rollers. Pushing, sliding and sprinting are all on the agenda as the athletes race down the course, but the rules are very simple: first to the bottom wins.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators have watched the races on the ever-more advanced tracks – on ski slopes in the mountains and through urban valleys in city centres. While in the past the races were staged as individual events, it is a formal World Championship since 2010.
The Riders Cup
The Riders Cup competition is a reflection of how the top riders have pushed the fastest sport on skates to the next level – some athletes build their own tracks in partnerships with local ski resorts and organizations. The Riders Cup events are organized "by riders for riders" and are part of the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship. The Riders Cup events are held, for the most part, in the vicinity of the major stops and they are designed, built and organized by the host riders themselves on their home courses. Besides a separate Riders Cup ranking, the participants of the Riders Cup can also earn valuable points for the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship with the winner of each race collecting 250 points in the overall World Championship - in other words 25 percent of the 1,000 points awarded to the winners of the major stops.
Competitors from more than 15 different nations train year-round. Athletes from a variety of different sporting backgrounds - everything from Downhill Skiing to Mountain Biking - compete in ice cross downhill competitions, such as Red Bull Crashed Ice events and Riders Cup competitions.
The Track
The Rules
The 2016/17 season is almost upon us, so it's time to brush up on the rules! From the equipment you'll need, to the route athletes must take to appear in the finals of the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship, this video is a rundown of the most important rules and regulations.