Russians in Ice Cross Downhill. The most extreme skating race

Imagine that you are flying down a winding ice track at 70 km/hour… And you are not a drifter driving a used car, but just an athlete on skates and wearing a helmet.

The Ice Cross Downhill discipline is becoming more and more accessible and spectacular from year to year, and once simple downhill enthusiasts are already firmly on their feet (pardon me, skates) and are ready to compete with professionals. We tried to understand how to start your way in this atypical and incredibly extreme sport, how to build your training process and come to the deserved championship.

The material is based on the comments of an expert, President of the Speed Skating Federation Pavel Kryukov, and the personal experience of Red Bull Crashed Ice participant Katya Voronova.

Pavel Kryukov

– How fast is the Ice Cross Downhill culture developing? How did this sport come about?

Pavel: Ice Cross Downhill is a high-speed downhill skating down an ice chute with passing turns and jumps. The length of the first track was about 300 meters; nowadays the length of the track often exceeds 500 meters. The average speed of athletes is 40 km/h, the maximum speed on some tracks reaches 70 km/h. The athletes’ equipment is very similar to hockey equipment.

The competition formula is similar to the formula in boardercross and ski-cross. First there is qualification, the best in time from which get to the next stage. Then there are elimination races: out of four competitors, the best two qualify for the next stage. In addition to the finals, there is usually a small final for 5th-8th places.

Historical note: Ice Cross Downhill was invented in 1999 by Austrians Sigurd Meiche and Stefan Aufschnaiter. The first Red Bull Crashed Ice competition was held on January 20, 2000 in Stockholm, and since 2007 it has been held annually twice a year – in Quebec and one of the cities in Europe. In 2010, the official world championship was played for the first time.
In the 9 years since the 1st World Championships, many federations and associations have formed in different countries, including ours. And now the sport is on the threshold of the Olympic Games.

– What competitions exist in the world besides Red Bull Crashed Ice?

Pavel: The World Championship consists of several competitions ranging from ATSX1000 (crashed ice) to ATSX250.

ATSX 1000 (Red bull Crashed ice) is the highest ranked event.
ATSX 500 is the next highest ranked stage. 500 points are given for the victory.
ATSX 250 – a stage that allows the event to be held without boards, mainly at ski resorts. 250 points are given for the win.
ATSX 100 – or national championship. Points do not go towards the World Championship standings, Included only in the athlete’s personal standings in the world rankings.

– How many points do you need to score to become a champion?

Pavel: Ideally to pass two stages of ATSX 1000 (out of 3) + 2 stages of ATSX 500 (out of 3) + 1 stage of ATSX 250 (out of 3) = championship on the maximum number of points. Naturally, the best races of an athlete are counted.

– How is the preparation for the competition? Is it mainly in the gym and physical training or sometimes on the ice?

Pavel: Preparation in our sport is unique and does not stop at one discipline. It includes a lot of things.

Naturally skating. Skaters, hockey players, short track skaters, etc. have different skating skills. But each of them has to stand perfectly on the skates. A lot of effort is put into it.
The gym, working on leg strength.
Work on explosive power and speed endurance.
Trampolines, coordination.
Work on balance.
Skate park – technical training.

Katya: We train a lot in the gym, not on the ice. We work not only on physical qualities, but also on psychological barriers. For me, the most scary thing is actually to start. It is important not to be late, but also not to make a false start. Even the finish is not so frightening, I can easily pick up speed and drop it when I need to. It is also important to work this out with a coach.

– Is there an opportunity to train on the ice or on an area close to the realities of competitions in Moscow?

– At the moment we are working on an all-season training complex, and soon all riders, including foreigners, will have the opportunity to train in one place all year round.

– How many girls are there in the discipline? Are there a lot less of them than guys, or not? How do they come into the sport?

Pavel: Until recently there weren’t that many. In recent years, the girls have almost caught up with the men in terms of numbers. There are 60 girls going to the stages.

Katya Voronova

Katya: How did I come to this sport? Initially I did figure skating, but then I got a knee injury and couldn’t continue training. There was a very long recovery period and I had to quit. But after a while I started to realize more and more that I can’t do without sport and adrenaline. I happened to see a Crashed Ice competition on TV and decided that’s what I wanted to do. I tried it, but the first time I tried it I didn’t even like it very much in practice, but I continued practicing anyway. After the first start I got involved and now I can’t even imagine myself without it.

– Where should a person who has decided to try himself in this discipline start?

Pavel: Prepare, register and take part. The best place to start is ATSX 100 or 250. The competition at competitions of this rank is lower, so you can get a better feel for the sport. Of course, you can come and immediately to ATSX 500, but you need to be prepared that you will have to fight with the most famous athletes.

Katya Voronova

Katya: The first start for me was unexpected, two days before the start I saw the announcement in the federation. That is, I had absolutely zero preparation. I had a few training sessions before the second start, but I think I could have been better prepared. It is important to train stamina and speed in training – without it you won’t be able to do anything.

– Is it taught somewhere or do you have to train on your own?

Pavel: You can train on your own. You can also train under the supervision of professionals. Now we conduct individual training of our athletes and train small groups of beginners (up to 6 people). But with the opening of the all-season base we will be recruiting groups.

– How do you assess the prospect of including this discipline in the Olympic Games program?

Pavel: We are on the threshold of inclusion in the Olympics. We would have been in 22 if not for some nuances. But things can still change, and maybe we will see in 2022 as a demonstration performance.