Canada鈥檚 Kyle Croxall upset defending world champion Arttu Pihlainen of Finland in a thrilling Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship battle in front of a frozen but enthusiastic crowd of 80,000 in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Saturday.
The 19 Wing Comox firefighter, who calls Mississauga, Ont. home, had a flawless run in the four-man final of the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice season opener down the 406-metre long ice track filled with jumps, bumps and mind-boggling twists and turns, rallying from just behind the Finn to end Pihlainen鈥檚 three-race winning streak.
After 64 athletes were whittled down to a final four, it was a clash between Pihlainen and Croxall that proved the key to the latter's victory. "I was passing him on the inside," Croxall told the Record. "He went into the wall. We were really close," said Croxall, who powered his way clear of the carnage.
After a short video review to ensure there was no illegal contact amid the mel茅e, Croxall was confirmed as the winner. There was no let-up in the battle for second place as Pihlainen and Kyle's brother Scott Croxall threw themselves across the finish simultaneously, with the Finn's skate crossing the line first.
Despite pre-race snowfall and temperatures that fell far below freezing, a frenzied crowd cheered the 64 finalists from 24 nations as they raced down the most challenging track in Red Bull Crashed Ice history as it weaved its way from the Cathedral of Saint Paul downhill toward the banks of the frozen Mississippi River.
Organizers note there were a number of monumental crashes on the high-speed track as racers hit speeds of up to 70 k/mh and the level of competition took a leap forward from 2011. Croxall figured it took competitors all of approximately 39 seconds to blast down the obstacle course.
鈥淚t was an insane race,鈥� said Croxall, who was exhausted but smiling after picking up his third career victory and first since the 2011 season opener in Munich. 鈥淎rttu is so hard to beat. Saint Paul put on an awesome event. It was the hardest track ever. The fans were amazing. As soon as the U.S. guys were out, they were cheering for the next closest country. That got us (Canadians) fired up for the final.鈥�
Croxall, who hones his ice cross skills as a power forward for the 19 Wing hockey team, says he will be working on improving his start before the next race. "Getting a good start is the biggest advantage you can have," he said. Getting a good finish was no problem for Croxall in Saint Paul, as he topped the field in each of the five elimination rounds.
The world championship series now moves to Valkenburg in the Netherlands on Feb. 3-4 and Are, Sweden on Feb. 13-14 leading up the 2012 final March 16-17 in Quebec City. Organizers expect Croxall and Pihlainen to continue to push their rivalry, the sport and gravity to the fullest all series long. Croxall agrees, and says he feels confident he can wrest the world title away from Pihlainen this year.
FINISH LINES Red Bull Crashed Ice began in 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden, and has since grown into a championship series that spans the globe ... the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship will air nationally on NBC on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT. ... for more information, and to register to be a competitor, visit www.redbullcrashedice.com ...
