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Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship Makes Its U.S. Debut

Mayor Coleman Takes Inaugural Run Before U.S. Athletes Race Down 1,400-Foot Ice Track in Saint Paul

The Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship Series descended on the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, today as 100 athletes from across the U.S. raced down the course, one at a time, in hopes of making it to the elimination rounds. The 64 fastest athletes will move on to face the international competition, shoulder-to-shoulder, under the lights on Friday night at 7pm.

Saint Paul's Mayor Chris Coleman kicked off the three-day event with an inaugural run down a portion of the track. He expressed his enthusiasm for the ice cross downhill event, which is making its U.S. debut on his city's streets.

"I think it's great that Red Bull Crashed Ice is coming to Saint Paul!" Mayor Coleman said. "I've wanted this thing in our city since I first saw it on TV about 10 years ago." However, the Mayor quickly admitted that the course was more of a challenge than he thought, "It's really amazingly hard. I skate quite a bit, but the difference between being on smooth, flat ice and, well, this is an interesting challenge. I definitely have a new appreciation for what these guys have to do."

THE ICY GAUNTLET

The 100 U.S. athletes were given an opportunity to practice on and learn the features of the 1,400-foot track of ice prior to their time trial runs. They maneuvered through the hairpin turns, harrowing drops and even a 20-foot high wall ride at speeds reaching 40mph. At the end of the day, heroes were born, and 64 U.S. athletes remain standing. Some of the day's standouts include former NHL hockey player Brian Bonin, U.S. World Team Short Track Speed Skater Tigh Issac, and local brothers Daniel and Andrew Bergeson who finished less than one-tenth of a second apart.

Tomorrow night, athletes from 19 countries will take their turn on the track beginning with time trials of their own in the early afternoon, followed by the four-on-four competition in the evening. This fleet of competitors includes Finland's Artu Philhainen, the reigning Red Bull Crashed Ice Champion.

MORE INFORMATION

Red Bull Crashed Ice began in 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden, and has since grown into a Championship Series that spans the globe. Following the U.S. competition, the series will make stops in Sweden and the Netherlands before the finale in Quebec City where a World Champion will be crowned.

For more information, please visit www.redbullcrashedice.com. For media credentials for Friday or Saturday, please contact Jennifer Belongia-Barak at Jennifer.belongia-barak@us.redbull.com or (312) 320-6260.

Red Bull Crashed Ice will air on Saturday, January 21st, 2012 1PM-3 CST airing across NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network to kick of The Red Bull Signature Series. For more information and airing details, visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com.