If you’re like me, your brain might have thought that is a typo. It should really say “Red Bull Crushed Ice” which would make a little more sense. Red Bull after all, is an energy drink, so calling a drink “Red Bull Crushed Ice” isn’t too far fetched.
Um. No.
Turns out Red Bull Crashed Ice is correct, and it’s a sport.
Yes. A sport. It’s a “combination of speedskating, boardercross and downhill skiing has only been around for 10 years.” Who knew? I certainly didn’t, and stumbled upon it during a commercial while watching Jeopardy! I channel surf during commercials. I hate commercials, which is one of the reasons I love Netflix.
Anyway, so I change the station and see four guys, decked out in hockey gear, flying down an ice track that has all kinds of turns, jumps and whatnot. Very much like the X-Games boardercross. I was always amazed at snowboarders who can navigate such a course. I had a hard enough time trying to stand upright and make my way down a hill, let alone turn or jump!
But these guys, these Crashed Ice guys, were on ice skates!
Now, it’s one thing to race in a rink, or speed across to an open net. It’s something else to speed down a hill on skates, navigate turns and jumps without stopping. The whole point is to be the first to cross the finish line and, judging from what I saw, slam into the padding at the end. And it sounds kind of, I don’t know, simple. Stay on your feet, don’t run other people over and try not to get too much air. But man! After watching a heat, I was mesmerized. It’s not so simple, and there is some strategy involved. You certainly have to expect the unexpected, and be quick on your feet.
If this counts as sport in Canada, I’m sold.