Some will have crashed on the ice
Winter is long and hard. Especially when nature lays down a glare of ice; the rules of gravity and friction join in an uneasy marriage that tests my mettle. I don’t like to fall down, and practice safe walking at all times. I am also Canadian, and I’ve been seen with steel blades under my feet, attempting to redefine those abovementioned rules. I still fall down, but in between there are episodic moments of glee. Please note that the technique, known colloquially as skating, relies on a plane surface with zero degrees of elevation. Flat is good.
That’s why I am amazed by the eccentric personalities that have gathered in our city for a weekend of something really different. There isn’t even a proper name; the brand name Red Bull Crashed Ice covers the situation very well, thank you very much. Over the last two weeks, a course has been installed in the Old City, and the surface has been repeatedly flooded and smoothed to confer a condition that is anathema to anyone other than a world class crazy.
The competition is underway right now, with thousands of spectators lining the course in -12C air. The track is listed as 1800 feet (548 metres) in length, and the average speed of the competitors will see completion times at around 40 seconds, if other years are an indication. The vertical drop is a complicated thing, due to ramps and curves that accentuate the already steep streets along the descent route. Note that there is no ascent course in play. The winner will be chosen from among the survivors.
