-- Red Bull Crashed Ice National Shoot-Out in Niagara Falls narrows down the competition for the Elimination Round on Friday, November 30 --
NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Nov. 29, 2012 /CNW/ - The ice was slick and competition fierce in Niagara Falls tonight as more than 100 male and 20 female competitors put metal to ice at the Red Bull Crashed Ice National Shoot-Out. The top Canadian ice cross downhill athletes who outskated and outperformed the competition advance to the Red Bull Crashed Ice Elimination Round, and have the chance to earn their spot in the finals on Saturday, December 1, 2012. The event is free and open to all spectators.
In the shoot-outs, each athlete takes to the massive urban ice track for two timed single runs; but it is their fastest time that counts to move them to the next level. With a placement in the top 32 firmly in their grasp, the next hurdle brings these Canadian daredevils to tussle in consecutive heats of four racing head-to-head in the Elimination Round. The Canadians ranked from 33rd to 64th place will join the swiftest international competitors in Friday's International Shoot-Out, while the top 32 Canadians from the National Shoot-Out and the athletes ranked from 33rd to 64th place in the International Shoot-Out advance to the Elimination Round. For the finals, the top 32 from the International Shoot-Out will be mixed with the 32 athletes who finished first and second in their heats in the Elimination Round. Fearless females also skated down the Red Bull Crashed Ice course tonight, with the fastest 16 Canadian women moving onto the finals.
Even though there are two Canadian stops, athletes only had one chance to compete in the 2013 world championship; with only one registration process and one round of qualifiers for both Canadian stops. After tonight's National Shoot-Out, the top 64 Canadian men and 16 women earn a guaranteed spot to move on to the season finale, and will race against the world's best ice cross downhill athletes all over again when the championship series comes to an epic close in its most historic and iconic stop in Quebec City on March 16, 2013.
All Eyes on the World Champion
Fans all over the world are cheering on ice cross downhill's own fab four: 2012 World Champion Kyle Croxall from Mississauga, ON; his brother Scott Croxall; close rival 2011 world champion, Arttu Pihlainen from Finland; and Fort St. John, BC's Adam Horst, the top four competitors in the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship series. Points are up for grabs at each of the five stops of the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship: 1,000 points all the way down to 0.5 points can be collected for athletes who place first to 100th. The athlete who finishes the season with the most points after the five races will be crowned the 2013 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Champion. The top finishers in each division will skate away with not only bragging rights, but will also take home a share of the prize purse totalling $15,000.
More Icy Action: Team Challenge
For the first time, Red Bull Crashed Ice introduces the team challenge, giving ice cross downhill competitors the opportunity to race down the world's most exciting ice track in teams of three. After a round of qualifiers, the top 16 teams will advance to the team challenge finals, which will be taking place after the Elimination Round. Each team has a budget of 5,700 draft points (based on the world standings) to pick its athletes. In the finals, six athletes (two teams) will battle against each other on the track at the same time. Each team member will get points based on their timed run, and the total points of the three skaters combined will determine the team that will move on.
Arkells Live in Niagara Falls
Once the fate of the skaters has been determined, the party continues as Canadian rock band Arkells (http://arkells.ca) takes the stage on Friday, November 30 at 10:00 p.m. on Victoria Ave (between Clifton Hill and Magdalen Street). Winner of the 2012 Juno Award for Group of Year, the band from Hamilton, ON will provide a rocking ending to this legendary evening. The concert is free to spectators.
Crashing the Airwaves
The 2012/13 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship will crash onto airwaves throughout the season as Sportsnet and TVA Sports will broadcast the series' five stops. Witness all the action live from Niagara Falls on December 1, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and TVA Sports from the comfort of your own living room, as skaters hurtle down a twisting, rolling ice track at speeds of more than 60km/hr.
Red Bull Crashed Ice is part of the "Red Bull Signature Series" on NBC, which features the most progressive and innovative snowboarding, mountain biking, freestyle motocross, ice cross downhill, skiing, and BMX events. The Red Bull Crashed Ice Niagara Falls race will air on NBC on January 26, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. ET. For more information, visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com.
Event Schedule
| Friday, November 30 | |
| Media centre open at Skylon Tower | 9:00 am - 10:00 pm |
| International Shoot-Out (and women) on Red Bull Crashed Ice track | 11:00 am - 12:30 pm |
| Elimination Round | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
| Team Challenge | 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm |
| Arkells concert on Victoria Ave (Clifton Hill & Magdalen St.) | 9:00 pm - 12:00 am |
| Saturday, December 1 | |
| Media centre open at Skylon Tower | 9:00 am - 12:30 am |
| Athlete training on Red Bull Crashed Ice track | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm |
| Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship Finals | 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm |
| Press conference at media centre | 10:30 pm - 11:00 pm |
Red Bull Crashed Ice Newsroom
The Red Bull Crashed Ice Newsroom is a free-of-charge media service providing news stories, high-resolution photographs, clips for TV, web and radio as well as race results and background information about the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship. For more news and content including media accreditation and results, please visit the newsroom at www.redbullcrashedicenewsroom.com.
A Video News Cut from tonight's National Shoot-Out is now available in the Red Bull Crashed Ice Newsroom (video section) and on the following FTP site:
http://redbullca.ftpstream.com
UN: guest
PW: FTPguest09
Folder: Red Bull Crashed Ice Niagara Falls
Facebook: www.facebook.com/redbullcrashedice
Twitter: @RedBullCanada | @CrashedIce | #crashedice
Instagram: RedBullCanada
Website: www.redbullcrashedice.com
Red Bull Playgrounds: Your exclusive mobile guide for Red Bull Crashed Ice! Red Bull Playgrounds - the only social discovery app that turns the world into your playground - is now available for the iPhone (http://bit.ly/playgroundsiphone, Android http://bit.ly/playgroundsandroid as well as on the website www.redbull.ca/playgrounds).
SOURCE: Red Bull Crashed Ice
Emily Palley-Samson
Edelman
416-894-8176
[email protected]
Melissa Legaspi
Edelman
416-587-7775
[email protected]
Josée Laperrière
Red Bull
647-680-2855
[email protected]
Marie-Claire D'Aoust
Gestev
418-802-6275
[email protected]
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