Red Bull Crashed Ice: The Evolution
Now in its 19th year, ice cross downhill has established itself as one of the fastest-growing winter sports.
The fastest sport on skates provides a thrilling spectacle
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
Since the very first race back in 2001, ice cross downhill has provided the platform for thrilling drama, bruising battles and exciting title fights. Join us as we track the Red Bull Crashed Ice timeline from the very beginning.
2000 Plans are put into motion to create a brand new sport based on downhill in-line skating. Blades, padding and a frozen course were soon added to the mix and Red Bull Crashed Ice, as we know it, was born.
2001 The first ever ice cross downhill race was held in Stockholm’s fish market. Set up as a pilot project to test the viability of future events, the inaugural Red Bull Crashed Ice event took place on a 300m-long ice track filled with sharp turns and tricky obstacles and was won by Sweden’s Jasper Felder.
2001 After the success of the first run in Sweden, a second stand-alone competition was set up in Klagenfurt, Austria. Jasper Felder went on to make it two for two when he romped to victory.
2003-2004 Duluth, in Minnesota, hosted the third and fourth events in 2003 and 2004 when Red Bull Crashed Ice took a trip to the USA. Jasper Felder continued his astonishing run by winning both competitions, and the increased media interest and huge crowds proved this fledgling sport was here to stay.
Jasper Felder
© Daniel Grund/Red Bull Crashed Ice
2004-2006 Moscow, Prague and Quebec City all gave a warm welcome to the frosty sport in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. Each year saw ever-more advanced tracks, from ski slopes in the mountains to urban valleys in city centres.
2007 The year Red Bull Crashed Ice began to really pick up speed with two separate events in Quebec City, Canada, and Helsinki, Finland. Canadian skater Kevin Olson took home both top spots but it was the fans who were the real winners with two classic races to cherish.
2009 After stopping off in Quebec City and Davos, Switzerland, in 2008, the following year welcomed a whopping three races, something originally thought impossible when the intricate courses were first designed in 2000. The final event in Lausanne, Switzerland, saw Jasper Felder taking home first place for the seventh time, a record that makes him the most successful athlete ever in ice cross downhill.
2010-2011 A new era for Crashed Ice began with the introduction of the world’s first Ice Cross Downhill World Championship. Finland’s Arttu Pihlainen was crowned the first world champ, while Canada’s Kyle Croxall took the runner-up spot – marking the beginning of a compelling rivalry.
1 min
Making History with Red Bull Crashed Ice
Red Bull Crashed Ice has come a long way since the first competition was held 10 years ago.
2011-2012 Ice cross downhill soared to new heights in the 2012 season with more than 200,000 spectators watching four Red Bull Crashed Ice events in Europe and North America. Canadian Kyle Croxall was crowned world champion during an action-packed final event in Quebec City in front of more than 100,000 fans. The same year also saw the launch of Red Bull Crashed Ice Kinect, a motion-controlled game exclusive to Xbox 360 that gave gamers the chance to get as close to the real-life action as it’s possible to without padding up and hitting the ice.
2013-2014 Europe reclaimed the Red Bull Crashed Ice crown in 2013 and 2014, with Switzerland's Derek Wedge and Austria's Marco Dallago taking home the title in consecutive years. But this was to be the end of the European dominance, and the golden age for the North Americans was just around the corner.
2015 A major development for the sport arrived in 2015, with the introduction of the All Terrain Skate Cross (ATSX) Federation, the international governing body for ice cross downhill. It was founded in order to promote and set up rules and guidelines for downhill sports on skates around the world. This year also saw the very first Riders Cup - races organised by the riders for the riders - in Afton Alps, USA. These new races followed the same format as Red Bull Crashed Ice, but were worth 250 world championship points instead of 1000. Canada's Scott Croxall enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning two out of the four Red Bull Crashed Ice races to secure his first title.
2015/16 American Cameron Naasz finally realised his true potential during this season, combining his speed, power and agility with a mental strength not seen before. A thrilling season-long battle with Scott Croxall climaxed with the American snatching the ice cross downhill crown from his rival on home soil at the Saint Paul finale. It was to be the start of the sport's first great rivalry. This was also the season that the women got their very own world championship, with Canada's Jacqueline Legere powering to victory at two stops to take the inaugural title.
The beginning of a great rivalry - Cameron Naasz and Scott Croxall in 2015
© Scott Serfas/Red Bull Cotent Pool
2016/17 Technological advances in ice production opened up a new age in ice cross downhill, and it was in the Mediterranean setting of Marseille that the new season kicked off. Cameron Naasz and Scott Croxall went toe-to-toe all season once again, with the American wrapping up his second title in a row after Croxall crashed out in the Ottawa final. Jacqueline Legere also cruised to her second women's world championship. A new Junior format was also introduced to give aspiring young ice cross downhill athletes a chance to compete, develop and gain valuable experience on the major tracks, while also attracting new young blood into the sport. Finland's Miro Lahti won the inaugural title.
2017/18 The biggest season in ice cross downhill history saw four Red Bull Crashed Ice races complimented by six Riders Cup stops. Despite not winning any of the four major races, Scott Croxall displayed unerring consistency across the long season to wrestle back the title from Cameron Naasz. The women continued their steep progress in the sport, and the increased quality and competitiveness was evident with seven different winners in the nine stops. American Amanda Trunzo came out on top to end the reign of Jacqueline Legere.
2018/19 A landmark moment in the sport as the new season kicked off with the first-ever race in Asia, where riders battled their way down the ice in Yokohama, Japan. This season has also seen the introduction of the ATSX 250 and ATSX 500 races, which replace the Riders Cup. These new competitions are designed to make the sport of ice cross downhill more accessible to even more athletes worldwide. Athletes are also able to earn World Championship points at these events.
Japanese rider Junko Yamamoto with fans at the first-ever stop in Asia
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Want to know more about the sport? Check out these Frequently Asked Questions below:
What are the ATSX 250 and ATSX 500 races?
These are designed to make the sport of ice cross downhill more accessible to even more athletes worldwide, with world championship points available too.
How will the world champion be determined?
Competitors who amass the most points out of the Red Bull Crashed Ice and ATSX 250/500 races, taking into account the throw-out rule, will be crowned champions in the men, women and juniors.
What's the Junior World Championship?
The Junior World Championship was added to give aspiring young ice cross downhill athletes a chance to compete, develop and gain valuable experience on the major tracks, while also attracting new young blood into the sport. Competitors must be aged 16-21.
How are athletes ranked?
Athletes ranked first to fourth for each particular event are allocated positions according to their place in the final heat. Athletes ranked fifth to eighth are ranked according to their place in the small final. All remaining athletes are ranked according to the round in which they were eliminated.
Who can participate?
The ATSX competitions are structured so that riders of all skills levels, from amateurs to professionals, can compete in the same world racing structure. With 4 different race levels, there is a level of competition for everyone who wants to compete and develop their skills
For more info on rules, ranking, format and all the latest news, vist