Allcanada sweep at belfast red bull crashed ice

Published: Mon 23 Feb 2015, 7:18 PM

Last updated: Mon 23 Feb 2015, 7:19 PM

Over 40,000 spectators came from across Ireland and further afield to Stormont Estate, over two days to watch some of the world’s best skaters take part in the Belfast leg of the Red Bull Crashed Ice.

Over 140 competitors took part in the action-packed race on a heart-pumping assault course that has been specifically designed for Belfast. The track was positioned in front of Parliament Buildings and enjoyed by over 40,000 spectators over two days this weekend.

Winner, Scott Croxall was unstoppable in all five of his races down the spectacular 430-meter long track and sent the Belfast crowd into frenzy with his scintillating performance in the finals of the world’s fastest sport on skates. It was an all-Canada sweep with Dylan Moriarity taking second place and his twin brother Dean taking third -- all three athletes on the podium. Austria's Luca Dallago took fourth in an action-packed final.

“It feels amazing to win here in front of such a great crowd and especially against so many of the top guys in our sport,” said Croxall, who had been winless in 13 successive finals in his six-year career before winning the Red Bull Crashed Ice race in Helsinki two weeks ago and then the Riders Cup race in Jyväskylä, Finland on February 14. “I’m just happy to get the win here. I’ve worked hard on getting my starts faster out of the gates and I’m going to keep working hard for that title.”

The race was the hottest ticket in Belfast, a city bursting with pride to host the fastest racetrack ever built. It was a fantastic course the riders loved that dropped straight down the steps of the parliament and into a vast hill packed with amazed fans. The fast and furious track also featured a 5.5-meter high step-up over the highest bridge ever built for a race as well as punishing sets of bone-jarring jumps and bumps before a high-speed U-turn Wall Ride right before the finish line.

Red Bull Crashed Ice is a world series in the winter extreme sporting event of ice cross downhill. It is a four man full-contact, high-speed, downhill ice skating race along a 440 metre track, with steep turns and vertical drops, reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h in a timed battle, where the first to the bottom wins. The energy and competitive spirit of Red Bull Crashed Ice mad for a breath-taking spectacle and a hugely entertaining event for all.

Results: 1. Scott Croxall (CAN), 2. Dylan Moriarity (CAN), 3. Dean Moriarity (CAN), 4. Luca Dallago (AUT), 5. Cameron Naasz (USA), 6. Paavo Klintrup (FIN), 7. Derek Wedge (SUI), 8. Marco Dallago (AUT), 9. Kyle Croxall (CAN), 10. Miikka Jouhkimainen (FIN)

World Championship standings: 1. Scott Croxall (2765), 1. Dean Moriarity (2235), 3. Kyle Croxall (2227.50), 4. Marco Dallago (1987.50) 5. Cameron Naasz (1962.50), 6. Dylan Moriarity (1775), 7. Miikka Jouhkimainen (1222.50), 8. Derek Wedge (965), 9. Paavo Klintrup (955), Dan Witty (915)