By Matt Harrison
Daniel Guolla of Ottawa is out front in a Red Bull Crashed Ice race in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2015 Crashed Ice — the name of the event suggests something deadly, and the icy racetrack images provided by Red Bull, the title sponsor of this international series, don’t do much to assuage those fears. Here’s how it works: artificially created courses are set up in downtown locations where speed skaters — four at a time — navigate tight turns, vertical drops, and other obstacles at speeds upwards of 50 kilometres an hour. Elbows fly, legs battle, racers lean on each other. “You can’t just hit a guy. If we could do that, guys would get seriously hurt,” Ottawa competitor Daniel Guolla, 25, cautions. In spite of how dangerous it seems, Guolla insists injuries are rare. “Yeah, we crash, we get bruised up … but broken bones and dislocated shoulders don’t often happen.” What kind of person would be attracted to this? Guolla first saw Red Bull Crashed Ice on television when he was 16. Instantly hooked, he came to see it as the perfect melding of his two favourite winter sports: hockey and downhill skiing. Indeed, Crashed Ice includes elements of speed and precision and is not unlike such other hybrid sports as ski- and snowboard-cross.
Guolla lives and works in Ottawa, often bicycling by the locks where the race will be held, a constant reminder of what lies ahead and the pressure on his shoulders: he will be Ottawa’s only competitor. It’s something he has taken to heart, especially after an injury last year. Motivating his recovery is the desire to be in shape for the upcoming race. But he’s also excited to share the sport with others. “For the people I’ve spoken to over the years about Crashed Ice, it will finally be a chance for them to see what I do.”
Each Crashed Ice course is unique, and Guolla admits he has no idea of what’s in store for him during the event on March 3 and 4. This race will be held, in part, on the locks beside the Château Laurier as part of Ottawa 2017 activities planned in celebration of the nation’s 150th birthday. Savings Crackup