A faster, more challenging track is set for Red Bull Crashed Ice in Edmonton

The 455-metre-long track in downtown Edmonton will be home to 64 fearless skaters this upcoming weekend. Featuring a 40-metre vertical drop from start to finish, competitors will reach speeds up to 80 kilometres per hour.

“The course will be faster and a greater challenge than [Edmonton’s] 2015 [course],” reveals Patrice Drouin, event producer for Red Bull Crashed Ice.

A highly-anticipated feature, the Canadian Big Air, will allow Red Bull athletes to reach new heights.

“[The Canadian Big Air will] give maximum speeds to the athletes, so they can register the longest jump ever done on skates,” claims Drouin.

Skaters will travel over 30 metres in the air from the jump. Tory Merz set the previous record in Munich in 2016 (27 metres).

With track construction completed on Wednesday, the course features ice five times denser than that of an NHL rink. It is 11 centimetres thick and will be kept cool using 36,000 litres of salt-water brine over the weekend.

Over 150 workers were involved in the construction of the course, which overlooks the North Saskatchewan River Valley.

Skaters will begin the course near the Shaw Conference Centre on 96 Street and will go over Grierson Hill, through Louise McKinney Park. Thousands of fans will make their way to downtown Edmonton from March 9-10.

“Edmonton showed wonderful support in 2015. It was an easy decision to come back and host [the] world championship final here,” states Drouin.

Red Bull Crashed Ice will also be installing two LED screens on Jasper Avenue in addition to the three on site. Tickets are still available.

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