Ice Cross Downhill Charges into Canada with Two Races in the True North

- For the first time, Canada hosts both the season opener and season finale of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship with stops in Niagara Falls on December 1, 2012 and Quebec City on March 16, 2013 -

TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Red Bull Crashed Ice will be bigger than ever in 2012/13 with five stops of the World Championship series coming full circle in Canada - kicking off for the first time in Niagara Falls, ON and culminating in a historic finale for the eighth year in Quebec City, QC - with the first-ever Canadian Ice Cross Downhill World Champion in a heated battle on ice to defend his title. Current World Champion Kyle Croxall (Mississauga, ON), who thwarted Finland's Arttu Pihlainen and his brother Scott to capture the title in 2012, will have two stops in Canada to prove his mettle on home soil. The season opens in Niagara Falls, ON against the breathtaking and spectacular natural backdrop of the magnificent falls, and the heart-pumping, thrilling season will come to a close with the sport's most iconic stop in the heart of Quebec City, QC.  Ice Cross Downhill soared to new heights in 2012 with more than 200,000 spectators watching four Red Bull Crashed Ice races in Europe and North America, and the competition promises to be even more intense in the 2012/13 season that has been expanded to five stops:

O CANADA, IT'S BEEN A BANNER YEAR

Kyle Croxall became the first Canadian to win the overall title in this electrifying sport that has captivated the heart and soul of Canadians. The sport's popularity surged in the United States, the Netherlands, and Sweden with a nail-biting championship battle between Croxall and Pihlainen that came down to an intense fight to the finish of the last few metres of the final race of the season.

While Pihlainen won the race in Quebec City, Kyle Croxall finished a close second, which was just enough to win the towering Canadian firefighter the world championship by the slimmest of margins ever. Croxall finished with 3,000 points, just 40 points ahead of Pihlainen (2,960), prevailing in the most thrilling finale in the 11-year history of the sport. "I'll have a lot of weight on my shoulders to try to keep hold of the title and repeat the outcome of last season," said Kyle Croxall, who has been training hard in the off-season.

But a hard-charging pack of ever-improving rivals will be attempting to knock Croxall of his throne. Pihlainen expects to be back after off-season surgery on an injured knee while Scott Croxall (Mississauga, ON), who finished third last season, is more determined than ever to vie for the title.   Kyle Croxall's biggest threat may come from his younger brother: "I hope to be the world champion," said Scott Croxall. "There will be challenging tracks along the way, and that's pushed me to train hard in the off season." Canadians dominated in 2012, taking three of the top four places, including Adam Horst of Fort St. John, BC (fourth overall) behind Scott Croxall (third).

THINK YOU'RE FAST ENOUGH?

With its icy thrills and chilling spills in its epic eighth year in Canada, Red Bull Crashed Ice continues the quest to find Canada's most brazen athletes to take on the ice cross downhill challenge. From September 4^th until September 30^th @ 11:59pm EST, fearless male and female athletes from across the country are invited to register online at www.redbullcrashedice.com for the chance to participate in one of the 12 qualifying events that will take place across Canada in October. NEW THIS YEAR: Even though there are two Canadian stops, athletes will only have one chance to compete in the 2013 world championship, with one registration process and one round of qualifiers for both Canadian stops.

A lottery will randomly select 200 men and 20 women (per qualifying city) to participate in each qualifying event, which consists of individual speed trials on a traditional ice-hockey surface. Red Bull Crashed Ice will also allow 50 walk-up spots per qualifying city (as time permits and registration allows). The 50 walk-ups (first come, first serve) will join the 200 men and 20 women selected via the lottery eligible to take part in the qualifiers as they all vie to skate into Niagara Falls.

The top participants from each qualifier (100 men and 20 women in total) who demonstrate the best speed, skill, agility, and strength will earn a spot to battle to the bottom of the massive ice course in Niagara Falls, ON. After the race in Niagara Falls on December 1st, the top 64 Canadian men and 16 women will earn their spot for the season finale race in Quebec City.

CRASHING THE AIRWAVES

The 2013 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 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. For more information, visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com.

ABOUT RED BULL CRASHED ICE

A combination of hockey, boardercross, and downhill skiing, Red Bull Crashed Ice sets a thrilling stage for intrepid male and female amateur and pro hockey players from around the globe.  No flat surfaces here - instead, daring racers hurtle down an ice track showcasing their strength, speed, and technique while battling massive jumps, gaping drops, hairpin turns and each other to the icy, epic finish.

Each stop of the 2013 World Championship features shoot-outs for national and international athletes. The fastest 64 Canadian and 64 international athletes from each shoot-out advance to the elimination round where the ice mavericks are seeded into brackets of four, as the two skaters from each bracket with the highest speeds advance to the finals.

RED BULL CRASHED ICE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 RANKING: 1. Kyle Croxall (CAN/3000 points), 2. Arttu Pihlainen (FIN/2960 points), 3. Scott Croxall (CAN/2300 points), 4. Adam Horst (CAN/2190 points), 5. Paavo Klintrup (FIN/ 1660 points)

World Championship points were up for grabs at each of the four stops of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship: 1,000 points all the way down to 0.5 points were collected for athletes who placed first to 100^th. The competitor who skated through the season with the most points accumulated after the four races was crowned the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Champion.

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Video with caption: "Ice Cross Downhill Charges into Canada with two Races in the True North". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120823_C8995_VIDEO_EN_17169.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120823_C8995_PHOTO_EN_17169.jpg&clientName=RED%20BULL%20CRASHED%20ICE&caption=Ice%20Cross%20Downhill%20Charges%20into%20Canada%20with%20two%20Races%20in%20the%20True%20North&title=RED%20BULL%20CRASHED%20ICE%20%2D%20Ice%20Cross%20Downhill%20Charges%20into%20Canada%20with%20two%20Races%20in%20the%20True%20North&headline=Ice%20Cross%20Downhill%20Charges%20into%20Canada%20with%20two%20Races%20in%20the%20True%20North

Image with caption: "Canadian Kyle Croxall triumphed as the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Champion in the epic season finale in Quebec City in March 2012. In the upcoming 2013 season, Croxall will vie to keep his title with two stops on home soil, including the season opener on December 1, 2012 in Niagara Falls. (CNW Group/RED BULL CRASHED ICE)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120823_C8995_PHOTO_EN_17165.jpg

Image with caption: "Brazen athletes from across the country tackled a monolithic 584-metre urban ice track that wound through the heart of Old Quebec during the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship in Quebec City. This season, the racers will return for the eighth year to Quebec for a thrilling season finale in March 2013. (CNW Group/RED BULL CRASHED ICE)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120823_C8995_PHOTO_EN_17167.jpg

SOURCE: RED BULL CRASHED ICE