Minnesotans made a strong showing on the ice Saturday, but Canadian skater Kyle Croxall — a 2012 and 2013 Crashed Ice world champion — defeated nearly 200 competitors to win the St. Paul leg of Red Bull’s ice cross downhill world series.
He was joined in the winner’s circle by second-place finisher Dean Moriarity of Canada and Dan Witty of New Prague, Minn., who came in third. The top three finishers all trained with and skated against their brothers.
Cameron Naasz, who was raised in Lakeville, placed fourth.
“The finals were a little tough,” said Naasz, who had been projected by many to place within the top three. “On my way up I had a skate guard break … so I was crashing into every board. I wasn’t in control like I usually am.”
Witty, who didn’t make it into the finals last year, said the record crowds were a boost. “Last year in St. Paul, I thought I could have done better. … I wanted to make the podium, and it just feels good to be doing it in front of the home crowd.”
Croxall said the crowds rivaled in size anything he’s experienced to date, including another popular urban ice cross downhill course in Quebec.
“This is my seventh year, and it’s the largest I’ve seen in Red Bull Crashed Ice,” he said. Organizers estimated that a record 140,000 spectators attended the finals Saturday, which were conducted on a sloping 1,400-foot-long obstacle course that began at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
This is the fourth year that Red Bull Crashed Ice has been held in St. Paul, and the first year that the competition has hosted an official women’s division. Salla Kyhala of Finland placed first, followed by Canadians Jacqueline Legere, Tamara Kajah and Gwynne Attenborough.
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