By Victoria Echeverria 2/09/2019
On February 9th the home of the Red Sox continues to welcome innovative ideas. Last Saturday crowds headed to Fenway Park to watch athletes from all over the world skate down a 1,200-foot track with sharp turns and drops. The crowd braved the cold, wielding glow sticks and cheering for the athletes as they sprayed powder at the finish line.
They participated in the Ice Cross Downhill world finals. The construction of the massive custom-made ice course marked the first time an Ice Cross Downhill competition was housed in a stadium.
During each heat, riders skated the course four at a time, starting with a 70-foot drop. The first and second place finishers of each heat winners went on to advance to the next round until four finalists remained.
After two days of races, American skaters Cameron Naasz and Amanda Trunzo dominated the track and went home victorious on Saturday. Naasz, a two-time World Champion, and Trunzo who maintained her perfect record in Red Bull Crashed Ice races, both continue to uphold their standing in the extreme sport.
Tolvanen Antti, a Finnish athlete who placed tenth, shared his thoughts on what it’s actually like competing in the sport.
“I have to say it’s a big mental game also, you know, you have to be ready for everything,” said Antti.