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Riders ready!
Ice Cross to me is
uh, controlled chaos on ice
and there's nothing like it.
Five second warning!
As soon as you get into the gate
and that five second warning is called, like, everything goes silent.
It's probably the most peaceful time you'll ever experience in life.
GO!
you know, it's no buddy buddy thing out there.
You know?
Yeah, it’s, it’s a war out there.
Whoo!
Coming through all that, umm
and then working through with what I've dealt with
I'd probably have to say the Ice Cross has probably saved my life.
Behind is...
Oh, my goodness!
Whoohoohoohooo!
If you would introduce yourself
umm, and you know, what you do.
Okay, yes
hey, my name is Stefan Aufschnaiter.
I'm Austrian.
Umm, actually, I'm the president of the ATSX
Federation.
I have invented that sport together with a colleague, uh, in 2000
and it's always spectacular.
Wherever we go, people are standing there
and say, “Wow!”
When someone ask me, “What is Ice Cross?”
I could get into full detail the explanation.
But there's one word. It's action.
Ice Cross is a sport that'll make you question what is possible.
It's a comeback story
where you reach a peak, you reach a certain ceiling
and then you get knocked on your ass, and you got to find a way to get back up.
A aspect of Ice Cross is crashing
and, you know, you're going to go down no matter what.
And you're, ha, you're always faster on your feet than you are on your butt.
I don't know if that was better or not.
When I think about Ice Cross, right now, as a sport
I think hope is probably the best describing term that I could use.
We are very thankful for the support of Red Bull
for 20 years.
I mean, umm, we, we were a hit in the
in the most unlucky situation.
Two years of Covid, It was, of course
umm, the worst that could happen to us.
We didn't know if there was going to be a sport moving forward.
But with the passionate athletes, umm, people we’re surrounded by
the guys who put the time in, who don't get paid
umm, we grind it out right now
and we’re at that stage where we're seeing momentum build again.
I'm really happy by the end of this season
to see that we still survived.
The sport is still there.
We had 7 events this year, which is amazing
for zero, zero budget
so everybody had to do it on its own.
Athletes that compete in the sport
volunteer to build the track on their own time.
While they currently work full time jobs.
You know, they'll come to the track a month early
to start building it so that there's an event.
Out here, making ice cracks.
Middle of the night.
Wouldn't have it any other way.
Robbie P, over here.
The athletes are the heartbeat of this sport.
For the 2023 season of Ice Cross
we decided to follow four athletes
as they traveled and make sacrifices
to compete in the most insane sport you've never heard of.
We have Rob Worling from Canada.
The viral ice dunking sensation.
Rob found new popularity
on social media last year as he flew
about 25ft through the air
to dunk a basketball on ice skates
like he's Michael Jordan.
We'll see if he can take that extreme athleticism
and use it to capture his first world championship.
We have Luke Webb from Australia
aka “Aussie Crasher.”
His name speaks for itself
and his heart is just as big as his crashes.
Luke is the only competitive Ice Cross athlete
that there's ever been from Australia.
He's a phenomenon.
You might as well call him a Jamaican bobsledder.
We have Jack Schram, from New Jersey ̶
just your all-American guy.
aka “the Rooted Athlete.”
Jack, is one of the most fit guys on the Ice Cross tour
and he's also a veteran within the sport.
But his real mastery starts in his mind
and his positive outlook on life, is just...
it's contagious to everyone around it.
Let's go!
And then we have Brittan Morris
the mullet rockin racer from Texas
aka “Mullet Mike.” Brittan is going on his fourth year
competing in Ice Cross and already finds himself towards the top of the sport.
He is one of the fastest athletes out of the start gates
but the thing that really sets him apart
is his win at all cost mindset.
Each athlete
has their battles to face on the ice and off the ice
but will they be able to manage?
Will they be able to separate life and sport?
We'll see...
that's what we're here to find out.
I am Brittan Morris, aka “Mullet Mike.”
I race for the USA.
More specifically, the great country of Texas.
I've been competing at Ice Cross for ̶
four years now, I believe?
Born and raised here in Austin, Texas.
I’ve lived here my entire life.
I played hockey from a young age.
I started when I was about four years old.
I remember I was...
I was really into skating.
I was fascinated by it, and I would see
all the people on the ice rink in the middle of this mall.
So I'm sitting there watching figure skating.
And then my, my dad was like, “you know what, we probably should take
this kid to a hockey game before he becomes a figure skater.”
So, uh, not that
there’s anything wrong with figure skating, or male figure skaters.
I have high expectations
and I'm, I’m not taking them lightly.
I want to be top ten in the world
and I want to be the number one American racer.
Gloves, socks, clear visor.
A lot of people don't understand
why we do this sport.
It's, it's a grind.
Okay, We'll, we'll keep it goin
But yeah.
So i’ll ignore the contract that you sent me.
Send one to Matty. He'll be expecting it.
Umm, and then we'll get you, we'll get you some funding.
Awesome guards. I appreciate you, brother.
Aight bud.
Aight thanks man, bye.
Later man.
Just like that we’re making more money.
You hear that?
Yeah.
Now we can pay for gas and food. so...
Hoo, I think we got everything packed up though.
Love y'all
Love you
Brittan and I met in 2014 when I first moved to Texas.
We have a lot of similarities.
We're both athletes.
We have similar mindsets, similar perspectives on life and ̶
we view life kind of like a sport
that's how you should attack it.
DJ hey, he's Mississippi boy.
He's not, he's not used to the cold and everything.
So after his first event he sends me the GoPro footage
and he's flying by trees, 35mph
Jumping, turning.
I've never seen anything like it.
He was completely blown away by it.
Loved it, became, you know
like, kind of all about the sport and everything.
Brittan competes in a race where if he wins, he qualifies
to compete in Fenway Park for the World Championships.
And I'm like, what do you mean, Fenway Park?
That's where the Red Sox play.
And he goes, “Yeah, they're gonna build a track in the middle of Fenway Park.”
Pick it up, let's go.
Come on BABY! let's go!
- Yeahhh! - Woohoo!
I knew I wanted to be involved in the sport.
I just didn't know how cause...
“that you?”
I can't skate.
Haha
I'm just a boy from Mississippi.
To say I appreciate what these athletes do on ice
is a huge, huge understatement.
Howdy partna.
Brittan, started to race three years ago.
Umm, I heard about this wild Texan
that was coming in, and he was, he was doing really well at races.
Brittan's got a hockey background, so he's gonna anywhere
where there's an opportunity to stride and skate, he will.
I've never seen anyone do what Brittan can do on skates.
2022 where Red bull is gone at this point
and so it's a totally different dynamic.
We lost our primary sponsor ̶
and we still had some really amazing races.
Italy was ̶ probably
my second favorite track I've ever been on.
It was the most beautiful
backdrop scenery that you, you can ever imagine
and I was just eager and ready
to attack and win these races.
I couldn't keep the tiger in the cage.
I was, I...
so I thought I heard something
and ̶ I false started
in the very first race and I was dq'd (disqualified).
And that was the end of
uh, end of my season, actually.
AH! F*ck!
too eager, too eager.
Huge, huge disappointment.
I was disappointed in myself for, for a good while with that one.
During the season.
I was, I was going through a lot, you know
just personally and back home, and things like that.
2021 was a tough year for me.
My granny was going through some
some, uh, health issues.
She ̶ basically, was on the road
to acute leukemia, which, which kills you very fast.
Big strong grandson.
Hey, Granny
Hey, hunny
We’re twinsies
Look at you.
Oh, my gosh, when did you do that?
Last night my dad did it.
Awww
And it just... yeah, it beat her down... really bad.
And she, she got, you know, really sick from it
and was in the hospital for a long time.
And it was tough for me to go away for the 2022 season
because she... I knew she was dealing with all of that.
And, umm, she was the one that was like, you know, you have to go race.
You have to go live your life and everything.
Uh, she just ̶
is the strongest person that I know
and, and got through all of it
and now is sitting here almost a year later
uh, cancer free.
So things are good right now
and I feel good.
The body feels good.
Last season I went into it
very, very heavy and strong and powerful
and I thought that was the correct way
to, to prepare and train for my season
and it beat my joints to absolute shit.
My knees and my ankles were shot.
You can't really let that hold you back because this is a sport of injuries.
Every year, either you, uh, you have something
that's bothering you or along the way you're gonna get injured.
Every athlete out here is fighting through some type of injury.
Well, let me tell you at, at 35 miles an hour, anything can happen.
You, you could go flying into boards.
You could yard sale, helmet could come popping off.
behind is...
Oh my goodness!
Shayne Renaud right through the dasher boards on the side!
Going into this season I’ve changed my training approach.
Umm, I'm lighter, I’m faster, and I did a ton
of prehab stuff for my knees and my ankles and everything like that.
So I'm going into the season
you know, feeling the best I've ever felt.
Feeling the fastest I've ever felt.
Clearly, this sport is dangerous.
I mean, it will not spare even the best athletes.
We had Matt Johnson this year, practice
day one in Mont du Lac, Wisconsin, toe picks...
and a toe pick is when the front of your blade
the front of your skate, digs into the ice and you lose your footing.
So he toe picks and slides right into a wall.
Tears his shoulder up.
Unfortunately, we, uh, took a toe pick after the step down there
and tested out the boards, and they work good.
Uh, Doctor says we got a rotator cuff tear and a subscapularis strain.
so it looks like the, Mont du Lac is over for me.
So this track here in Wisconsin is not perfect.
None of these tracks will be perfect.
I mean, you're dealing with outdoor elements that you can't really control.
And then you factor in building a track of ice
for people to skate down.
It's not going to be a smooth, perfect surface.
It's impossible.
But I mean, these guys are doing the best
that they could possibly do with the situation that they were given.
And without ‘em ̶
this event wouldn’t happen.
So, we basically will start watering when the hill closes
which generally is between 8 and 10 PM at night.
We’ll water until our our bodies give out, uh
which is generally like 3 or 4 in the morning.
That also is the best weather for, for making ice.
So, umm, you just go layer after layer, after layer.
You let it sit for a couple hours.
Uh, you know, you may go get some food, come back.
You lay another layer after layer after layer for...
like I said, as long as you can, umm
and you do that for the next ten days.
Hahaha
Brittan, I want to know where your jump, uh, technique comes from.
Every time.
Dude f*ckin the “Daniel Son” man.
like if you like pump then you're like WOOH!
It’s just the karate kid.
It's. I love it.
Like Tum Tum?
It makes for some of like, the greatest photos though
because it's like the background you’re just soaring in the air.
I love it, I love it...
So unfortunately
we have a dangerous situation at the finish line in Mont du Lac.
Because the way the track is set up
and where it ends, it ends right in front of the ski lodge.
So for it not to block the ski lodge completely
they had to shorten it
which means ̶
there's not a lot of room to stop.
And when you're flying down that mountain with other athletes
at 35mph, you gotta find a way to stop.
Regardless of track conditions and the dangers of this sport
these athletes are willing to do what it takes to keep their dreams alive.
It’s ̶ sacrifices in the short term
in hopes that you accomplish your goals in the long term.
That's what life's all about.
No matter what mountain is in your path
you just take one step at a time in the right direction
and before you know it, you'll be where you want to be.
Mont du Lac, Wisconsin that's th the place that I've raced the most at.
I feel the most comfortable there.
I think I've done, I want to say, five races there now?
I get there this year and the track is just built
what I feel like, for me.
It's a full sprint out of the gate, big send over some doubles
and then tight turns, so you lose your speed and you have to
chop, chop, chop, get going again.
Uh, a little bit of technicality with some stair steps
and then a big waterfall down to the finish.
Very dangerous finish there
Uh, because basically, they have the finish line on a downhill...
F*ck!
and then they have boards
like maybe ten yards in front of that.
So, that was the only part of the track that I didn't love
but I love, I love the track there.
I love what they did.
TJ and Rob, they put a lot of work into it
and did a great job.
On Friday, we have time trials.
Time trials are designed to divide the field into groups of four.
Each athlete will have two attempts down the track
and you'll take your best time
and that will be used to place you into that group of four.
Gate selections will then be determined
by who finished first in your heat.
Gate selections are extremely important because the way the track's set up
it’s either going to veer one way or the other.
So you want to have one of the middle gates
so that you have the best angle going into those turns.
If you have an inside gate, you might get pinched and, and blocked out.
If you have an outside gate, you might get left in the dust.
The day after time trials, we have race day.
Races usually start with the round of 64.
It's tournament style, so
the first and second place athlete in each group
will move on to the next round
until we're left with a final four.
So there's a lot of strategy, especially in the early rounds.
In the early rounds, you just want to make sure
that you move on, but you also kind of want to make sure
you get a good gate selection in that next heat.
So to secure the best gate selection, you get first in each round.
You want to be aggressive, but you don't want to be too aggressive
and maybe make a move that causes you to be eliminated.
Which happened early in the day for TJ.
Five second warning!
Michael Romano leading the way
with TJ Aubrecht flying through the air right on his back.
TJ in second place needs to watch out though
he's got one of the greasier passers in the sport
Matt Kawahara coming down to the finish.
Michael still in the lead...
Oh! TJ goes down!
And Kawahara passes him at the last second!
T.J. is eliminated!
Pushed it too hard on that last turn.
I wanted to be first so I could have best gate pick into the next round.
Got a little wobbly...
hit the roller.
That's all she wrote, and I got past at the end.
So, happy to have this event.
Happy to be here.
But, uh, just a little bit disappointed right now.
Brittan Morris with a solid lead
coming down to the finish line, and he'll move on to the round of 16.
He made wins in these first two rounds look easy.
Kale Johnstone and Brittan Morris
sailing over that first jump.
Oh what a nice pass by Brittan on the inside!
That doesn't usually happen on the stair step down.
Brittan leading going down the waterfalls as they make
the final turn to the finish
With Morris and Johnstone making it into the semifinals.
I think Kale said it he was like
“TJ needs to watch out Kawahara is f*ckin greasy.” Good job baby.
A lot of competitive racers in that round of 16.
So your second race of the day, you're already facing the top guys,
So, get ready for, uh, semifinals
and then the finals baby.
Let’s go let’s go!
What was your timetrial Brittan?
11th.
In this semifinal heat, we have Brittan Morris
Michael Romano, Kale Johnstone, and Matt Kawahara.
Riders ready!
Five second warning!
They send it over the doubles
with Brittan in the lead, but followed closely by the rest of the pack.
It is tight. They come around that turn...
and look at the skating here by Brittan Morris to really try
and create some distance for himself as the leader!
Coming down towards the waterfalls, they really got to watch out
for this choppy and rutted ice this late in the racing.
Morris with a comfortable lead but...
oh look at this, Kawahara and Romano jockeying for second!
It's going to be tight for that last spot in the final... OH!
And there's a huge garage sale at the finish line!
Who’s okay, who’s okay?
Brittan Morris seems to be
in a significant amount of pain and is holding his knee.
Hopefully that won't affect him and he'll be good to go in the final.
anyone have ski patrol on the radio?
Basically, what happened in the semifinal was...
I got a great start, I came down, it was, it was a competitive heat.
Romano was in there.
Who's, you know, top five in the world right now.
I held first the entire time.
I actually finished, ma... a decent amount ahead of them.
Went through the finish line... slammed on the brakes
did a little first pump, cause I was going to the finals
and by the time I pumped my fist
and turned to my left, they were barreling down right at me.
And they're going at that point, probably ̶
35 miles an hour, and I'm just dead stopped
standing sideways like a dumbass.
In Ice Cross it's all about who gets the front of their blade
in front, crossing that finish line first.
Nothing else matters.
That's what they were trying to do.
They slide in baseball style and they slide in right on Brittan
and unfortunately right to the side of his knee.
At first I wasn't sure if, you know
it was just the impact that hurt or if something happened to my knee
because it was just right on the side, direct contact.
The guys behind me were just trying to cross the line first.
You know, they're not trying to take me out or anything.
It's one of those unfortunate events where I'm just standing there.
I mean, he already has a torn labrum in his hip
that happened while he was training before the season.
Now he's got something going on with his knee, and all that's tied together.
But the greatest athletes
have an ability to block out the noise. Injury or not, torn labrum or not
you still have to compete if that's what you love.
If that's what you want to do
That’s gotta be your mindset.
But now, now you're in the finals.
Now you're facing the best of the best.
Oh, here we go! Let’s go baby!
Brittan, he has such an explosive start. See?
He always get in front of you
right at the beginning of the race
so we have to find our way around him.
And it's kind of difficult
because he's playing his game very well.
Cutting the line, blocking the passes.
A lot of racers focus on their line.
I like to focus on everybody elses line when I'm racing.
I like to get in there and just create havoc.
Finals...
Going against Max Dunn, who...
he's a veteran in the sport.
Uh, he's someone who is, you know, gone up and
and really competed against the top guys.
He's a big guy.
So that means he's hard to pass.
Umm, so I knew going into the finals, I got to get out
ahead of this guy and then just f*ck his game up the whole way.
Rider’s ready!
Five second warning!
And it doesn't look like the crash has held him up at all.
An incredible start for Morris with a lot of power getting out in front.
I just watched his shadow, the way du Lac is...
the sun's right behind you when you're going
so you can actually see the other athletes shadows on the ground.
So I'm just, I'm watching his shadow and I'm getting in front of it
and I'm moving...
I hit the jump, we take that first turn and I'm ahead of him
and I knew then I was like, “Okay. I got through the hard part of this.
Now I just fight him off.”
Dunn is right in Brittan's back pocket
coming out of that turn, but again, his strides are just unmatched.
He's powerful and pulls away...
now with a pretty substantial lead coming towards the waterfall.
He has to watch out for the big bodied veteran
who will be able to generate a lot more speed with those long leg...
oh, and Kawahara almost goes over the boards there!
Meanwhile, Dunn and Morris connect
with each other and both go down at the finish line!!
And it looks like Morris has won it!
which would be his first ever ice cross event win!
Here we go brother!!
Woohoo!
And I thought I won when I got up
I was I was amped up, thought I took, uh, took first.
And the way I fell, umm, was kind of backwards
and so I ended up crossing the line on my ass
but the back of my skate crossed first, and he...
being the veteran and good racer that he is, stuck his toe out
and the toe of his blade crossed before the toe of my blade.
Found out I took second
and so it was disappointing.
But at the same time, if you told me at the beginning of season
you're gonna be taking second place for your first race, I'd be ̶
I’d be pretty pumped up so I took it as a win.
Yeehoohoohoohoohoo!!
F*ck yeah boys!!
YEAH!
HAHAA!
You know, we want to bring...
we want to bring Saint Paul back.
We want those big races back, right?
But there's no way to do that without community involvement
or people even knowing the sport still exists.
And Kids Cross is a great way to do that.
Umm, you're literally waiting
for one time of year to come out and try the sport.
So Kids Cross on Sunday
gives those kids an opportunity to try a track.
It's a fun event to host as a venue.
It's been, uh, essentially done
through volunteer hours for the last few years.
So, yeah it's impressive the, the amount of energy that
that the athletes put in to keep this thing going in, in the US.
The traveling is always
is always pretty difficult for me throughout the season.
And, and I go, like, full commitment.
I'm, I’m traveling for that entire month and a half.
Some, some athletes go back home for three days
and then they're back somewhere else for, for three days.
And then, you know, they kind of bounce back and forth.
But I'm, I'm all in.
I just go, I feel like it's best for me to do it that way
just because of like the mindset
and really enjoying the places that we get to go to.
Because whenever you're just going there for 2 or 3 days, just racing it
you don't really get to enjoy the, the beautiful spots around the world
that we’re able to travel to and race in.
Boys!!
What’s good?
What’s up brotha?
Good to see you brother.
My good friend, Jack Schram.
He's someone that is a veteran of the sport.
He’s been at it for a long time
and he’s, uh, he's a very competitive person.
Brittan, we just hit it off.
We got a lot of interest.
And, like, he's the type of guy
like you call up and he's just down for anything.
What first got me into Ice Cross is...
I saw it on TV, but I was still playing ice hockey
and it was the same season as ice hockey.
So when I was, when I graduated from college
and I wasn't competing anymore
I needed something to, you know
kind of fulfill my need to compete.
Outside of racing
He's just a happy, curious person.
On the track
he's extremely tunneled visioned focused on his line
his path, not really concerned with everyone around him.
Yeah, that’s a lie. You definitely got it.
He left me hanging at the airport. haha see, I told you bro.
Ski photo I have that I showed Jack.
Hey look, it's like as steep as this...
Show them
I've been traveling with Eric Milinkovic
like the last couple of seasons a lot, because it's just seems like
we're always on the same route and he's always
just down to go to all the races, and I'm always going to all the races.
So, we end up traveling with each other.
Eric is like, Eric is like the Forest Gump of Ice Cross.
Uh, this dude is hilarious.
He's super unique, really athletic dude.
He's got a lot of experience skateboarding
and his style...
bringing that over to, over to Ice Cross...
he's really great at jumping...
having Eric around is always good laughs.
I started traveling with Jack for Ice Cross
when I saw him in Finland
and just kept hanging out since then.
Jack's a little, a little unpredictable.
He, he has a very unique style of racing.
He's, umm, you know, he a lot of arms
whenever he skates and everything like that.
So he can be kind of dangerous to be ̶ close to.
Friendship goes out the window.
The respect is always there.
But it's not like he's going to ̶
let me win whenever he's trying to win.
He's a wild racer.
So you have to be wary of that guy, because if he falls in front of you
or tries to make a risky move on a turn
or something like that, that can sewer me.
I'm wary of riders like him.
While we were in Mont du Lac in Wisconsin
there was a race going on in Austria
and then one in France.
The way the point system is set up for
the 2023 season is all based
on your top three finishes
because there's races all over the globe and these athletes
aren’t making a lot of money, it only seemed fair
to just take the top three points, and then that determine the world champion.
It’s going to be Jack Schram Luca Dallago right to the finish line.
Jack, Rob, and Luke Webb, “Aussie Crasher”
all went to Austria first and then France
and then they met up with us in Quebec.
The France track was a fast track.
It was a bit sketchy racing in the Alps, Pralu, unreal.
Like you look out to the track and you just see
French Alps and just, uh, bad*ss track in front of you.
And, umm, it's kind of sad that when you're on the track
you're only focused on the track because it would be...
I think if you took a step back, it'd be quite impressive
to actually take in what you're skating to that point.
Austria went all right. That's definitely not my style of track.
But you know, I don't know...
the first race kind of dusting off the cobwebs
getting in the groove.
That Race in Canada man, that was brutal conditions.
It was probably the coldest race
I've ever raced in, or we've ever had in Ice Cross.
Definitely the windiest
and visibility was very low.
And you didn't want any point of your skin exposed
because it was so cold and windy, and we didn't get any training runs.
We just went right to time trials,
and it was just basically like skating a track blind.
So it was interesting.
and, you know, that's just what
we have to deal with in this sport.
Unfortunately, the spot that we were going
was like -40, wasn't the best weather and everything.
The coldest I've ever been.
That track is officially the coldest track I've ever skated in.
And it was...
actually, kind of fun.
So pump tracks are my thing. It was a bit annoying
we didn't get as many runs on the track as I would like
because I think, with a pump track, there a lot of technicalities
You need to get right to go fast.
So you need to be very efficient in your motions
and yeah, just the guys that beat me were just, just quicker.
We have Luke Webb, the Aussie crasher
at the outside gate here, seems to be making it past
the round of 64 more consistently, but not off to a good start here.
He and Arthur Fort are bringing up the rear, Luke Webb in third place
in that heat, and unfortunately is eliminated in the round of 32
and you could see the disappointment on his face.
But 22nd place is not a bad result here at all for Webby.
I had a lot of negative thoughts going into the Quebec after
I saw the track and saw the conditions
and then, uhh I had a talk with Jack and we were just kind of b*tching
about the track and everything, and then we're like
you know what, this is somethin’ different
this is somethin’, maybe, we're not good at.
So let's take that as a challenge and
and go out there and we're racing here regardless.
So we need to make the best out of it.
The wind's so high. It's so f*ckin
cold out that the ice is just absolute garbage.
Umm, and then when it came to race day, I ended up
kind of clipping skates and taking a toe pick.
I looked like a ballerina on ice
and spun out, and I just couldn't catch back up, so I was eliminated.
I think I finished, like, I don't know, 20th.
So ̶ not my best work.
Brittan struggled, got knocked out, round of 32.
Jack struggled, got knocked out, round of 32.
Aussie struggled, Got knocked out, round of 32.
I mean you turn that first corner and you basically hit a brick
wall of 40 mile per hour wind.
But ̶ then there's Rob Worling.
So Quebec was maybe one of the ̶
most interesting races I've ever been a part of.
That is the coldest weather I've ever had to deal with.
Rob Worling just effortlessly
stepping over the rollers, making it look too easy.
I actually felt really comfortable on that track.
I know a lot of people felt awkward on it because it was really hard
to generate speed because there wasn't a lot of downhill on it.
That honestly might be one of the most comfortable tracks I’ve felt on all year.
He's stable on his feet.
He made Quebec look easy.
So we have two Canadians
Robin Worling and Stephen Cox
in the finals here in the only race in Canada this season
and they get a great start as Rob pulls out in front.
No surprise here as he has looked smooth as butter
on this national ice cross track.
Rob leads in this final race from the beginning
till the end, and takes his place
atop the podium for the first time in his Ice Cross career.
We'll see what happens the rest of the season.
But right now, Rob is setting himself up
for his first World Championship.
My name is Robin Worling
I'm 26 years old, and this is my sixth season competing in Ice Cross.
Yeah, so growing up, I'd say my two main sports
were tennis in the summer and hockey in the winters.
And yeah, in 2017, I competed in Ice Cross for the first time.
Uh, there was a junior category
in my hometown of Ottawa; so I went to the track.
It was definitely pretty intimidating.
It was a big end of year season track, and I'd never skated downhill before.
But, you know, first couple rounds
were a little rough but, uh, I mean, I was hooked instantly.
And ̶ yeah, I've competed every season since.
So obviously, there
are some difficulties with Ice Cross.
It definitely requires a lot of time and a lot of travel.
But, uh, I've been fortunate enough to kind of mold
a career around Ice Cross.
I create content full time now, although, I gotta travel
pretty far and spend a lot of time going to these races.
I can create some pretty, uh, incredible content while doing so.
I fell asleep across the border in Europe.
Look innocent.
Oh right there here, press that maybe.
Here we are.
Thank you, hello.
Hey how are you guys?
Yeah, fine.
So where are you guys coming from today?
Quebec
And what's the purpose of your trip?
Uh, Ice Cross.
And this is like a team or something?
Eh that’s aight, eh...
it could be worse.
It could definitely be worse.
Checking out the ̶ state of the ice right now.
We've had below freezing temperatures
for the last couple of days at night, but during the day ̶
it's been, it's been, uh, above melting point.
You guys are crazy.
Are you guys all the athletes?
Yeah we’re part of it
I'm super familiar with this trail, so I...
But it's so fun, huh?
I imagine this would be perfect for what you guys are doing.
it's gonna be fast, that's for sure.
You guys be safe.
Have fun.
And that was the last we ever saw of “Jim-Bob.”
The weather here at Loss Valley has been a battle.
It is very, very tough to have an Ice Cross race
when the average daily temp isn't below freezing.
You know, we just got done with our first
exploratory run on the track, and ̶ it's a fun track.
It's really nice.
You know, this is the first time skates have been on it, and, uhh
it's a little risky, though, right now because of the warm temperatures.
Trying to find the balance between, uh, pushing our limits
and also being mindful of the status of the ice.
You'll notice at the bottom the athletes are finding creative
ways to stop, because the ice is so soft and it's so warm out.
There's not a safe way to stop as they normally would.
Yeah, so Maine was obviously, uh, pretty interesting this year.
Uh, there wasn't really any ice.
Unfortunately, the weather just wasn't really cooperating.
So the track was pretty much snow.
So you pretty much had to stay tucked like a skier
and then just kind of bomb down the hill.
Fast baby, here we go!
here we go!
Brittan comes down.
Nice run, finished in the top ten.
Jack, same thing, comes down, top ten finish.
And neither one of ‘em really thinkin’ about injury.
It's all about the ice in front of ‘em.
So we see Rob and I'm pumped.
I'm pumped to see this guy on a long track where he can glide
and really get some speed going
and then he cruises...
just zigzaging all the way down the track
and I'm like ̶
what is he doing?
Oh that Robin Worling so hot right now!
Will you sign my shirt?
Yeah, Good Run!
Woooh!
So I decided to really take it easy
on time trials and pretty much ended up walking down the track
I think I was like second to last after qualifications.
Because of that, Rob has now set himself up
to have the worst gate selection
throughout the entire event.
Is he good enough for that not to matter?
Hey Madra!
Hey Boo!
happy birthday!
Thank you!
Are y'all having fun over there?
So much fun. Are you having fun?
yeah, I'm sorry I missed the party.
Hi, granny.
Wonderful party.
I know it looks like a lot of fun.
I'm bummed to miss it.
Are you ready for tomorrow
Uh, as ready as I'm gonna be to
to ski down an ice cross track.
I just wanted to call and tell you guys that I love y’all
and I miss y’all, and, and I'm sorry I'm missing your birthday again.
Every, every year.
I'm traveling for racing on your birthday, so...
It’s okay.
You're always in my heart boo, love you.
I know. Love y’all very much. Cheers.
He, he does this and he takes two months
of the year away from his business
and his dog, and his family, and his girlfriend.
Takes two months away ̶
to help the sport grow.
One slip up... one inch.
That's all it takes
and that's the difference between walking away from this season
and not walking away.
You have to be in the zone.
You have to be able to block out the noise.
Jack is a rarity.
He’s stayed healthy in the sport for a very long time.
He just has an ability to visualize things
where other people don't.
My mindset.
I'm always just trying to live in the present moment, you know?
That's where I'm happiest.
I'm not, you know, worrying about the future or
you know, thinking about the past or what
the way things could have been, you know?
Ice cross came into my
life at a time when I really needed it.
It was a time when I was really struggling, You know?
I when I... after I graduated, uh, college and I wasn't playing hockey
anymore, and hockey had been such a
central part of my life from when I was two years old.
Umm, I was really lost.
Uh, it was almost like I didn't know who I was.
Auh, I don't know why this is so hard to, like...
say, but.. umm man...
I fell really, really deep into
uh, into drugs and alcohol, and, uh...
Au, man... It was, it was like
it was really consuming me, and, uh...
You know, I don't regret any of the, any of my past.
You know, a lot of tha...
those were good times.
And the rest were those lessons learned.
But now I just feel like this is
this is good for this point in my life, and, and ̶
I, I felt like
my drinking was very self-centered
and it was always about me changing the way I felt.
And the way that I want to live
my life going forward
is ̶ being of service
to others and thinking about other people
and not myself so much.
So... that's, that's, uh, that's one of the reasons
why I'm sober.
Alright, uh, we have the guys at the top.
Britain and Jack, great friends on the tour
have known each other for a very long time
and they actually, usually travel together throughout the season.
But what's going to happen when these two bodies clash?
You guys ready?
I’m going against, one of my, one of my amigos
Jack Schram, and he's a great racer.
One of the best US racers there is.
Here we have a competitive round of 32
with good friends Brittan Morris and Jack Schram in the mix
as well as Rob's younger brother Andrew Worling in the outside lane.
Nothing new here.
Good start for Brittan and Jack Schram.
Jack closing a bit of the distance now and is right there
on top of Brittan Morris.
Andrew carrying
a lot of speed on the inside but can't quite get by Morris
and now Jack makes contact with Brittan
as they approach the hip.
Oh, and that contact almost causes Brittan to go down!
And Andrew Worling passes right between them
to take the lead!
Jack and Andrew have this locked away, but oh no!
Andrew hit some bad ice and he goes down
headfirst across the finish line!
And Brittan is rightfully upset as it appeared
like there was contact from behind that took him out of this race.
I got pushed over the hip!
When I crossed the gates, I was f*ckin pissed.
I of course, know that Jack would never intentionally
take me out, especially coming in 1 or 2.
Umm, he didn't push me or anything like that
but he definitely made contact with me
at a point that I'm super vulnerable.
That line is very blurred.
There's a big gray area.
A lot of times when I'm racing, if I'm getting clutched and grabbed,
I don't even realize it until I'm watching footage like afterwards.
Also ̶ it's really tough to see ̶ on camera.
You know, exactly what's happening.
I'm still kind of pissed about it
but I love Jack, so it's one of those things.
It's just part of racing
and things like that are gonna happen.
I don't know, like there's just like instant karma.
I swear.
Back up line one.
There's some movement at the start gate and the line judge
is telling Jack to back up... and now they're off!
Now coming over that hip Matt Johnson goes down
hard with Jack right behind him now taking the lead!
I won that heat, and ̶
I go up to the top for my semifinal heat.
And I'm in the gate and they tell me that
I'm not ̶
that I'm not supposed to be racing this race.
So I know Jack is disqualified
and I see him getting off the gondola
looking like a gladiator ready for battle.
And I'm like ̶
why is he here?
Why have they not told him what happened?
I mean, this is not good.
Did anybody tell them what happened?
I did.
what are the four that are supposed to be up here again?
Derek Abrahamsen
four, Christian Richard.
So we have Jack up here instead of Derek.
What do we have? Johnson?
We have Jack.
Jack Schram, instead of Derek...
He was DQ’d because he jumped the gate
Derek should be up there.
Are you fucking kidding me?!?
I told you to twice back up man!
Well I didn’t jump the gate!
told me, you are not allowed to be
in front of the two by four after the five second warning.
I scooted back.
No, you didn't.
you did, you did it twice, I heard it
You were sitting right next to me
in front of the two by four with what part of my body?
Your helmet.
It’s easy to see from the first gate Gah!
I was the third guy out of the gate! Come on man!
make a fucking call like that!
F*ck!
I’m Sorry! I’m Sorry!
Are you kidding me?! Go! Get off the mountain!
Please go!
I didn't throw that!
Go! Just go...
I didn’t throw it!
It's fine. Just leave.
Yeah, there was a little bit of a scene
and, uh, yeah, but it is what it is.
You know, you move on.
I mean, he should be upset.
He should have been told at the bottom, you know, before
before he got all that pent up energy and ̶
that energy has to be released.
It's gotta go somewhere.
but it’s a
it's a difficult time in Ice Cross right now
most of the events are being run by local volunteers
and sometimes those volunteers don't know a whole lot about the sport.
Jack was across that line.
It is what it is.
You got to take the punches and move on to the next one.
Meanwhile, we have Aussie Crasher
just cruising along, having the best race of his season.
My name's Luke Webb.
I've been doing Ice Cross for 33 years.
No, sorry...
33 years?
Yeah.
Yeah, so, my name is Luke Webb.
I am 33 years old, and I've been doing Ice Cross
for six years?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Australia does not have a lot of snow.
No, no.
So Australia does not have a lot of snow.
Umm, so I think we need to have an Australian
in such a sport that has a lot of snow.
I've, I can't surf
so I may as well not be in Australia, I feel, uhh but mainly...
yeah, just...
I've played inline hockey since I was young.
Umm, started ice hockey from like 21 onwards, and then
yeah, just kind of, finished uni at that point.
Aussie Crasher, Luke Webb.
Oh, man, this guy is hilarious.
First I met Aussie Crasher
It was in Lassar, I think at a Canadian Riders Cup
and I... he was just in the locker room drinking beers.
And this dude so far from home, he's the furthest from home.
His results may not, you know be the best every race, but
this guy, just like... you gotta respect a guy that just, like takes hits
and, and just keep coming and coming and coming back for more.
So, umm and dude, he's got such a... like
a great attitude, always smiling, joking around.
One of... one of my favorite, uh, racers, for sure.
He is an absolute character
and always brings the fun
but he would come in last place with a smile on his face
and then he'd go to the bars with you and drink
you under the table.
It's just been really cool to see his progression
and how, how dedicated he was to to getting better.
And I know how much he loves Ice Cross.
After uni...
uh, it was quite hard to get work.
Yeah, just kind of not in the great... greatest mindset.
Uh, had previously bad relationship with a partner at the time.
Umm, and I kind of just made my own escape.
I wasn’t really doing anything kind of in a rut.
Just doing the same thing day in, day out, going to work
coming home, having beers, go and play inline hockey
and that was pretty much like my week.
Every time.
Yeah.
We went to Canada for a month, did four races in four weeks.
Uh, it was my first time experiencing real winter.
Umm, and then yeah, went back and just
couldn't stop thinking about Ice Cross.
So I ended up selling all my stuff and moved to Canada ̶
and then lived in a car for three months
settled down in Toronto, and I didn't really have a plan.
I kind of just wanted to get out of Australia as quick as I could.
I keep coming back to Ice Cross
mainly because if I didn't, I probably wouldn't be here.
I... doesn't matter what happens throughout the year, what
sh*t happens in the rest of my life, this seven, eight week
season, is kind of what I focus everything into.
So you say you wouldn't be here.
What do you mean?
You wouldn't be in America?
Uh, No.
So, uh, just like, mental health issues running throughout my family.
And then, uh, there's been a few years, which during Covid as well
but before that, it's been pretty bad for me.
Umm, like ̶ you could tell it was getting bad for me
because I would be skating at Fenway Park and I was too depressed
to get out of bed, to put my skates on, and skate in
probably the one of the most iconic tracks we've ever had.
I needed the time off.
I needed the time away from people, from work
just the chance to reset everything.
Coming through all that, and then working through
with what I've dealt with, I'd probably have to say that
Ice Cross has probably saved my life.
the greatest compliment that you can give any athlete
is that they reached their full potential.
But every now and then
you see an athlete reach beyond their full potential
and athletes like Aussie, prove that sometimes
the impossible is possible.
I know where I'm weak and where I'm strong and what I can do
and I’ve raced with these guys for so long.
I know what their skill sets are.
So I dropped it on the way.
It's gonna be a second.
Skate fast. Don’t fall.
Skate fast
don't fall, skate fast
don’t fall.
Last chance qualifier here with Luke Webb.
Someone who's familiar with having to earn his way into the competitive races.
So that's one of my problems with my personality.
I feel like I always chase like that rush.
I don't think people understand, like how much you
put onto that track in that 45 seconds.
It's just the actual, just the adrenaline release.
As expected Worling finishes
light years ahead of everyone else
but Webb comes in second with relative ease.
Round of 32 race and we have Luke Webb going up
against the very experienced athlete in Stephen Cox.
As soon as you get into the gate and that five second warning is called
like everything goes silent.
That's probably the most peaceful time
you'll ever experience in life.
Cox with a great start.
Luke Webb looking strong in second place.
As they go over the rollers here
Webb seems to be closing that gap against Cox
over the hip now, and Webb is right there
positioning himself to take a pass on this downhill to the finish.
Cox looks back as the big body of Luke Webb is propelling him down this track.
He had a couple of extra cheeseburgers for lunch and it’s paying off.
Round of 32, I actually ended up beating
uh, one of the faster guys, so I came in first in that heat.
Which a first for me.
It's actually an honor have made it to the round of 16,
which was huge because I didn't expect that at all.
Umm, coming into the round of 16, I was in second place...
looking at a, uh, round of eight, which would have been unreal.
My first top ten finish ever.
And Webb looking great again
finds himself in second, coming over the hip.
And oh no, he overcookes it and blows through the netting!
Racing happens.
And, uh, I got tangled up with one of the guys on the hips.
And we both went down.
Ended up getting caught in the net and needed some spectators
to help me get out.
So it was a bit disappointing because I felt like I had
a really good shot on that track but...
still my best finish this season so far, so I can't complain.
My helemt was up here, man.
My fucking foot's back here.
GoPro is facing straight up to the sky, so...
They don’t call him Aussie Crasher for no reason, baby.
So Aussie making it into the top 16.
That's a huge win.
I mean, you love to see somebody not give up.
Take the punches and just keep moving
forward, one step at a time.
And then on the other side you have Rob Worling.
Who is trying to take back to back wins from Quebec
and Maine to continue his run at a world championship.
Rob has a huge disadvantage
in these races because of his time trial.
Shiny stuff. Stay away from it.
Thank you.
Okay, right.
Have a good race, guys.
Be safe
RobWorling with an outside gate.
But it's no problem for him.
And he takes an early lead with Eric Milinkovich
right behind him.
So I got out of the gate.
Uhh, no issues, but, yeah, Eric Milinkovic
made a pass like, halfway down the track.
Milinkovic with a beautiful pass
on the inside of Rob Worling.
Sucks up that roller.
Oh, but he almost goes down the ice conditions here are rough.
Oh, and right as I say that worling goes down!
And then I hit a rut... went down pretty bad.
Max Nadeau fell over top of me, and, uh
and I kind of was like, well ̶ my race is over.
And then, I take two strides and I see Eric about three meters
deep into the side netting and...
Eric with a commanding lead now but, oh goes down into the netting!
He's rolled up tighter than one of Snoop Dogg’s Bombers!
Now, Max Nadeau and Rob Worling
who went down together are in the lead!
What a turn of events here in Lost Valley!
And Rob finds a way to come back
and finish first in this quarterfinals heat!
Crazy finish to this battle!
And just reiterates that never give up attitude!
Oh F*ck!
Hey, are you ok?
Are you?
I literally fell on your back, man.
Sorry about that.
No it’s all good.
Stephen Cox and Andrew Worling
will be moving on to the finals.
Also a competitive heat here, but Max Nadeau and Robin Worling
hold strong and punch their tickets to the finals.
Okay, so we have an all Canadian finals here with Rob's
younger brother Andrew, who is a bit of a surprise
here in the finals, but has been in good form on this track.
There's the always dangerous Stephen Cox, who seemingly can do it all
mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding next to him, an ice cross
veteran, Max Nadeau, both who have already made it to the finals
race in this season.
And rounding off your top four, Robin Worling
who had his first ever win in Quebec last week.
And they're off.
And Rob gets out to another great start!
Doesn't look
like anybody is going to be able to catch him here
as he's holding a strong lead for the moment.
Andrew Worling
trying to fight off Max Nadeau and go to the podium with his brother.
But Max makes the pass! And RobinWorling wins
for the second time in two weeks!
And in first place, Robin Worling!
So the North American trek
of the 2023 ice cross season has had a lot of action.
I mean, Brittan being able to overcome injury
in Mont du Lac to finish second.
And then you have the weather in Quebec
that really kicked all of our asses, except for Rob.
And then Maine...
the stories of the season really culminated
to a peak.
Now we head to Europe
to see if the athletes can continue to pursue their goals for the season.
Alright boys!
to Finland we go!
Rautalampi is always a fun race.
Always been one of my favorites
because we're racing literally through the woods
and through trees.
The Rautalampi track is never a track for me.
Really... a lot of skating, very technical skating.
Nothing I can ever train for back home.
Umm, just because you can't get the ice time.
There's no skate trainers back home.
Aussie didn't have the best time in time trials
so he'll have to go through last chance qualifiers.
Last chance qualifiers is when there's not enough athletes
to build up a round of 64.
So depending on your time trial, if you got below 32
you have to compete
to get into the round of 32.
Luke Webb, finds himself in the last chance qualifier.
Once again, he's lined up with newcomer Antonin Chiberches.
Webb needs to find a way to
make a pass here if he wants to get into the actual races.
Au, and that's a disappointing
finish here for Luke Webb all the way from Australia
and he's eliminated in the LCQ’s.
You know, this sport comes around once a year.
These guys get to push reality
to the side and live out their dreams
and sometimes it doesn't always go
the way you hoped that it would go.
♪ In the Shadow of the Mountain ♪
♪ Lives the shadow of a man ♪
♪ Where he hides from the trouble ♪
♪ he created with his troubled hands ♪
Can he make it, can he make it?!?
♪ There in the darkness ♪
♪ where the sun don't never shine ♪
♪ He wallows in his sorrows ♪
♪ beneath the aspens and the pines ♪
♪ He hopes it'll all soon be over ♪
♪ His blood runs cold with shame ♪
So Brittan, finished in the round of 32 again.
For the third time in a row. Since Mont du Lac
he is trending in the opposite direction.
His goals for getting top ten in the world
and number one American racer are starting to slip away.
Jack, has made it to the quarterfinals for the third time
this season, and for some athletes that would be considered a win.
But for Jack, he's been a veteran for a long time
and expects to be close to the top
and he’s struggling to break through to the semis this season.
♪ above him in the trees ♪
♪ is he God or is he the devil ♪
What's cool about this race in Rautalampi, Finland.
You get to see all these kids come out and these people come out of the woods.
I mean, you're just in a village in the middle of Finland.
The Finns just always put on a great race.
And the, the fans in Finland
love ice cross, and they always come out to support.
♪ He hopes it’ll all soon be over ♪
Marco Dallago, 2014 World champion.
He has competed
and beaten the best of the best.
Marco is sneaky, sneaky good.
He's not the fastest or the most athletic
but he's just so agile
and technically sound on his skates.
Marco is such a good ambassador for the sport
because he's seen the highs, he's seen the lows
but he doesn't lose hope.
And when you have the leaders at the top still striving forward
with that same fire in their heart that they had in the beginning!
everybody else just kind of follows suit.
And Marco Dallago is looking solid
weaving in and out of the forest here in Finland.
Engler and Nakari try to make a push in the home stretch
but it's Marco Dallago who will hold on for victory here.
♪ His blood runs cold with shame ♪
♪ But death ain't never gonna find him ♪
♪ For after all, he's just the shadow ♪
♪ And he'll hang from the gallows ♪
♪ For he's only the shadow ♪
♪ Of a man ♪
What are you doing with your shoes? you don’t need those!
Oh, come on, snooze!
Let's gooo!
It was burning my feet last time
It’s time !!
Whoooo!
Whoo! Whoo!
♪ This song’s about love man ♪
Yeah!
♪ [Laughs] Come on! ♪
Hoo, ha, hoo, ha, hoo, ha.
You know, I'm close with my family that I love to be around.
Luckily, this year my girlfriend Kelly was able to come up.
It's good going in now to this last week.
I just, I feel relaxed, I feel ̶
I feel kind of at home now and
umm, I feel like that's gonna help me in the race.
♪ Smiling back ♪
♪ baby ♪
♪ We've been here before ♪
♪ And your sweet sweet loving ♪
♪ keeps healing me ♪
♪ Lookin sideways ♪
♪ I said i’m lookin High ♪
♪ Can’t believe that I ♪
♪ have you by my side ♪
♪ Baby ♪
♪ It ain't ever been like this before ♪
Squirrel on the track.
Yeah, it made for a good video.
That was my first appearance with an animal on the track
besides myself.
♪ Sweet sweet loving keeps healing me ♪
♪ My brotha ♪
♪ Mister Bobby Flaco ♪
Leading up to the race,
I think that's like, one of the worst I've ever felt.
I took a couple bad crashes.
These time trials are extremely important for him, because whoever's out
front is gonna have a narrow path to block everybody off.
It's gonna be tough to pass anybody on this track.
Yeah after that
first time trial run like I was not in a good headspace at all.
Soini is the winner takes all event
for the guys that are at the top
which would be Rob Worling, Mirko Lahti, and Marco Dallago.
Marco Dallago
is probably the best racer right now.
He's the the veteran of the sport, former world champion.
And then Mirko Lahti, the high flying Finn that wants to win
a world championship on his home turf
or ̶ his home ice.
And he's got nothing but raw strength
and power in his legs.
So Rob has to have a good second time trial.
He has to.
Or he's not gonna win a world championship.
Third place!
Huge, huge finish in the time trials for Rob.
The problem is he finished right behind
Marco Dallago and Mirko Lahti.
I needed a good time trial run, especially on this track.
The start’s gonna be so important.
Gate picks are so important, because it's gonna be so hard
to pass in the middle of this track.
It's narrow, a lot of features
without a lot of room to try and pass on the side.
I’m still sitting in a, in a good position overall
in the world rankings. Believe I’m top ten right now. Even though
I have not done as well as I ̶
you know, expect myself to do.
I have still got a lot of confidence going in
and, and I know that now I'm here and
and now it's on a bigger stage and it matters more and
and I'm going to do better.
I'm just trying to finish the season strong.
I know it's a lot of guys
usually, you know, a little homesick
injured and maybe a little discouraged
if they're not in the World Championship race anymore
and, you know, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time.
Technically, I'm ranked
number one, but ,uh, I mean, take that with a grain of salt
because I had two races in North America
that a lot of the European guys didn't show up to.
Really, it’s anybody's race this weekend.
It's going to be, uh, probably the toughest race of the year
and, umm, whoever has the best result here is going to take it all.
The last race is always the hardest
and for a track like this, I... like, I feel good on it
but I'm just not fast on it, and I don't know why.
And then this track, The start means a lot.
and I know that's also a weakness for me.
[DJ Seeing all the fans come out here
to this event in the middle of nowhere
in Finland... it just gives you a different feeling.
Almost like there's a spark in the air
just waiting to ignite.
The big bodied Australian, Luke Webb
looking over the edge at the intimidating start here in Soini.
Go!
No LCQ’s for the Aussie Crasher this weekend as he faces off
against Jack Schram in the round of 64.
Jack out in the lead with Webb
trailing in the rear but looking to make a pass here.
Au, three of them go down, over the snow ghost!
And it's chaos on track!
Meanwhile, with all the crashes behind him
Jack Schram, is well out in the lead
and will easily advance into the round of 32.
The Aussie Crasher’s a crowd favorite
and you wanted to see him.
Well, here he is folks
and he'll come down
and slide into home plate!
You alright bud?
This season might have ended a little bit shorter than Aussie hoped
it would have, but you can't deny how far he's come
since he first started competing in Ice Cross.
He is still the only competitive ice cross skater ever
from Australia.
He's not just in the top 1%, he is the top 1%.
And he also provides a joy
that this sport desperately needs.
Here we have the POV of Rob Worling,
who gets ready for his first race at this event in the
World Championships here in the round of 64
Five second warning!
Go!
A great start by Worling as he leads the way
followed by Kevin Skiboz
who's super quick and a great glider.
Through the snow ghost and Worling
looking very comfortable on this track, which is good as he and
Mirko Lahti, are the front runners for the World Championship.
Robin Worling, making it look easy breezing through this round of 64
heat to advance on.
here’s a look from Britain's POV as the athletes get ready for this round
of 32 heat.
I knew that I had to move on
because I had
had this, you know, quarterfinal monkey on my back.
I have to make it through this round.
I'm not gonna have another disappointment.
Rider’s ready!
Five second warning!
Go!
A great start for Brittan Morris as he pulls out
in front of arguably one of the most competitive
heats in the round of 32
a solid pass on the inside by Richard Van Wijhe to take the lead.
The vet is so good at that, but Morris is right on his tail
both of them battling again in another round against each other.
Brittan fighting off the very talented French racer
Jonathan Merlino as he tries to make a pass.
But Brittan, cuts off Merlino's line against the tires at 180.
Great race defense by Brittan Morris here
as he and Richard Van Wijhe, come around the finish line
and advance to the quarterfinals round of this World Championship.
Monkey off the f*cking back!
I finished a good second.
I had a little bit of a battle with one of the other racers
one of the French racers who has beat me, time and time again.
So it was one of those where I had to fight him off right after the spine
going down the long, narrow pathway
before the last turn into the finish.
Umm, we were battling.
We were, you know, making contact.
I could I could feel him on my back and on certain turns.
I had to cut him off.
And I just played it aggressive and it paid off.
The fans are into it here
as we're getting ready for this quarterfinal heat.
Marco Dallago, almost jumped the gate, but I think he got back in time!
And it's a great start as Luka Engler, and Marco Dallago
get out there in front! Jack Schram bringing up the rear here!
Jack Shram's got his work cut out for him on this tight
and technical track.
Oh! Schram hammered the dasher boards and he is down!
Hopefully he's okay!
Engler and Dallago looks strong in the lead here though
as they make that 180 degree turn and head towards that finish line
one and two to move on to the semifinals!
But still no sign of Jack Schram.
Let's hope he's okay from that heavy, heavy crash into the boards.
He's come down
So it looks like Jack Schram is up and okay.
Gingerly moving down the track
and passing out some high fives to the fans.
So that's a good sign.
Jack's elimination in the quarterfinals.
Probably my favorite moment of the season.
Seeing Jack get up and high five
those fans all the way down the track, just, with the class
and humility of a world champion
is a reflection of this entire sport.
Fighting through the dark times with a smile on their faces
to finish what they started.
okay so...
I'm three?
Let’s go baby.
Here we go.
Yeah
Guys
Let’s go.
You know, you see this insane track all the way down
and you just kind of take a moment and think about what you're doing.
My dad used to always tell me that there's a thousand people
that want to be in the spot that you're at, and they're not.
You're here. Enjoy the moment.
Be in the moment, be present in it
and F*ck it, whatever happens, happens.
We’re set for another quarterfinal action round here with
Robin Worling, Richard Van Wijhe, Linus Ollikainen
and Brittan Morris about to start.
Five second warning!
Go!
And a good start again by Brittan Morris trying to move to
the inside of the track.
But getting into that battle with Rickard Van Wijhe
at each other's throats all day long, and oh!
Over, the snow ghost!
Morris loops out and goes down like a ton of bricks!
That was one of the bigger crashes we've seen on this course!
Robin Worling, leading through the 180 degree turn
and he has got this one locked down with a lot of gap between him and 2nd place
Linus Olliekainen, who will advance to the semifinals.
Hopefully, Brittan Morris is okay.
Ah, he is as he comes across that finish line in 4th.
Unfortunate.
As a competitor
of course, Brittan expected more out of this season.
Great athletes always expect more.
That's the right mindset to have.
But once the smoky ice clears
and he gets to look back on this season and reflect on everything
that he accomplished.
He’ll see what a hell of a season it really was. In a short amount of time
he's climbed the ranks and become the number one
racer in the US.
We did it.
We had a fun season.
It was successful.
I didn't get injured.
You're proud of what you did.
Just like that.
Just like that?
Semifinal action here
as Dallago, Engler, and Shayne Renaud battling it out.
Dallago takes the 180 turn in the lead
and it will be him and Shayne Renaud moving on to the finals.
Great start into this
semifinal by Robin Worling and Mirko Lahti, the two leaders in points
coming into this world championship race here.
Lahti, comes around the 180 turn in the lead
with Worling following close behind.
Lahti's a big body and the two of them lead from the start
to the finish in the semifinal heat and will be moving on.
So we've got a showdown for the final.
A storybook ending.
We have Rob Worling and Mirko Lahti
and it just couldn't be more perfect.
I mean, these guys have been the two best athletes all season long.
Neither one of them were able to make it to every single race
but they are one and two in the world rankings as we speak.
And now they meet in the finals for the World Championship.
On the flip side, we have two more athletes
that wouldn't mind seeing themselves on that World Championship podium.
Shayne Renaud, just an outrageous athlete
just a complete character.
He's either going to blow through some boards
or wind up on a podium.
You never know what you're gonna get.
And then Marco Dallago
the 2014 world champion
and he just always finds a way to end up
near the top year in and year out.
Riders ready!
Ice Cross
has witnessed the summit of the Red Bull mountain
and the low of the valley
that followed Covid.
It has stared rock bottom square in the eyes
and fought through every inch of it.
in the face of adversity, these athletes chose
not to back down but to rise.
They aren't just skating on ice
they are stating a thin line between passion
and uncertainty.
Five second warning!
Their collective effort breathes life into a sport
on the brink of extinction.
Not only is it a story of resilience
but one that inspires.
It has a purpose bigger than the sport
or the athletes competing within it.
Go!
Life is unpredictable
filled with twists and turns.
The key isn't avoiding the falls.
It's about finding the courage to get back up
to rebuild and continue the race.
The athletes in this sport
are doing just that.
Their sacrifices aren't
just for the sport alone.
It's an investment in the very essence
of what makes them feel alive.
The story is beautiful
because of the battle entangled within it
between the highs and the lows
when it is all said and done
people will see that not only did you face the darkness
you became the light within it, like a beacon
for others to follow.
From Canada, Robin Worling!
World champion!
Sword master from Finland!
Mirko Lahti!
Ice Cross will survive
and continue to inspire people all around the globe.
Warriors on ice
United as one... who have the courage to walk into the fire
when others wouldn’t.
They put on... Hockey gear.
Fully, fully hockey gear.
And so picture this... like a steep, steep hill
But there’s boards, so it’s a track.
Is it steep though?
Ha, axtra steep.
And there's boards along the path, and then there's hills
and there's turns and it's a race!
That's a wrap boys.