Red Bull has been hosting 'Crashed Ice' competitions since 2001, but this past weekend marked the first time ever that an Ice Cross Downhill event was held inside a stadium. So, we decided to send photographer Chris D. Thompson to document all the ice-cold insanity.
It took a crew six weeks and 35,000 combined hours of labor to transform the iconic Fenway Park into a 1,200-foot ice track. (Don't worry Red Sox fans. The field was protected with over 107,000 square feet of aluminum flooring.) Over 100 skaters from 22 countries competed, racing four-at-a-time on a course that featured hairpin turns, big-air jumps, and top speeds of 50 mph.
In the Men's Division two-time World Champion Cameron Naasz secured victory, and reigning World Champion Amanda Trunzo won the Women's Division. “[Fenway] is such a historic ballpark," Naasz said after his win. "I like to think we made a little history here tonight." You can watch a replay of their wins, here.
Would you ever want to give Ice Cross a go? What other emerging sports do you think deserve a big arena moment?
