As competitive sports go, ice cross downhill is higher on risk than it is reward. With scant prize money at stake, athletes are motivated solely by jeopardy, rivalry and adrenaline. MH travelled to Finland to meet the men with ice in their hearts
Five-second warning.” The race official’s words ring out over the tannoy and a veil of silence descends upon the snow-dusted hillside. Under a cold night sky, the 10,000 men, women and children pressed up against the barriers lining the track stand in statuesque stillness. Tonight, five seconds feels an eternity. Time, much like everything in this inhospitable Scandinavian snowscape, appears frozen.
A horn sounds. At the top of the hill the mechanical gates jerk open and the crowd erupts into clamorous excitement. Four men burst out of the gates. The razor-sharp blades on their skates scrape through the acutely angled ice as the competitors propel forward before adopting a tight tuck position, bracing for impact as they fly into the first corner.
Between these men, the finish line and ultimate glory lie 630m of steeply descending, viciously undulating and dangerously unpredictable ice. That’s not to mention each other – only two of the four who started will progress to the next round, and all will put their bodies on the line in pursuit of victory. As the cold air rushes past their face, each rider repeats a mantra in his head: “Follow the racing line, hold position, get out in front, and make it to the end of the night.” Get stuck in the pack – all flailing arms, overlapping skates and clashing shoulders – and you’re as likely to be climbing into the back of an ambulance as onto a podium.
COLD MOUNTAIN
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