Crashed Ice heads to Moscow for the third and penultimate round of the 2011 World Championship. We've already seen two epic battles take place in Germany and the Netherlands, and things are getting close at the top.

Credit: Jörg Mitter/Red Bull Crashed Ice
Claudio Caluori, Vladislav Kurshev and Andre Lavrov pass the Kremlin on skates.
In the first round, both Croxall brothers got to the final, but Scott was disqualified after a false start. In the second round, again both Croxall brothers were in the final and this time they both got to the finish line. However, they are sitting second and third in the championship behind everyone's favourite (skating) Finn Arttu Pihlainen. When Arttu gets out of the blocks well, ahead of everyone else, he can speed down the course in the blink of an eye. If he gets mixed up in traffic, that's when things get interesting. Here's how the points standings look at the moment.
Position | Name | Country | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Arttu Pihlainen | Finland | 1800 |
2 | Kyle Croxall | Canada | 1700 |
3 | Scott Croxall | Canada | 1400 |
4 | Lari Joutsenlahti | Finland | 820 |
5 | Lukas Kolc | Czech Republic | 810 |
6 | Michael Prochazka | Czech Republic | 670 |
7 | Lukas Fiala | Czech Republic | 622 |
8 | Louis Philippe Dumoulin | Canada | 590 |
9 | Jim De Paoli | Switzerland | 580 |
10 | Kilian Braun | Switzerland | 520 |
For what it's worth, my personal favourite and defending champion Martin Niefnecker is sitting way down in 17th, so at this point he could probably just stay at home.
It's unlikely that he will though, because these guys are tough. If you're prepared to watch some fast and furious skating action, then tune in to Red Bull TV at 3:45pm GMT when the third round of Crashed Ice gets underway. I will see you then!
Woohooooo!! I love this series :)
Hopefully I'll be around for the whole thing, have a few things to do later but hopefully they wont clash with this fab little competition. Fake Heikki gets my support again :)
I'll be running around looking after a chicken, but really, Crashed Ice is more important.
I'm still annoyed that I didn't realise the last round was less than a 40-minute-drive away from my home until a day after the event. :(
Ah well, let's see what'll happen tonight!
Ehm, btw, just checking... don't you mean 'looking like a chicken'? Or am I misunderstanding something here?
I'll again be simultaneously trying to watch rugby while this is on, although I think this being earlier than the last one means it falls in the gap between games.. :)
Hehe, both actually. Roasting a chicken today :)
Nice little piece on the Croxalls: http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Article/Born-to-do-Battle-021242962514968
We’ve been fighting against each other our whole lives so there was nothing different about that!" was Kyle's assessment. "On the track it’s anyone’s game."
Ah! That explains it. My bad then. ;)
Still, I'll now have to get the image out of my head of you running after a live chicken, trying to catch it in order to be roasted. :P
2 minutes to go :)
It's onnn!
yay!
Red Bull drinks everywhere as always :)
The people in the crowd looking FREEEZING.
-19!!!!
Niefy, Niefy, Niefy.
I wonder if Niefnecker will do better today
Hehe, Mos-cow.
Who can?
Kyle Can!
Scott Can too.
wow
Hehehe. I think I am secretly cheering for Scott today.
Expert run of the course.
Will he fall down this time?
I love this.
now it's stime for speeeeeeeeeed
That looks steep.
"This time no crash!"
looks like a steep monza of Crashed Ice, lots of straights
Not-Heikki up first.
The mini safety car! Woo!
I never heard the commentators name before. Troy!
Aroooooooga!
Wooooo!
Ouch, the guy went downhill face first
He's miles in front!
ice isn't melting this week.
Fake heikki blasted them away!
Bit slower, which I appreciate :)
I would like to try and ride these courses in a dingy
With about 5 layers of protection, granted
Stinky fast!
The finnish guys are 'stinky fast' out of the game :d
Jooooots!
*gate, even
Gladiatooorss, readdyyyy!
oops
today, i have the video running on a pc and comments on a mac. like skype, flash streaming is just better on windows.
Lots of big drops and steep bits. It's like a rollercoaster.
Mohawk hat!
That can't be very aerodynamic!
mohawk helmet
I wonder if Alanis is in the competition again
They're all falling over that hill. I'm not sure I could even get up it.
oooh he lost 2nd on the final bumps!
love that they can't make the final hill.
Me and my dinghy would just keep going up and down, it would be lots of fun trying
Groisjean-esque hair
Except he did well ;)
MIne's a tad stuttery, not too bad
Seems like quite a lot of field spread in these early rounds.
i like how he got in front of him at the end :)
That hill is brilliant!
Mine's fine too, he's just showing off :)
Tree stumps?
Surely tree trunks :)
Red fell down.
Ouch!!
Looked a bit hurt too
ouch for the red guy. where's the yellow?
He needed help from the wall over that steep bit.
He fell at te start and i didnt see him since :)
oooh here's a Croxall.
Second. He likes to lead.
Blue!! youve not finished yet!!
:)
He gave that up! Closest finish(ish) yet though.
Awwwww, climbing the wall.
Scott Croxall now.
Where have the other ones gone?
where'd 3 & 4 go?
Gooooo Scotty.
facepalm over the hill! epic!
belly-flop!
Genius!
hehehehehe!
Niefnecker!
surely he has to do better?
Come on Marty.
Ouchies.
WOOOOOOOO!
Marty wins!
good race for him, 3rd to 1st
Awwwwwwwwwww.
This is the most evil course ever!
hehehe, yellow didn't make the hill. he'll need a runup.
Heeeheheheh, aww I shouldnt laugh at the poor char popping his head over the head then going back down.
Just like the Travelator. This gets more Gladiators every week :)
That bit really is like Gladiators on Ice.
yes!
No Alanis :(
Its almost like the first 80% of the course doesn't count! All about that hill.
I like how everyone is bobbing about to keep warm
-20.
I think the camera man liked that lady.
awww, fake heikki.
Yeesh. Ice rink is hard enough.
Oh no, Niefy and Scotty are in the same heat. #conflicted
Theres one guy who looks like Timo
I can't wait to see Chris Pfeiffer get up that hill.
heheh! :D
Blue one went flying!
Fake heikki is awesome.
oooooh Yootsi tootsi was so close.
He did so good to try and catch back up but blue one failed.
That's the fella.
ahh he didn't make it
Helmet cam?
helmet cam?
Brawn!
bllue one slipped down
WOAH.
Belly flop jump!
Brawn qualifies!
Dumoulin vs Croxall K.
I bet he is saying get out of the way I am trying to race
yellow chap takes out domoloah!
Yellow took out Dumoulin!
wow, what a recovery from blue. sooo close.
he's out!
It needs to be longer! :)
Croxall and Mater got through.
Red and Silver in this one please.
Nooooo.
Niefnecker down!!
No!
he's out!!
Wooo Scott! Boo Niefy.
Drama
I dont think he's going to be keeping his championship
ahhh I have to go sadly. Cheer on Fake heikki for me!
Scott disqualified AGAIN.
will do.
Scott held back Niefy, so he is disqualified, but Niefy doesn't get through either, so that is a big fail all round.
no motorcycle entertainment?
nice drums
That is one way of keeping warm, I suppose.
oooh theres a fake Heikki? Now that Roger has been destroyed my attention is here.
Arttu Pihlainen is like the bestest Finn on skates ever.
I like him already.
The poor guy's "five second warning" call gets weaker each time. He must be freeeeezing.
Not-Heikki miles in front, as per usual.
an amazing start.
They all handled that hill well this time.
Mater FTW then.
I am running out of options.
aww!
my tennis friend just asked me what Crashed Ice is. I am spreading the awesomeness.
speed sporting!
Kyle sweeps into the lead.
Mater on his knees over the hill.
yay, bikes!
Roger lost so quickly tonight that was almost speed sporting.
WOOOOOO!! Not-Chris.
He's an X-Fighter. I suppose you would need to be to get over that hill.
He's down!
he's fallen off!!
That didn't last long.
oops
Shoulda been Chris see.
He's properly mashed up the ice at that corner.
I want to attend this event in person, wearing 30 layers with a thermos of hot chocolate.
i'd be tempted too.
-20?
not.russia!
but i like that it's in capital cities.
the fans on the stream always look so cozy in their mittens and hats. Winter is deceptive that way.
Mater swore!
120,000! Thats epic crowdage.
Ahhh the leader came last
Lavrof fell and then couldn't get the speed up for the hill!
Mater third.
that was sad, seeing him pop up his head over the top then disappear back down again :D
Blink and he's three metres ahead of everyone! Not-Heikki is amazini.
dom.in.ation.
wooooo not Heikki. Good job by Mr Canada too.
Well done R2
:)_
And now that its all over I shall away to bed. Need a good nights rest before my hair cut tomorrow :D
night amy
Mini Rookie Award. That doesn't sound patronising at all :)
night
heheh
frozen champagne!!
Seems odd that it is dark in Moscow and bright sunshine here, they are only a couple of timezones away.
true.
many thanks to everyone commenting today. much enjoyed that.
Was good fun