National Post Sports

This weekend, 200 participants will be in Niagara Falls to take part a sport called ice cross downhill but known more widely known as Crashed Ice, which began as a marketing tool hatched by the makers of an energy drink. Participation has grown, and while it will not make the skaters rich, it does offer the promise of at least fleeting fame.

The premise: Four skaters begin at the top of an ice track, racing each other to the bottom in a race that mixes elements of ice skating, downhill skiing, luge and a general disregard for personal safety.

In Niagara Falls, which is staging the event for the first time, the track is 460 metres long, with a half-dozen jumps. It looks like an extra-wide bobsleigh track, and organizers say it took about 7,500 hours to assemble. (Photo: Jorg Mitter/Red Bull)