QUEBEC CITY - Swathed in red and yellow lights plus the ever-present Red Bull logo, four men dressed in full hockey gear stand in front of the Chateau Frontenac. Stretched out before them is a glowing 550 metre track of solid ice that winds its way through the sloping streets of Old Quebec, complete with barrel jumps, rollicking waves and at times, sheer drops. All along the course over 80,000 fans clamour for a view of the spectacle. They leer from bridges, sidewalks, fifth floor apartment windows, the base of historic statues and over the boards that flank the track. The atmosphere is electric; the audience is awash with excitement. Despite -22 Celsius weather it appears that every soul in Quebec City is here, heavily bundled, dancing, singing, cheering and pounding on the boards with rhythmic ferocity. A roaring thunder rolls up from the unseen finish line to the four men who nervously wait their go at the top. This is intense. This is the final race of Crashed Ice 2009.

"It's so scary going down that hill," says Claudio Caluori, a Swiss competitor who finished in the top 32 this weekend. "But once you do it, with all the people, the atmosphere, everything...it's just incredible."

Astounding. Shocking. Downright nuts. These are also fitting adjectives for a sport that is pitched as "a combination of hockey, boardercross and downhill skiing" but is more so just a bad idea on skates. Four skaters barrel down a narrow track of outdoor ice at speeds approaching 50 km/h with pitfalls and obstacles in their way and nothing to break their fall but ice, boards, and more ice. Although intentional hitting is off-limits it's an unavoidable part of the sport and skaters tumble, slam and crash into each other nearly every run. Crashed Ice is a risky competition but as with most extreme sports the chance of getting hurt is half the fun.

"There are injuries," Caluori admits. "A lot of guys have had dislocated shoulders; someone had a broken leg in Switzerland. Last year, in Quebec I got a bruised back, but it's similar to hockey," he says with a broad smile. "Hockey might not be as scary, but it's just as dangerous."