Courtesy of Monster Energy Honda Team
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Dakar Rally 2017  |
Yoshishige NomuraHRC President
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Taichi HondaMonster Energy Honda Team Rally Project Leader
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Martino BianchiMonster Energy Honda General Manager
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Category Archives: News
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Teams score three podium finishes in San Diego Supercross
Courtesy of KTM Racing
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
Round 2 of the AMA Supercross Championship took place in San Diego on Saturday and it was a successful day for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teams in both the 450SX and 250SX divisions. In the premier class, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team’s Ryan Dungey made it an exciting battle to the finish to earn 2nd overall, while teammate Marvin Musquin rounded out the podium with a 3rd place finish. TLD Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath continued his success from the opening round to capture his second-straight victory in the 250SX class.
Ryan Dungey got off to a good start on the day as he claimed the top position in timed qualifying, which awarded him first gate pick heading into the evening’s heat races. Dungey was joined in 450SX Heat 2 by his teammate Marvin Musquin, who qualified 5th earlier in the day.
As the gate dropped for 450SX Heat 2, Dungey powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into a 2nd place position, with Musquin just inside the top five. While Dungey maintained a solid 2nd place position throughout the seven-lap race, Musquin powered his KTM past Chad Reed and Cooper Webb to ultimately capture a 3rd place transfer position into the Main Event.
Main Event
It was a great start for KTM riders as Dungey captured the holeshot, followed by Musquin and Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/WPS/KTM’s David Millsaps close in tow. While running in 2nd on the opening lap, Musquin had a close call where he went off the track for a brief moment and lost a position to Ken Roczen. Luckily, Musquin recovered quickly and settled into the 3rd place position early on as he set his sights on the lead duo ahead.
Dungey led the first seven laps of the Main Event until Roczen took over the lead just before the halfway point. Dungey didn’t back down though, as he continued to pressure Roczen for the lead position. Due to the new format of timed-races, the Main Event extended itself to 24-laps in total, which proved to be valuable for the reigning back-to-back champion as he reeled in Roczen near the end.
Heading into the final moments of the race, Dungey pulled himself to less than one second behind Roczen and the duo battled it out toward the finish. Dungey made a mistake on the final lap to ultimately allow Roczen the freedom to capture the win, where he finished 2.5 seconds back for 2nd place.
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
Dungey: “We started out the day nice, which was good because I felt like last weekend that wasn’t the case. It was nice to have the fastest time going into the night show and just put all of our effort into the track. In the Main Event Kenny and I were pushing the pace, I was out front first and then he got by but we had a fast pace all night. We all took the same line out there, you didn’t want to try anything different because the track was so rough. Lappers in the way made you venture off a little but I picked up on a few lines late in the race and was really happy with it. The bike setup was great tonight and I had a lot of fun. I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to coming into the weekend. I know I have to keep the focus on myself and use my experience to make it happen. We made a couple changes here and there but I was really happy in the end.”
Musquin maintained a solid 3rd place position where he captured his second-consecutive podium finish through the first two rounds.
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
Musquin: “I was really happy about my start in the Main Event. I was trying to be really aggressive and pass Ryan on the opening lap. I went inside and doubled – I don’t know what happened but I thought I was going to crash! I was up in the air and all I could see was the sky. I don’t know how I didn’t crash but I went off the track and jumped back on. Especially with that, I am really glad to be on the podium. It was a good race, I was trying to ride really hard and keep up the pace with those guys (Roczen and Dungey). At the end of the race they were going really fast, I couldn’t really do more against those guys but 3rd is really good.”
250SX West Class
Shane McElrath didn’t get the most favorable jump off the line but he pushed his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into a top five position on the opening lap. The points leader played it smart in the beginning stages of the race, where he moved his way into 3rd by lap five.
From there, McElrath put on a major charge to climb his way into 2nd where he contested for the lead position in the final laps of the race. McElrath made a big charge in the final moments of the race as he pressured Martin Davalos for the lead position. McElrath eventually made a pass for the lead with two laps to go and he held on to the checkers to capture his second-straight victory and career win No. two in the 250SX West Class.
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
McElrath: “It’s unreal to explain (winning two in a row) but I try to treat the race like a practice day where we go through every scenario except with a little less intensity. I have been working really hard – spiritually, mentally and physically – and have just been in the zone. The Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM team works their butts off every week and I’m so thankful. Last week’s win could have been a fluke but tonight proved to be the real thing and I want to keep it going. The track was really demanding tonight, it was one of those things where I just had to run it in there, it’s not what I would have liked to do but that’s racing – it was for the win so I’ll take it.”
Next Round: January 21, 2017 – Anaheim 2, CA (USA)
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
Results 450SX Class San Diego 2017
1. Ken Roczen (GER), Honda, 21:28.796 min (24 laps)
2. Ryan Dungey (USA), KTM, +2.589 sec
3. Marvin Musquin (FRA), KTM, +21.680
4. Jason Anderson (USA), Husqvarna, +28.977
5. Cole Seely (USA), Honda, +40.918
Other KTM
8. David Millsaps (USA), KTM, +48.583
DNS Trey Canard (USA), KTM
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
Standings 450SX Class 2017 after 2 of 18 rounds
1. Roczen, 50 points
2. Dungey, 44
3. Musquin, 40
4. Anderson, 36
5. Eli Tomac (USA), Kawasaki, 31
Other KTM
7. Millsaps, 27
Copyright: © Simon Cudby KTM Media Library
Results 250SX West Class San Diego 2017
1. Shane McElrath (USA), KTM, 16:39.591 min (18 laps)
2. Justin Hill (USA), Kawasaki, +0.387 sec
3. Aaron Plessinger (USA), Yamaha, +2.780
4. Martin Davalos (USA), Husqvarna, +3.631
5. Austin Forkner (USA), Kawasaki, +19.039
DNS Mitchell Oldenburg (USA), KTM
Standings 250SX West Class 2017 after 2 of 9 rounds
1. McElrath, 50 points
2. Plessinger, 42
3. Hill, 38
4. Davalos, 38
5. Forkner, 29
Other KTM
9. Oldenburg, 18
www.supercrosslive.com
www.ktm.com
The Dakar’s highs and lows
Courtesy of Red Bull Newsroom
As the 39th edition finishes, we pick out the best and worst from this year’s event.
On Saturday, the 39th edition of the Dakar Rally reached its climax in Rio Cuarto, Argentina, with Stéphane Peterhansel heading the field in the car class by just over five minutes and Sam Sunderland becoming the first British winner in the motorbike class.
After two weeks of action, we look back at some of the highs and lows of the 12 stages of this year’s event.
Most dramatic stage finish
Nasser Al-Attiyah, whose Dakar sadly ended prematurely, got off to a flying start by winning the opening stage of the event as he bid for a third overall victory. But it proved an explosive finish as an oil leak combined with intense heat caused a small fire to break out on the front left wheel case of his Toyota Hilux.
Biggest crash
Ever year there are all manner of retirees from the Dakar but none more dramatically than Carlos Sainz, who had been poised to take the lead but he rolled into a ravine at speed and in dramatic fashion, narrowly avoiding a couple of spectators with the whole drama caught on film. He understandably wasn’t able to continue after that day.
Darkest day
In the space of just 24 hours, the Dakar lost three of its most celebrated entrants as Al-Attiyah, Sainz and motorcyclist Toby Price were all forced to retire. Price’s departure was the most physically damaging, breaking his femur in four places in a crash caused when he hit a rock.
Biggest washout
Two stages were called off as a result of the weather: stages six and nine. But the thunderstorms on the route led to a massive landslide, which caused the immediate cancellation of the stage from Salta to Chilecito with just four days left of the rally.
Top sportsmanship
Everything was on the line for Peterhansel on Stage 10 with another Dakar victory firmly in his sights. Early on the stage though he collided with biker Simon Marcic, with both lost and away from the official route. The 12-time winner stayed with the Slovenian rider, who had a broken leg, for around 15 minutes until medical assistance arrived. The Peugeot driver finished nearly seven minutes behind Sébastien Loeb but event organisers gave him the time back after his act of sportsmanship.
Best spectators
As usual, there were no shortage of spectators along the route of the Dakar whatever the weather conditions. But arguably the most notable crowds were those that thronged to the stage four finish in Tupiza, the streets awash with Bolivian flags as far as the eye could see.
Best show of patience
Motorbike rider Sam Sunderland must have thought his time would never come. He first entered the Dakar in 2012 but was undone by mechanical failure on stage two. He was forced to retire from his other two Dakars with another mechanical and a crash, while crashes twice denied him from even taking to the start line. On Saturday, he finally finished the event…and in first place.
Most popular win
The award has to be shared by Pablo Copetti and Walter Nosiglia in front of their home crowds respectively. Copetti proved triumphant on his quad in Argentina on stage two while the Bolivian flag waving went wild as Nosiglia entered Tupiza at the end of stage four in front of the rest of the field.
Best duel
Stephane Peterhansel (FRA) of Team Peugeot Total races during stage 03 of Rally Dakar 2017 from Tucuman to Jujuy, Argentina on January 4, 2017
Each stage may have been hundreds and hundreds of kilometres long, and yet just a smattering of minutes – sometimes seconds – separated Loeb, the former master of the World Rally Championship, and Peterhansel, the most dominant competitor in Dakar history. The only shame was that the duel had to end.
Best all-rounder
A special mention must go out to Kees Koolen. There was to be no overall glory in the quad class but the Dutchman deserves kudos for his victory on stage five having now competed at the Dakar in all four categories of vehicle.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S JASON ANDERSON EARNS A HEAT RACE WIN AND FINISHES 4TH AT SAN DIEGO SX
Courtesy of Husqvarna Motorcycles
| Martin Davalos Finishes Fourth in 250 Class |
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San Diego’s Petco Park hosted the second round of the 2017 AMA Supercross championship series on Saturday. A rain-filled week leading up to the race made for a difficult track, but the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team arrived ready to work.
Jason Anderson posted the second-fastest qualifying time of the day aboard his Husqvarna FC 450 leading into the night show. He pulled the holeshot in his heat race and briefly fell back to second before nailing a clean pass for the lead to take his fourth career heat race win. He started in the top 10 in the main, hovered around seventh, and then put in a solid charge to finish fourth. “I had to come through the pack again tonight,” said Anderson. “I got fourth, but I’ll be better next weekend. The track was kind of sketchy, but I’m pumped with how I rode. I just want to be up in the front.” Martin Davalos qualified fourth-fastest in the 250 class and was looking for a repeat of last weekend’s season opening heat race win to start off the night. He was second at the start of his heat but made a small mistake, which moved him back to fifth. He started advancing through the pack by the end of the first lap and eventually finished second to transfer to the main. He was second at the start of the main and immediately started fighting for position. He was settling into a nice rhythm and gaining ground aboard his Husqvarna FC 250. He stayed strong and made an impressive pass to overtake the lead with 5:30 remaining in the race. He was starting to pull away, but made a small mistake in front of a freight train of riders, causing him to fade back to fourth where he finished. “I took some positive things out of this race,” said Davalos. “It’s still kind of frustrating that I lost the race with a lap and a half to go, though. I made a mistake twice in the rhythm section and it allowed the guys behind me to catch up. It’s only the second race, but I just wanted to win so badly. Hopefully we get some good weather this week so I can get some solid training in. I’m looking forward to the next round.” Christophe Pourcel was looking to redeem himself from last week’s race, but San Diego was no kinder. After starting around third in his heat, he made a mistake around a corner that put him on the ground. He remounted but was unable to finish the race, and would sit the remainder of the night out. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team will return to Angel Stadium in Anaheim next Saturday, January 21, for the third round of the 2017 season. San Diego Supercross Results: 250SX West Main Event: 250SX West Rider Point Standings: 450SX Main Event: 450SX Rider Point Standings: |
Kristoffersen beats Hirscher
Courtesy of Red Bull Newsroom
Henrik Kristoffersen takes slalom win in Switzerland ahead of Marcel Hirscher.
Organisers called off men’s World Cup Alpine Skiing racing on Saturday due to heavy snow falls, but Sunday’s weather allowed for a fantastic show in the Swiss resort of Wengen.
Kristoffersen, who already took the win last year in Wengen, has been dominating the start of the 2017 season. He already won last week’s Adelboden slalom by nearly two seconds.
“My run was not perfect today,” said the Norwegian skier, “I wasn’t perfect on the steep section, but still I am happy to have walked away with the win today.”
Hirscher was in fourth place after the first run (+0.56) and pushed hard in the second one. He eventually took the second place (+0.15), but there is no doubt this isn’t enough for the five-time world champion. Germany’s Felix Neureuther took third.
Kristoffersen and Hirscher were tied in the overall slalom standings before Wengen. The Norwegian is now 20 points ahead of the Austrian with the Kitzbuehel, Schladming, Stockholm and Aspen stops still coming up.
Source: www.fis-ski.com
Incredible Day of Competition Unfolds at Shoe City Pro
Courtesy of WSL – World Surf League
Massive day of competition determines finals day draw at Shoe City PRO QS1,000
– Men blast Through remaining round 2 Heats And Settle round 3 battles
– Women begin their 2017 QS season in defining fashion
– More at www.worldsurfleague.com
HUNTINGTON BEACH, California/USA (Saturday, January 15, 2017) –The World Surf League (WSL) Shoe City Pro Qualifying Series (QS) 1,000 charged through the second day of competition in remaining four-to-six foot waves that offered plenty of scoring potential. The men completed remaining Round 2, Heats 9-16 and Round 3 in their entirety before the women opened up their 2017 season with impressive performances. The final day draws are set and both champions will be crowned by day’s end Sunday, January 15. In his debut Round 2 battle, Jake Kelley (USA) emerged with the highest heat total of the day, a 15.20 (out of a possible 20) and continued that success into Round 3 with another big win. Kelley stuck to the same formula to begin his 2017 and it paid dividends thus far with crisp backhand attacks. While his homebreak of Nomad’s was flat most of the winter, Kelley kept busy abroad and took full advantage of the Christmas swell on offer back on the West Coast. “It feels good to get something going to start the year after just spending time in the offseason surfing a lot and getting my boards dialed,” Kelley said. “I stayed busy probably when I shouldn’t have been in that last heat. I kept falling, but got lucky that some sets came to me and was able to surf them well. It helps to stay fresh and stay on top of my game being in Hawaii for a while over the winter and it’s so nice to finally have waves here again.” Ian Crane (USA) picked up right where he left off yesterday in his Round 2 win and stole another big victory in Round 3 today — posting an excellent 8.17 (out of a possible 10). The San Clemente-native has found his mind space and put that into effect as he moves into Round 4. After last year’s Equal 5th, Crane looks to better that result and is well on his way to doing so with a standout performance today. “I feel a little bit more aware that I’m in a heat and not just surfing,” Crane said. “If I was just surfing I probably would’ve been closer to the pier and catching one hundred waves, but instead I only caught three waves in that heat. I’m definitely trying to be smarter in that way because I’ve lost a few times like that. I’d win heats and then do something dumb off in the corner while letting my competitors sit where the waves are the best. If I can just not do anything like that I’ll be stoked to keep moving on.” Alongside Kanoa Igarashi (USA), fellow local hero Brett Simpson (USA) came out firing in his Round 2 debut with a heat win and backed it up with a Round 3 win. The former Championship Tour (CT) competitor still has the desire to find his way back onto the elite level as he returns to the QS in hopes of doing so. Simpson finds himself surfing against two sons of the sport that brought back some nostalgia during his heat. “I miss competing, it’s been awhile since Hawaii and I had a terrible heat at Sunset,” Simpson said. “It’s nice to jump out and surf with some second generation guys like Noah [Beschen] and John [Mel], I was pretty much surfing against their dads when I started,” Simpson continued. “It’s great to see the up-and-coming kids and for me to keep that fire of getting back on tour. Every heat nowadays it’s always hard. I’m just trying to get in the mind frame of winning, which is hard when you have slow heats or tough heats.” Following another massive day of men’s competition, the women took to the water for their opening Round 1 match-ups and started their 2017 QS season. None did so better than Bailey Nagy (HAW) with the day’s highest heat total of 16.67 — earning the highest single-wave score of the day, an 8.50. The Oahu-native put on a display of power surfing and had her competitors in a combination situation when the final horn sounded. “Somehow that left just kept giving me more and more and I wasn’t sure that right would get me that kind of score, so it was really exciting,” Nagy said. “I grew up surfing waves like this being born here then moving to Hawaii, but I live here through the summer and only surf Huntington really. I have a great support crew here with my boyfriend, Lucca [Mesinas], and coach Chad Wells, as well as my family at home so everyone’s stoked. When I’m home I train a lot, but I wasn’t home much this offseason since I went to Peru for a whole month and we just surfed.” “Even though I’m still in school it was just free time with some exams and focusing on not competing which was so nice,” Nagy continued. “It’s a little draining, but you’re always super excited to come back and compete.” Directly following Nagy, Caroline Marks (USA) put on a performance of her own and blasted a 14.34 heat total. A San Clemente transplant out of Melbourne, Fla., Marks’ energy to get back into competition is nearly unrivaled and it showed in her opening heat of the 2017 season. “I’m just psyched to be surfing after being really sick yesterday so it’s a great day today,” Marks said. “I love surfing heats and came down to watch my brother earlier today to support him, and get a feel for conditions which was nice. After not really having a break at the end of last year with a lot of traveling, it was great to go home and spend some time with my family. I’ve been trying new boards, same Chemistry models, but just having fun with them and little tweaks to see what works even better — I’m excited to get this year started.” For downloadable pictures from the Shoe City Pro QS1,000, CLICK HERE. A 7:30 a.m. PST Call will determine an 8:00 a.m. start for the men’s Round 4, followed by women’s Quarterfinals. For more information on the Shoe City Pro QS1,000, go to www.worldsurfleague.com or download the WSL App and receive updates on your mobile device. Upcoming Men’s Shoe City Pro Round 4 Match Ups: Upcoming Women’s Quarterfinal Match Ups: Women’s Shoe City Pro QS1,000 Round 1 Results: Men’s Shoe City Pro QS1,000 Round 3 Results: Remaining Men’s Shoe City Pro QS1,000 Round 2 Results: |
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| About the World Surf League The World Surf League (WSL), formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The League, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a truly global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe. The WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global events across the Samsung Galaxy Men’s and Women’s Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels. Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com as well as the free WSL app, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Mick Fanning, John John Florence, Stephanie Gilmore, Greg Long, Gabriel Medina, Carissa Moore, Makua Rothman, Kelly Slater, Adriano de Souza and more battle on the most unpredictable and dynamic field of play of any sport in the world. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com |
Peterhansel wins 13th Dakar title
Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool
Rally legend defeats Loeb while Sunderland takes UK’s first win.
Saturday’s 64km timed special stage between Rio Cuarto and Buenos Aires concluded Dakar Rally 2017 and its 9,000km route through South America.
Car
Stéphane Peterhansel edged Sebastien Loeb overall (+5’13) to take his Dakar victory No 13 with their Team Peugeot Total teammate Cyril Despres in third (+33’28). Three Frenchmen and three Peugeot 3008 DKRs occupy the podium*, with only Carlos Sainz missing after he crashed and was forced to retire during the first week of racing.
Loeb did win Saturday’s short stage 19 seconds ahead of the overall leader, with Giniel de Villiers, Toyota’s South African driver, in third place (+0’30).
“We were fighting with six or seven drivers at the beginning of the race and after a while, they were only four,” said Peterhansel at the finish line. “And during the last week, we were only two – just Seb and I. We fought really strongly and I am the winner in the end – but it’s a small detail. This is the victory of experience.”
Bike
Sam Sunderland made history by finishing the last special in sixth place to take the overall win. The first Briton to win the Dakar, he claims the rally ahead of KTM teammate Matthias Walkner (+32’00”) and Gerard Farrés (+35’40).
Both Sunderland and Walkner had never finished the infamous rally before. The duo made up for Toby Price‘s abandon, their teammate and defending champion who retired after crashing and breaking his leg on Stage 4.
“It’s overwhelming,” admitted Sunderland. “When I crossed the line, the emotion really took over.
“It’s taken some time to change [from his motocross background], I’ve learned the hard way like everybody. I kept fighting and never gave up and I’m really grateful for all the people I have around me that have guided me. Everybody in the team has worked so hard, they all deserve this victory.”
Quad
Chilean rider Ignacio Casale claimed the closing stage, beating local boy Santiago Hansen by 52 seconds. This enables him to take second place in the final general classification (+1h14’51) behind Sergey Karyakin, the dominant winner of the race, with Pablo Copetti in third (+4h20’19).
Truck
Eduard Nikolaev was already assured of winning his second Dakar but the Kamaz driver confirmed his domination with another victory on Saturday. His teammate and fellow Russian Dmitry Sotnikov (+18’58) gives Kamaz the runner-up position in the general. Gerard de Rooy takes the third overall spot (+41’19).
* All results are subject to change until final technical verifications and podium in Buenos Aires.
Quotes
Stéphane Peterhansel #300: “We were fighting with six or seven drivers at the beginning of the race and after a while, they were only four. And during the last week, we were only two – just Seb and I. We fought really strongly and I am the winner in the end – but it’s a small detail. I probably won the Dakar on Friday when Seb got a puncture. This is the victory of experience. Sometimes, I knew I wasn’t in a phase to follow Seb so I opened the way for him. The spirit inside the team was very good. There was no team order – it was just a fight between drivers who have the same car. A 14th victory? Why not!”
Sébastien Loeb #309: “Ninth place last year, second this time, it’s a great improvement. Plus we stayed on the piste this time [laughs]. We did a couple of navigation mistakes but considering how complex this Dakar was, we did well overall. We had a mechanical issue at the start and it delayed us. We tried to make up for it afterwards. We finish second overall with a small time gap… it is what it is. We were really fast on the piste; it was a bit trickier off-piste but we saw we have the potential. We need to do better next time! I don’t think I can do as much rally-raid as Peterhansel though, But yes, the objective is to win the Dakar one day. As for now, we’re going to enjoy this moment and this Peugeot podium.”
Cyril Despres #307: “A good feeling. I didn’t get on a Dakar podium for three years and when you like this race so much and train all year for that, it’s long. Obviously they are two big competitors in front of me. Peterhansel and Loeb aren’t just a mountain, they are an Everest, an Himalaya in front of me! I will try to climb and train more.”
Sam Sunderland #14: “It’s overwhelming. When I crossed the line, the emotion really took over. It’s been difficult to stay calm, especially when making navigation mistakes… but we are here, we did it, and I couldn’t be any happier. Hopefully we can create some English interest now! I came from a motocross background and with the rally, it’s different, it’s a long time to stay focused. It’s taken some time to change, I’ve learned the hard way like everybody. I kept fighting and never gave up and I’m really grateful for all the people I have around me that have guided me. Everybody in the team has worked so hard, they all deserve this victory.”
Matthias Walkner #16: “Arriving on the podium is an amazing feeling. It’s a dream come true after a very, very rough past year – I had a bad injury and it took me almost half a year to get back on the bike. The harder was Stage 10 – I knew it was the last stage that could change things a lot. We arrived at the bivouac at 6pm and I studied the road book until midnight; I knew I had to stay strong for two more days and maybe, it would give me something back. It paid off and it’s so cool. This morning, I was racing, I was in a tunnel and I didn’t think. But now I’ve arrived at the finish and I’m starting to realise… maybe a little bit of crying. I hope this is the beginning.”
Croxall living the dream
Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool
Canadian combining Red Bull Crashed Ice with his own successful clothing label.
Scott Croxall is living the dream on and off the ice.
A Red Bull Crashed Ice world champion, the 26-year-old Canadian also boasts a successful clothing brand, Team Ltd, which aptly stands for Living the Dream.
“I started five years ago with a friend just putting different ideas together,” said Croxall. “Crashed ice was happening in the winter so we had a lot of free time in the summer. It ended up being a successful enough idea to launch. Now we’re growing each year and we’re successful so we want to keep growing.”
Team Ltd has an online store and is in 70 retail locations with a current staff of 10 – some full-time and others part-time.
For Croxall, increasingly it is taking over more and more of his time when not on the ice.
“It’s a full-time business for me now and Red Bull Crashed Ice is kind of secondary right now,” he added. “We’re a lifestyle clothing brand that basically focuses on extreme sports. It’s all about different lifestyles that people are going through, you know ‘living the dream’.”
Team Ltd was also the name of Croxall’s team in Crashed Ice when the team format existed. But as a brand, he sells everything from their Toronto base from hoodies to shorts and tank tops.
But the two day jobs, he believes, run in unison complementing each other.
“I think it [Crashed Ice] definitely helps,” he said. “My brother and I have been wearing it for years and now a lot of the top guys have Living the Dream on their gear – myself, my brother Kyle, the Moriarty brothers, Mika and a few others.”
Croxall returns to action this weekend in the sold-out event in Marseille, the second event on this year’s calendar.
To ensure his fitness didn’t take a dip in the off-season, as well as juggling Team Ltd Croxall has also been doubling up his sporting ventures with water skiing competitions throughout the summer.
He explained: “I compete professionally in water skiing,” having finished third with Team Canada at the world championship. “It’s a huge team of 30 people on each team. It’s a whole bunch of different variations of water skiing – you have barefoot, wakeboarding, pyramids, ski jumping hydro-foling.
“It’s helps for ice cross downhill. You need really good balance and strength for water skiing so it’s fun to spend the summer having fun and doing what I like.”
Follow the start of the season 2017 in Marseille this weekend in the Red Bull Crashed Ice Media Room.
ASC - Action Sports Connection 