Dan Carle
A mix of an undulating, downhill and dangerously fast ice event plus a witch’s brew of bravery, coordination and insanity to conquer — enough to intimidate most people. Throw in 75,000 spectators, deejays and giant screens and a 22-year-old Gee-Gees hockey player with skill and charisma, who was game to make the leap (er, jump). These were the ingredients for the Red Bull Crashed Ice Race in Quebec City, on January 26, which stumped Corey Thibaudeau
As it turned out, it was the jump at the race that stumped Thibaudeau, preventing him from moving on to the next level of the competition, a combination of hockey, downhill skiing and boardercross (in which four to six racers navigate jumps, banked turns and each other to get to the finish line first).
He crashed down a 535-metre, urban ice track nestled within the stunning landscape of Old Quebec.
“I lost it on one two-jump sequence, “skying” over the second jump, 12 or 13 feet in the air and probably 25-feet long.”
Thibaudeau still finished 34th by navigating hairpin turns, moguls and jumps in 51.25 seconds – more than respectable among the 98 brave souls also racing.
“I didn’t exactly stick to my game plan. When you come out of the opening chute and down the ramp, you are more or less holding on as opposed to trying to skate and pick-up speed.”
An Ottawa native who played Junior B hockey for South Ottawa before joining the Gee-Gees this season, Thibaudeau had the blessing of his teammates and coach Dave Leger to miss one OUA game in order to ride the frozen roller coaster – with a helmet but no seatbelt.
“It was a tremendous life experience for him,” said Leger. “There is a big picture to everything ... Who are we to stand in his way when it is a great opportunity like that?”
Now Thibaudeau, Leger and the rest of the Gee-Gees are focused on making the OUA playoffs. In that race Thibaudeau hopes to be uOttawa’s next star – this time on the rectangular, flat and familiar frozen surface of the Sports Complex.
