Team USA's rapid rise up the Red Bull Crashed Ice rankings continued in Are at the weekend when Salt Lake City native Tigh Isaac finished sixth - the best result yet for an American athlete in the World Championship.
22-year-old Isaac (pictured, top left), a US short track speed skater in training for the Olympic team, was 28th in his first race in Saint Paul, before moving up three pegs to 25th in Valkenburg. Isaac had targeted at least a place in the top 16 but made it all the way to the semi-finals, knocking out both leader Kyle Croxall and championship rival Kilian Braun, during a remarkable run that was only halted by the 2011 champion, Arttu Pihlainen, and race winner Adam Horst.
Isaac, who works in a bicycle shop in Salt Lake City, trained prior to the race on the permanent section of the Are track together with American team-mates, Daniel and Andrew Bergeson (pictured, top right) – the two athletes, who, along with Cameron Naasz (pictured, top centre), comprise the Team USA national side who sit sixth in the current Nations Cup standings.
“You have to get over your fear fast or you’re not going anywhere in this sport,” said Isaac, who also has a background skiing, racing mountain bikes and playing hockey. “Instead of coming to a race being afraid of the track, in Valkenburg I was able to focus on my racing line and going faster instead of being intimidated by the whole thing. There’s a steep learning curve in this sport.”
Watch Isaac in action in Are:
Also improving at a rate of knots is Cameron Naasz. The MINI Rookie Award winner following his 24th-placed finish in Saint Paul came 15th in Are after a 21st-placed finish in Valkenburg.
“I’d really like to see an American on the podium this year,” said Naasz, who is studying public relations at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. “It’s definitely possible. We have the talent. It’s a mindset thing. You’ve just got to know you’re going to win and be confident. Experience is important. But so is the mindset. I’ve got high expectations."
Naasz, 23, came to ice cross downhill after years of playing hockey and racing inline skates. He believes it is only a matter of time before Americans catch up with the sport's elite.
“In Saint Paul you looked at the track and it was like ‘What have we got ourselves into?" said Naasz. “You still have a few jitters but it’s nothing like the first time in Saint Paul. Now I’m just concentrated on getting the right lines and getting speed. With a little experience it’s not quite as frightening anymore.”
With brothers Andrew Bergeson (31st in Are) and Daniel Bergeson (43rd) also working hard to improve their performances, 2012 looks like being a breakthrough year for ice cross downhill in the USA.
US viewers have the opportunity to watch extended highlights of Saturday's race on the NBC Sports Network. Visit the Red Bull Signature Series website for more information.
The final stop in the 2012 Ice Cross Downhill World Championship is Quebec City, Canada, on March 15-17. Be first with everything ice cross downhill – download the official Red Bull Crashed Ice App for iPhone and Android!
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