Lone Ottawa skater feeling 'no pressure' as Red Bull spectacle nears
Thousands of spectators are expected to crowd around the Rideau Canal's Ottawa locks March 3-4, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Red Bull Crashed Ice world championship.
Fortunately for Ottawa residents, they can cheer for one of their own.
Daniel Guolla, 26, is the sole hometown competitor taking part in the race.
Decked out in hockey sweaters and protective gear, Guolla and his competitors will rush headlong down the icy 375-metre track.
Leaving the raised starting gates at the Château Laurier, the skaters will plunge into a hairpin turn, twisting down into the Rideau Canal locks and out towards the Ottawa River.
"This 180 with the steps here is going to be pretty hard," Guolla told Ottawa Morning's Hallie Cotnam, sizing up the gauntlet of turns, bumps and jumps. "We'll see some battles going into that corner right off the start."
Asked what he'll be thinking about in his starting gate, Guolla didn't hesitate.
"As little as possible, to be honest," he said. "It happens so, so fast that there's really no time to think about it. And if you can't get out of your own way, you're not going to win anything."
'That's the coolest thing ever'
Guolla first fell in love with the extreme sport 10 years ago after seeing it on TV.
Only 16 years old at the time, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he'd be racing down the rolling hills and soaring over the kicker jumps.
"I thought, 'That's the coolest thing ever. I want to do that,'" Guolla said.
Sure enough, he was hurtling down the track just two years later at a Crashed Ice event in Quebec City. But he admits things didn't go so well.
"I was horrible. I got really hurt — not really hurt, just bruised up pretty good — but I had a real blast and it was a lot of fun," he said. "I knew I wanted to come back."
Guolla committed to improving his skills, playing junior hockey and hitting the ski hills throughout university. After graduating at age 22, he finally had the time and the opportunity to compete on the Crashed Ice world circuit.
He has since competed in places as far-flung as Russia and Northern Ireland, Finland and France, Germany and the United States. He has toured Canada, too, racing in events in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Niagara Falls, Ont.
Ready to impress a hometown crowd
While Crashed Ice and its international competitions might seem glamourous, Guolla — who works full-time at the Rideau Centre's Nordstrom department store — insisted it's all about the love of the sport.
"No one's getting rich off this. It's a lot of guys who are athletic and like to compete," he said. "And sign the odd autograph."
Eyeing the course, Guolla hashed out a rough strategy.
"Whoever gets to that corner first is going to have a huge advantage," he said. "It's kind of going to be a free-for-all."
As chaotic as the race may be, Guolla said he's keeping his cool and looking forward to showing off for the hometown crowd.
"No pressure at all, to be honest," he said. "I'm just excited. All my friends and family are going to be here. Anytime I get the opportunity to skate down one of these courses, it's a real treat and it's a lot of fun."
Red Bull Crashed Ice kicks off Friday, March 3, at 4 p.m. The finale will take place Saturday evening.
