Community Corner
SLP's Brendan Bayers Hoping to Compete in Red Bull Crashed Ice
Bayers is one of 100 competitors who will try their skates on the St. Paul ice in February.
Red Bull Crashed Ice is returning to St. Paul in February 2014. And Brendan Bayers, a St. Louis Park resident and former Orioles hockey player, is planning to compete in the course.
Bayers made it to the elimination round in January, placing 90th overall. He finished in 85th place in 2012.
An amateur competitor, Bayers said his main goal is to stay alive on the slick, speedy course.
"Those guys have absolutely no fear, and now as a married man I got responsibilities, you know, I'm trying to survive, my theme right now is to live to walk another day type thing," he joked to KARE 11 in late January.
To gain a spot in the national shootouts and main events, athletes will have to participate in open qualifiers. Athletes have backgrounds in a variety of sports, including hockey, downhill skiing and speed skating.
It will be the 14th season for Red Bull Crashed Ice and includes competitions in Finland, Russia and Canada, in addition to the St. Paul stop.
Fox Sports will broadcast the races as part of a three-year agreement to carry the series.
With reporting by Local Editor Andrea Parrott.
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