Crashed Ice Takes St. Paul By Storm

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- Imagine zooming 40 miles per hour downhill on ice skates. That's the speeds racers could reach starting today at the Crashed Ice World Championship course in St. Paul.

It's 1,400 feet of ice, winding through more than three blocks of downtown St. Paul, starting at the Cathedral.

The championships begin today, with racers doing time trials along the intense track. The fastest racers will meet in the championship on Saturday night.

The Crashed Ice event begins Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and ends Saturday at 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. There is a $15 entrance fee for the 93X crash zone, a premiere viewing area.

There have been some issues surrounding the event for neighbors. For the last two weeks, construction of the course has served as a disruption. Residents nearby say they've had bright lights shining into their apartments.

Community members said they expect to have the disruption for at least a month. It takes that long to set up and tear down the track.