Mayor Coleman Wipes Out On Red Bull Crashed Ice Course

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – It's going to be a busy weekend in St. Paul, highlighted by the Red Bull Crashed Ice Skating Championships.

The course is ready and the event starts Thursday, but Mayor Chris Coleman took his turn on the course Wednesday morning. Racers can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour on the course, making it very dangerous for some.

The event brought more than than 120,000 spectators to downtown St. Paul last year.

Mayor Coleman didn't skate through the entire course, but did try part of it. He slammed into a wall at one point in the course, but he was fine. Coleman stood up and had a good laugh about it before finishing.

This is the fourth straight year that Coleman has tested out the course before the real action starts. Competition starts Thursday and runs through Saturday.

The event is taking place between the St. Paul Cathedral and Xcel Energy Center. One new part of this year's event is a full women's division for the competition. Sixteen of the fastest female ice cross downhill athletes in the country will take their shot on the course this year.