As competitive sports go, ice cross downhill is higher on risk than it is reward. With scant prize money at stake, athletes are motivated solely by jeopardy, rivalry and adrenaline. MH travelled to Finland to meet the men with ice in their hearts
Five-second warning.” The race official’s words ring out over the tannoy and a veil of silence descends upon the snow-dusted hillside. Under a cold night sky, the 10,000 men, women and children pressed up against the barriers lining the track stand in statuesque stillness. Tonight, five seconds feels an eternity. Time, much like everything in this inhospitable Scandinavian snowscape, appears frozen.
A horn sounds. At the top of the hill the mechanical gates jerk open and the crowd erupts into clamorous excitement. Four men burst out of the gates. The razor-sharp blades on their skates scrape through the acutely angled ice as the competitors propel forward before adopting a tight tuck position, bracing for impact as they fly into the first corner.
Between these men, the finish line and ultimate glory lie 630m of steeply descending, viciously undulating and dangerously unpredictable ice. That’s not to mention each other – only two of the four who started will progress to the next round, and all will put their bodies on the line in pursuit of victory. As the cold air rushes past their face, each rider repeats a mantra in his head: “Follow the racing line, hold position, get out in front, and make it to the end of the night.” Get stuck in the pack – all flailing arms, overlapping skates and clashing shoulders – and you’re as likely to be climbing into the back of an ambulance as onto a podium.
COLD MOUNTAIN
This story is from the May 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well
Nutrition is a maddening business. Foods are in one day, compost the next; vitamins that cured ills last week are promptly debunked. We all want to eat better, but who has the time to sift fact from fad? Rest easy because this is your easily digestible, bite-sized guide to doing precisely that
The False Prophets Of Wellness
Muscle, fat loss, wisdom… Whatever you seek, there is now an entrepreneurial guru armed with hashtags who claims to have the answer. But is it gospel?
The Brexit Diet
Whether you voted Leave or Remain, the EU has transformed the way we eat – and crashing out threatens to deal a mighty blow to both our palates and our nutritional health. MH spoke to the experts worried that the true impact of Brexit will leave a very bad taste in our mouths.
Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie
Don’t flake on post-workout pastry. Pie and mash is your new performance enhancer
The Trip Treatment
Once the poison of the counterculture, psychedelic drugs are gaining credibility as a powerful, viable mental health tool that could transform the way we understand ourselves. Are you ready to turn on, tune in and dose up?
The Gastropub Nutrition Plan
New research suggests you don’t need to cut back on flavour either to satisfy your cravings or to cook off kilos. Better pass that piccalilli
Your Detox Doner Card
The vilified sat fat in your kebab is actually the antidote to offset booze’s impact on your liver. How convenient
Reach For The Stars
He has crossed the Atlantic, from Peckham to Hollywood, carrying multiple blockbusters on his newly broad shoulders. But while John Boyega’s star is in the ascendant, his feet remain firmly on the ground – thanks to a few fundamental life lessons learned along the way. Take note and look up.
One Word Answer #43
As tedious as they might have seemed at the time, most of the lessons our parents taught us as kids were worthy of adherence. Sit up straight at the table; look people in the eye when you thank them; try not to spit at strangers – even as an adult, these are values to live by.
Son Of A Gun
For most men, joining the family business is the easier option. Not so for Scott Eastwood, a man whose father might just be the most iconic Hollywood hard man ever. But while he is, in many ways, a chip off the old block, the firebrand’s son has his own life well figured out
