Member Profile – Kyle Croxall

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BY TONY MACDONALD, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN (RETIRED) Kyle was at Algonquin College taking their Pre-Service Firefighting program in 2008, when he heard about some try-outs for this event. It appealed to him so he signed up. When he finished second at the try-outs, he went to his first Kyle Croxall came on the job in 2015 and works at race in Quebec City. Kyle remembers, “Standing at the top Station 344 on A shift. of this insanely steep, 500-meter course in Quebec City for the first time, was one of the scariest moments I have ever When he is not working as a firefighter, Kyle enjoys an interesting pastime. Imagine putting on your hockey skates and standing at the top of a very long, steep, ice-covered hill. When you look down from the top, it is not only steep, you also see jumps, obstacles, and hairpin turns. This sport was known as the “Red Bull Crashed Ice” competitions, and is now called “Ice Cross”. experienced. Taking the first stride to begin the descent was a mental battle of its own. With speeds of up to eighty kilometres per hour on hockey skates, one wrong move can take you out of the race and end an athlete’s night.” Hundreds of competitors start the process, and each get two runs to qualify. The 64 guys with the fastest times qualify for the race. These top 64 competitors get two practice runs to get comfortable with the course, and then the race begins. Four competitors are sent down the course at a time, and the first two to cross the finish line move on to the next round. The other two are out of the race. Back then, the sport was new, training was minimal, and it was more of a fun event once or twice a year. Kyle’s brother Scott, and his parents, drove to Quebec City to see the race. Kyle made it through a few rounds before crashing. “I remember how mad I was at myself for crashing and being eliminated from my first ever event. I instantly wanted another shot at it.” He got that shot the next year, held again in Quebec City. Not only did Kyle come to race, but his brother Scott wanted to try it as well! Their parents made the trip again to watch their boys race. Scott’s first race was similar to what Kyle had experienced the year before. Kyle finished on the podium in third place! “This is where it really began. A few weeks later, I was sent to represent Canada in my first overseas race in Prague, in the Czech Republic.” In 2010, Kyle and Scott managed to stand on the podium together in Quebec City, for the first of many times, where Kyle received his first Gold medal and Scott took home 3rd place. Their proud parents were watching at the finish line. “My parents were very excited for us in these races. My mom was definitely nervous, although once they saw a few races, and realized that we were doing well, they started having parties at their house, for friends and family, whenever we had a race overseas or somewhere that they were not able to attend to watch.” Every year since 2010, Kyle has been ranked in the top three in Canada, and top ten in the world! In 2012, he became the World Champion during a season with the most races in history. “This was one of my proudest moments, and best accomplishments in my sporting career.”

on Kyle Croxall

Two years ago, they competed in their most interesting season to date, which consisted of major races in Tokyo, Japan, Jyväskylä, Finland, and also inside the famous Fenway stadium in Boston, USA.

“Scott and I both learned to skate at the young age of two. Our Dad would build a rink in the backyard every year, where we would skate and play hockey. We played hockey since age four, and to this day are still playing. The two of us played in the GTHL most of our childhood, as well as Junior A, and Senior AAA hockey. Competing against each other at Ice Cross is tough. We must be careful not to take each other out, and we always want to be the first two to the bottom to move on to the next round and, eventually to the finals. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen, and we must stay positive and cheer each other on. It has been an amazing experience to travel the world with Scott and dominate the sport for many years. We have been training together for years, always competing in everything we have done, and pushing each other to be the best.”

“In Ice Cross, we use regular hockey skates. Some competitors use a much flatter blade, although I prefer a regular hockey blade with just a slightly flatter profile. No body contact is allowed, although like Ski-Cross or Boarder-Cross, you are allowed to battle for position”.

Their training mainly consists of rollerblading in an indoor bike park. They train on pump tracks, jumps, and with many obstacles closely related to Crashed Ice at this facility. Another major part of training is a skating treadmill, where they are able to simulate a 45 to 60 second race on skates. Hockey and dry land training are other vital components of their race training.

“I have been fortunate enough to travel to many countries and compete in countless events across the world. I have been able to see many different cultures and explore places I may have never visited in my lifetime.”

During his twelfth season of racing, they were approaching the finals in Moscow, Russia. After numerous races throughout the season, Kyle was tied for first place. Unfortunately, due to Covid, the season finale had to be cancelled.

Although this is not a full-time sport, Kyle hopes to see it continue to grow. “I am fortunate to have participated for this long. I appreciate having the support, and time off to be able to race, while enjoying a fulfilling full-time career with the Toronto Fire Services.

Water skiing is another interesting part of Kyle’s life. Just like hockey, he started water skiing when he was two years old at their family cottage in Muskoka. “My Dad taught me how to slalom ski, then I progressed to barefooting. Nearing the end of high school, I started working at Summer Water Sports on Lake Rosseau, where I taught water skiing and barefooting, and was part of their ski show as well!”

Kyle went on to ski with the Team Canada Show Ski Team, and also skied at the CNE in their shows for two summers. “I still like to slalom ski through the course, and go barefooting on the lake at our family cottage.”