The Events

26 January 2015

SKELETON

Seemingly simple, Skeleton is the event where competitors need nerves of steel and lightning fast reactions as they hurtle face-first down a frozen track on a small sled.

 

Racers launch themselves onto the impossibly small, flat sled steering with their shoulders. “Sliders” can reach speeds of well over 100kph as they race around a narrow ice track almost a mile long.

 

Britain’s Gold medal winning Winter Olympic athlete Amy Williams will be coaching the competitors for this event. Amy won her gold for skeleton in the 2010 Vancouver games.

 

In the first two shows of the series our celebrities will go head to head in series of four time trial races. In show one it’s the men and in show two it’s the turn of the women.

 

The winner of each head to head will stay in the competition. The loser will be sent to The Jump.

 

SNOW CROSS

One of the most exciting winter sports innovations in recent years, Snow Cross see the competitors wearing snow skates fused onto the bottom of traditional ski boots. Lighter and more agile than skis, these skates mimic the action of ice skates for use on snow.

 

For the first time our competitors take on Snow Crash live at night.

 

In this event, three competitors will go head-to-head in a no-holds-barred skate battle to reach the finish line first. Kitted head-to-toe in full protection gear, the celebs will launch themselves out of the start gate and endeavour to reach the finish line first. But with a winding course including hairpin turns, jumps and obstacles to negotiate, simply getting the bottom will be enough to get the contestants’ hearts racing.

 

The twelve celebs will be divided into four groups and compete in races of three. The losers from each race will have to face the all new eliminator – The Air Jump.

 

PARALLEL SLALOM

One of the most famous Alpine events, the slalom is a gruelling test of technical ability and physical endurance. Competitors must weave around the gates as quickly as possible, and complete the steep mountain course in the shortest time.

 

In Parallel Slalom the gates are much closer together than in Giant Slalom, meaning that it requires competitors have to turn not only quicker, they must also make these turns with more precision, technique and ability.

 

The celebs will go head to head in five races, the losers of each race will face the Jump off.

 

BOBSLEIGH

One of the Winter Olympics’ most popular events, competitors will race down a terrifying ice course aiming to record the quickest time they can in a two man bobsleigh, driven by a professional.

 

In this event our competitors will be acting as the brakeman in the sled, while the pilot will be a professional bobsleigh athlete.

 

The sleds, which are carefully designed for maximum speed and aerodynamic efficiency, are steered by the pilot sitting at the front of the vehicle, while the brakeman is responsible for controlling the speed around corners, safely stopping after crossing the finish line and of course the vital sprint start.

Each competitor is charged with having to push-start the sled themselves so the emphasis is completely on them, as a 100s of a second deficit at the start can translate to 500s later in the run. Being at the top of their game is essential.

 

The four slowest competitors will face The Jump.

 

SKI CROSS

Ski Cross is not only one of the most spectacular but one of the most dangerous events on the Winter Sports programme.

 

In the Olympic event, races take place on custom built courses with breath-taking jumps and steep-banking corners.

 

Many professionals crash before the finish line, let alone onto the podium, so our competitors will have to be at their very best to avoid the elimination. Across our 500m course the competitors will race as they are pushed to their absolute limits.

 

BANKED SLALOM SNOWBOARDING

As if our competitors didn’t have enough disciplines to master, this year we’ll also be throwing snowboarding into the mix. Banked slalom is a test of the racers’ technical ability and nerve at speed, which will be stretched to the limit as they negotiate a steeply banked tunnel cut out of the snow.

 

Like the parallel ski slalom, this race will be a head-to-head battle rather than a time trial, meaning that the winner is the person who crosses the finish line first.

 

There will be three two person races; the winners of each race will be safe. The three losers will all face The Jump and elimination.

 

SKI JUMP

Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below, it’s not for the faint hearted.

 

Excluding shows three and six the competitors who performed the worst in the day’s event will face each other in The Jump. They’ll be given the option of three jumps – K15, K 24, or the largest, the K40 capable of taking them up to speeds of 50-60mph.

 

The contestants will be judged on the distance they jump. The lowest scoring competitor/s will be eliminated from the competition.

 

THE AIR JUMP

For the two shows that will be broadcast live from Kuhtai our all new eliminator The Air Jump will determined who remains in the competition. Competition the aim of our celebrities is to get as much height as possible by jumping off an enormous four and a half- meter kicker and landing safely into a giant airbag.

The competitor who records the highest jump in the air will win and the competitor who jumps the lowest, faces elimination.

They’ll start at the top of a 100m, 30 degree steep in-run, as they head off down the in-run they’ll pick up speeds in excess of 30 mph and will then launch themselves at a four and a half meter high kicker (upward slope), which will catapult our the competitors in the air, with the height they reach depending on their entry speed and ability to ‘pop’ off the kicker.