Wacker Neuson Supports Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship 2011

Telehandlers, wheel loaders, dumpers, light towers, light balloons and heating systems from Wacker Neuson and Kramer Allrad swung into action to help kick off the first race of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship 2011.

On January 15, 2011, 64 skilled skaters kitted out in heavy-duty protective gear took to the ice in Munich’s Olympic Park (Germany) as they competed to win the first stage of the championship. Wacker Neuson was part of the action. Behind the scenes, various products from the German manufacturer of light and compact equipment were hard at work to ensure that the event ran smoothly – setting up and taking down the track and surrounding site quickly and professionally.

Some 23,000 enthusiastic spectators followed this extraordinary winter sports highlight along the 353-meter ice track with its bold curves, bumps and obstacles. The track itself drew a great deal of attention. Ten days and 80 workers were required to set it up. Some 5,700 cubic meters of steel and 380 cubic meters of ice transformed Munich’s Olympic Park into a formidable ice course.

353 meters of sheer ice, an overall drop of 35 meters from start to finish, plus top speeds of 55 kilometers per hour were among the challenges faced by the world’s best ice cross downhill skaters. The event team turned to Wacker Neuson to provide the kind of high-quality equipment needed to set up and take down the track.

For example, eight light towers and six light balloons were used to illuminate the entire event area during the setup and disassembly phases. Two 4009 telehandlers and a 950 wheel loader from Kramer were used to move scaffolding to higher elevations at the site. Furthermore, two Wacker Neuson all-wheel dumpers were employed to transport construction material and tools. And the company’s electric heaters made sure that skaters’ feet stayed warm behind the scenes.

“To set up and dismantle such an event, we need to work with professionals. The machines from Wacker Neuson and Kramer Allrad really helped us in this project. The equipment is very reliable and, most importantly, it is easy to operate. These are key factors for us because these events run on very tight schedules” says Oliver Harms, site coordinator of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship in Munich.