Westwood Resident Returning as Champion to Red Bull Ice Race

She may have a lifetime supply of Red Bull, but Westwood resident Kerri Muir won't need the energy drink to give her wings this weekend.

Instead, she'll be using a pair of ice skates to fly down a length of ice track in this year's Red Bull Crashed Ice Competition.

"This event is basically a track made out of ice and they build it through cities all over the world for this competition," Muir told Westwood Patch on Tuesday, before returning to Canada as champion of last year's race. "It's a world tour, and Quebec City is the last stop; it's the only stop that the girls can participate in."

The race essentially involves downhill skating on a trail in the heart of Quebec City. Racers wear hockey equipment, save hockey sticks, and are able to get to the bottom of the track in less than a minute, Muir said.

Quebec City's trail is 540 meters long (approximately 1,771 feet), and the course includes turns, drops, and other obstacles along the way.

Time trials and practice for the event, originated by Red Bull, began Thursday night and the actual race for international competitors will take place on Friday night, while Muir's race will take place Saturday night.

"It's my third time," said Muir, who has won the competition the last two years. First place for the event receives a prize of $5,000, while second, third, and fourth places receive $3,000, $1,500 and $500, respectively.

And, of course, Muir, being a former champion, has been graced with the other perk - Red Bull for life.

Muir, 26, hails from Alberta, Canada, and moved to the United States about a year ago, residing in Needham before moving to Westwood in late 2010.

Muir first signed up for the race after seeing an advertisement on television that promoted the event and revealed that it would be holding a women's competition (the race traditionally has been for males).

She then signed up online and thought nothing of it, considering candidates for the event were chosen through a lottery system. She was in college in Calgary at the time, and went to a local arena where time trials were being held.

Although she doesn't recall exactly how fast she was going during the trials, Muir was recorded as having the fastest time, and eventually worked her way up to the championship race.

During the last three years, there have been three races, dubbed "heats," in the female competition, while the male's competition tends to include upwards of 12 heats, Muir said.

Preparing to leave for Quebec City on Tuesday this week, Muir said she was excited to return to the event, but was also a bit nervous.

"I have really bad anxiety, so I don't like pressure," Muir said. "Stuff like this is nerve racking."

But she has endurance on her side, having been a former athlete in Canada, playing hockey for several years. Still, she said winning the Red Bull race means more than just using former hockey skills.

"It's a lot of staying on your feet, and a lot of luck," she said.

To see a video of Muir competing in last year's competition, click here.