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4th Regiment Royal Artillery
Ex RACING ICE Capt Steve Wise RA
Three members of the ‘Fighting Fourth’ took to the ice in January 2023 to gain an introduction to the sports of Skeleton and Bobsleigh. Ex RACING ICE 1, the Army Novice Ice Sports Camp held annually at the former Winter Olympic track in Igls, Austria, gives amateurs from across the Army the chance to experience the thrill of a high-speed descent through a week of intense training.
After only a short drive from Innsbruck Air- port, it wasn’t long before the team were walking the track and coming to terms with what lay ahead. Nerves were high for our first session the following morning; the track itself is only 1,270m in length but fea- tures 14 turns to negotiate, including the notorious ‘Kriesel’ (boasting a 7m corner height). The training team were superb; their years of experience quickly got the team to grips with the basic technique, operating the sleds and what to expect on
the course. With two runs each per day, the rolling start from the midpoint quickly progressed into a running start from the very top, on the second day achieving speeds of over 60mph. With Tpr Williams (97) and Gnr Clery (3/29) taking on the two-man Bobsleigh and Capt Wise (3/29) opting for Skeleton, correct body position and memory of the corners were key for both disciplines, but it was ultimately a test of staying calm and only making small adjustments at high speed.
Despite several spills and the occasional check-in with the medic, the team pro- gressed well throughout the week with our two-man Bobsleigh team posting some impressive times on the final race day. Overall, a great opportunity to expe- rience a niche sport alongside colleagues from other units.
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