photo courtesy of Amanda Trunzo

JV girls’ hockey coach Amanda Trunzo trains hard to compete in the intense Crashed Ice competitions around the world.

Over 1,300 feet of an ice-covered course that winds downhill, across jumps, and around corners does not phase Amanda Trunzo. A BSM alumna of the class of 2007 and the current BSM JV girls’ hockey coach, Trunzo competes in Red Bull Crashed Ice competitions representing Team USA on courses that challenge the athleticism of even the best skaters in the world.

The most recent competition was held in St. Paul, Minnesota on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, the course zigzagging downwards 130 feet from the capitol building. Trunzo, who competed last year, returned again for the competition. “Last year I did pretty well, so team USA asked me if I wanted to do it again this year,” Trunzo said.

Trunzo, a team captain for BSM’s hockey team her senior year and a Ms. Hockey Finalist, continued her impressive hockey career attending Dartmouth College. It was there that she first learned about Red Bull Crashed Ice. “All my Canadian friends told me about it at school, and they told me they thought I’d be pretty good at it, so I wanted to try it,” Trunzo said.

However, success in the competitions requires more than just a strong background in skating. The most competitive participants do even more training to prepare them for this unique sport. “From hockey comes balance and coordination, but a lot of it comes from not just hockey, you need to be strong on your skates too,” Trunzo said. She, along with many other Crashed Ice competitors ski and snowboard to prepare for the event.

The tryout process starts off at a flat rink. For Trunzo, her path to success began at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. Trunzo advanced as part of the top 30 at the tryout, then went on to qualify in the top 64 in time trials on the course, which placed her into competitions in front of crowds of more than 100,000 people. However, these crowds don’t intimate Trunzo. “I’d have to say [my favorite part] is the crowds and the thrill at the starting gates looking down on 150,000 people,” Trunzo said.

Trunzo plans to continue competing in Crashed Ice Competitions internationally representing Team USA. In fact, she will travel to Quebec in March to compete again. Trunzo has become a veteran in Crashed Ice, the sport born in Sweden only 12 years ago. Now the thrill overcomes her nerves. “I get more excited than nervous; once you’re going down it’s like you don’t really hear anybody,” Trunzo said.