Yokohama, December 27: Athletes recently had furious battles on the ice during an event called 'Red Bull Crashed Ice 2018' here. Being Japan's second biggest city, Yokohama has a population of about 3.5 million people and is famous for its sightseeing spots. However, it recently hosted the 'Red Bull Crashed Ice 2018' - the first time in Asia. It is a world-class winter sports event that gives people thrill and excitement.

Chris Papillon, the Sports Director of Red Bull Crashed Ice said, "We wanted to hold the first ever race of ice cross downhill for Asia in Japan. After looking for different locations, we thought that Yokohama would be a great opportunity for the sport as well as for the location to mix our effort together and get this magnificent track with nice backdrop by the bay."

"It leads us to a really nice track, obviously, we were looking for the good location to get a good track to build and as always we wanted to look for good skyline and backdrop behind the track. Yokohama fits perfectly as a match venue," Papillon added.

The rules for the event are simple. The first rider to reach the goal wins the game. The course is up to about 600m and four riders compete and crash each other. Sometimes, the maximum speed reaches about 80km/h. On the track, all kinds of actions, such as pushing, sliding and sprinting, are watched by crowds of spectators.

Many people showed up to watch the event in Yokohama and the atmosphere of the venue gradually became lively. A few cultural events like a performance of Japan's traditional sumo wrestling made Yokohama the host to a lively night with lots of fun.

"Such a big winter sports event was not familiar in Yokohama before. However, I am sure that by hosting this event we will expand our list of events so that the city becomes a place for people to enjoy throughout the year," Kiyoshi Moriya, an official from Yokohama stated.

'The 'Red Bull Crashed Ice' has been held in many different cities around the world and they were all chosen for their attractive scenery. This proves that Yokohama has been rated very high among other Asian cities," Kiyoshi further said. Yokohama, Japan's gateway to the world, continues to attract and entertain many people with its beautiful scenery.