Kyle Croxall lands top-3 finish at Red Bull Crashed Ice season opener
Brother Scott, last year's top finisher, places 9th
Canada's Croxall brothers saw mixed results Saturday at the Red Bull Crashed Ice season opener in Yokohoma, Japan.
Last season, Scott won the overall title with some help from Kyle at the final race in Edmonton. American Cameron Naasz, the runner-up, won the men's race in Japan.
Fellow American Maxwell Dunne earned third, while reigning juniors champ Mirko Lahti of Finland slotted in at fourth place.
"It's hot out here and we're not used to these warm temperatures," said an exhausted Naasz, who has won back-to-back ice cross downhill championships before Croxall snatched the 2017-18 title. "I'm very hungry to get my world title back. It's beautiful to race here in Asia."
Watch highlights from Croxall's second-place finish in Japan:
On the women's side, reigning champion Amanda Trunzo took home the top spot once again, ahead of Canada's Jacqueline Legere and Myriam Trepanier.
That order is the same way the women finished the 2017-2018 season.
American rider Richie "Jo Jo" Velasquez dominated the junior race. The 18-year-old was followed by a photo finish battle between Frenchman Theo Richalet-Chadeur and Finn Joni Saarinen, who fell on the ground and slid through the finish line, before ultimately getting disqualified for grabbing.
No Canadians placed in the top 10.
How to win Red Bull Crashed Ice:
