December 8, 2005, Cape Town, South Africa This coming weekend, three top-ranked international street luge racers and four stand-up DH warriors will square off for the 2005 IGSA World Cup Series Championships at the Hot Heels Africa race. Click through to read what’s about to happen in Cape Town!

Street Luge, Down to the Wire! The top contenders are: Rian James from Cupertino, California, USA; David Dean of Columbus, Ohio, USA; and Beni Weber of Zurich, Switzerland. Coming into this weekend, 2004 World Cup Series Champ Rian James holds a slim points lead over David Dean. Switzerland’s Weber has a mathematical chance of winning the Championship, though, and promises to be hot in the hunt for the title. James will need to win the event in order to have his best shot at the title. And Dean, who won World Cup races in Sweden and Austria earlier this year, will need to finish in fifth place or better if James wins the event to get the crown. Weber needs a miracle. He must win the event and both James and Dean have to fail to qualify.

A contender last year and Cape Town native, Leander Lacey, could play the spoiler this year. Lacey has hardly raced at all this season, but he is coming to Hot Heels Africa with the sole intention of winning the event.

Edstrand Leaves an Opening in DH. 2004 World Cup Series Champion Haller is currently in second place behind Thomas Edstrand. Series leader Thomas Edstrand won’t be competing this weekend, due to other commitments, so it is up to Sebastian “Bassi” Haller of Stuttgart, Germany, to finish fourth or better to win the 2005 IGSA Championship. But, earning a fourth place finish won’t be an easy task for Haller: 2003 IGSA World Champion Martin Siegrist from Switzerland, newly crowned 2005 South African Champion Mike Zietsman, 2005 Brazilian Champion Luis Lins and many more of the worlds best downhill skateboarders have come to South Africa to make a run for the title and the racing will be furious!

”This is racing magic! The IGSA Championship won’t be determined until the final race of the season and this is the most impressive international field ever to skate for the IGSA World Cup title,” said IGSA President Marcus Rietema.

The competitors will race on a 1.9 km (1.2mi) road that cuts right through the nature reserve. Top speeds for street luge will be in the 90km/h (56mph) range and the stand-up DH racers will run in the 70km/h (44mph) range on this course. Qualifying begins Saturday and the finals are slated to go on Sunday beginning at 7:00am EST / 2:00pm UTC.