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Former figure skater Sarah Seibold (MBusAna’25) and current data analyst for CU’s Office of Information Technology found her calling in the high-adrenaline sport of ice cross, which entails athletes racing down steep, icy tracks. This year, Seibold (pictured above, far right) earned a third-place spot on the podium in the All-Terrain Skate Cross (ATSX) Ice Cross Women’s World Championship, and placed first overall for the U.S. Ice Cross Association (USIX) Cup Series, making her the highest-ranked American Woman Competitor for the 2024-25 season. Sarah is helping pave the way for the sport’s growth — especially for women.

Can you describe ice cross?

Ice cross has been coined ‘the most insane sport that you’ve never heard of.’ It’s basically the same concept as ski or snowboard cross, but on ice skates. Athletes compete four at a time, and the top two move on until you reach the final four.

There are no permanent ice cross tracks because they are difficult to maintain. They’re made a couple of months or weeks before a race, depending on the weather. We’ve done everything from icing over a ski run at a ski resort to competing on a bobsleigh track. We’ve even iced piles of snow in a parking lot.

What inspired you to transition from figure skating to ice cross? 

I’ve always been on the more powerful side of figure skating, I wasn’t very dainty or pretty when I would skate. The main difference between the two sports is that figure skating is much more risk-averse, and training is more about control and technique, while ice cross is a little bit crazier. Once I found out that ice cross existed from a rollerblader I follow on social media who competed, I wanted to try it. 

How do you prepare for a race?

I start the morning of a race day by stretching. Depending on where the track is and how the ice is, I’ll either have been training or, if I haven’t trained on the track, I’ll do a lot of visualization. Sometimes, we walk the track and figure out where I need to take steps or what foot to put in front of the other at a certain point.

How did it feel to place third overall in the ATSX Ice Cross Women’s World Championship?

It was honestly a little unexpected. I’m pretty consistent at getting fourth place, but it was amazing. It only made me more motivated, and I can’t wait to stand on another podium.

How do you see the sport evolving in the U.S.?

We raced in France this year, and the Olympic committee came to see if we were on track to go to the 2030 Olympics, which we’re waiting to hear back on. If it gets approved, the word will get out, and we can gain a lot more interest.

Right now, ice cross is more marketed towards men. They’re more easily interested because they see videos of a crash or the danger of the sport and think it’s cool. If we want to get more women into the sport, we have to highlight more of the aspects that make it fun.

What advice would you give to young skaters who might be interested in trying ice cross?

Just go for it. Sign up. And reach out to me with questions! 

How many hours a week do you train? What does training look like in warm seasons?

I train around 20 hours a week. In the winter, there’s a lot of natural ice on lakes and reservoirs to utilize. In other seasons, I rollerblade, mostly in skate parks, which can simulate the jumps and curves you would find on an ice cross track. Rollerblading is great training because they’re a lot heavier than my hockey skates, which makes ice skating feel easier. The main thing I train for is endurance, just skating for a long time, so my muscles are used to it.

How did you balance training and competing while also pursuing your master’s degree?

Luckily, the business school allows me to get this degree in four years, so I only have to take one class at a time. There have been some difficult weekends where I don’t have cell service, am sitting in a hotel room doing homework or going to class at 3 a.m. because of a time difference, so it’s definitely a challenge, but since it’s only one class, I can make time.