It’s not quite Jesse Owens versus a horse or Usain Bolt versus Sarah the cheetah (Battle of the Mammals!), but it’s still a nontraditional race worth watching.
NHL Rookie of the Year Nathan MacKinnon versus four-time Olympic medallist Charles Hamelin in a race to determine who can accelerate faster.
Hockey player versus short-track speed skater.
Long Samurai-esque blades versus chubbier, stubbier ones.
“I have 50 pounds of gear on. He has a suit — a tight suit,” MacKinnon jokingly complains before the two stars dig into the ice. “I should wear that.” (No, Nathan. No. You shouldn’t.)
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“I never get a big guy like this beside me on the rink,” says Hamelin, who seems a little intimidated.
Watch the race:
Seeing as how the fun stunt sprint — dubbed the Tacks Challenge — was conducted by a hockey skate company, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised by the outcome.
We’d give Hamelin a better shot to claim victory in a long-distance battle, if only for the streamlining.
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