Tag: Oro Medonte

Under 23 Questions with Ryan Jackson

Canada’s Ryan Jackson (Team Hardwood) racing to 31st in the men’s 20 k skiathlon on Friday at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Ryan Jackson, of Team Hardwood, who’s representing Canada at his second Junior Worlds.

On Friday, Jackson raced to 31st in his first race of the week, the men’s 20 k skiathlon.

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“My full name is Ryan Jackson, but you can call me Rj. I was born in Barrie, Ontario, raised in Midhurst, Ontario, and one thing you should know about my hometown is that I used to live there.

I started cross-country skiing when I was pretty young, thanks to mom & dad. I currently train in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, with Team Hardwood.

If I’m not skiing, you might find me mossing in the doghole with Joe. If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be any colouring book.

Ryan Jackson (Team Hardwood) racing in the 15 k freestyle at 2017 U.S. nationals last month at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Courtesy photo)

One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is racing. One race I’m especially targeting there is the 20 k skiathlon.

The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was ‘go faster’. One of the best race memories I have is winning Eastern Canadian Championships for the first time.

If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Lenny [Valjas].

If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a ski bum.

I’m missing too many days of school to be here, and my teachers are probably thinking, ‘Who is Ryan Jackson?‘

You can follow me on Instagram @rjjackson97.”

February 3, 2017
Under 23 Questions with Jenn Jackson

Jenn Jackson (Team Hardwood/Lappe Nordic) racing at 2016 Canadian nationals in Whitehorse, Yukon. (Photo: Bob Nishikawa)

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at next week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 21-year-old Jenn Jackson, of Team Hardwood and Lappe Nordic, who’s representing Canada at her second U23 World Championships.

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“My full name is Jennifer Jackson, but you can call me Jenn. I was born in Toronto, raised in Midhurst, [Ontario], and one thing you should know about my hometown is I don’t live there anymore.

Jenn Jackson (r) and her brother Ryan Jackson at 2016 Junior/U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. Both qualified to represent Canada again at this year’s Junior/U23 World Championships in Midway, Utah. (Courtesy photo)

I started cross-country skiing when I was pretty young, thanks to my parents. I currently train in Oro Medonte, [Ontario], over the summer and Thunder Bay during the school year, primarily on my own, but I race for Team Hardwood and Lappe Nordic.

If I’m not skiing, you might find me at school. If I had to pick a favourite book, it would be: I couldn’t pick a favourite book, but I am currently reading ‘Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder’ and Jens Voigt’s book ‘Shut Up, Legs!’

One of the things I’m most excited about for U23/Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is the tacos. One race I’m especially targeting there is probably the sprint.

The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was that sometimes you just need to put your head down, close your eyes, hold your breath, and hammer. Maybe not the best advice in a practical sense… but the essence of it is gold.

Some of the best race memories I have are probably the string of comeback races at the end of 2015 after breaking my leg early season.

If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Masako Ishida.

If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be an amateur skier with a regular job.

I’m missing too many days of school to be here, and my professors are probably thinking, ‘Engineering is hard even when you attend lectures, why are you doing this to yourself.’

January 28, 2017
Wednesday Workout: Rollerski Hockey with Team Hardwood
Team Hardwood juniors playing rollerski hockey in October in Ontario. (Photo: Ron Howden)

This week’s workout comes from Team Hardwood, a development cross-country ski program near Barrie, Ontario. Head coach Ron Howden explains that the game of hockey, as natural to most Canadians as breathing, helps young or novice rollerskiers become more comfortable with skiing on pavement. His team plays street hockey on occasion, often on a quiet subdivision street.

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“This is a slightly unusual workout but great for juniors and novice rollerskiers,” Howden writes. “In Canada we are born with hockey sticks in our hands.

“When I was thinking of a way to get kids comfortable on rollerskis I thought, why not use something that is familiar and introduce something new (rollerskiing) so that the kids would focus on the puck and play rather than the possibility of falling? Some of the kids in the video [below] are novices, they have been on rollerskis about two or three times and move a lot more freely when they are in a comfortable setting. The older ones (the girl in pink) can use the game to learn tactics and comfort in packs for mass starts. The boy at the end of the video who scores has been on rollerskis 3 times, once we put a hockey stick in his hands he was so much more comfortable.

If you have an older group that is more comfortable you can progress to lacrosse and maybe American football (without the tackling).

This was a fun workout to do now and then that the kids (young and old – I played, too) will enjoy.”
The Workout
- 10 – 15 min warmup with agility drills without poles on rollerskis
- 40 – 50 min of hockey
- Head-to-head skills competition with carrying the puck around a course
Materials
- Hockey sticks
- Plastic puck (I would use this rather than a tennis ball)
- Sidewalk chalk (we did not use nets and pylons so that we had nothing to trip over)
- Rollerskis, helmets, possibly knee and elbow pads
The rink can be any size but stopping on rollerskis is a bit tougher so you will want to give room for run out. It is best if you stick to five athletes per team and no goalie. Use chalk for marking the goals so that there are no obstacles and keep them small so that it is challenging to get the puck in. About an hour of play-time is a good goal, and make sure there is water handy so that you can keep everyone hydrated.”
Team Hardwood is a race program that runs out of the rolling hills of Oro Medonte. The programs range from a junior race program to an elite team that has members on the Junior National team and provincial programs. Our goal is develop athletes from the time an athlete begins racing at the local level to when they are ready to compete on the international stage.

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November 2, 2016