Rich eyes chance to take on Europe’s best
SKI RACING
JACKSON RICH felt the end of holidays more than most this week.
The Hutt International year 10 student had not been inside a traditional classroom since June. Instead, Rich and younger brother Buddy had spent the third term in Queenstown, where their school days usually started with at least four hours of skiing at Coronet Peak.
Then it was home for school work under the direction of their parents, Phil and Julie, who have both taught at HIBS.
It is a pattern the Rich family has followed for five years, as have fellow HIBS students Sam and Ben Richards, who spend their winters based at Wanaka.
‘‘We started off by wanting the boys to have a different experience and they enjoyed it so much that we have kept going back the next year,’’ Phil Rich said. ‘‘It has been fantastic for them but there is more of a work element in the skiing now. There is quite a bit of training involved.’’
The Queenstown sojourns have enabled Jackson Rich to develop into one of New Zealand’s leading junior skiers.
Rich, who is also involved in tennis, sailing and underwater hockey, was able
the to hit his main target for the winter when winning the boys under-16 division in the national youth series.
The 14-year-old was also part of the HIBS team that finished second, to Auckland Grammar, in the North Island secondary schools championships.
Rich has been training under coaches Igor Stros and Tim Cafe in Queenstown and believes he has made significant progress this year.
‘‘Igor has been a great coach for me and has definitely made a difference,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve had a really good winter and winning the national youth series had been my goal for the season.’’
Rich, who spent a month in California on a ski training camp early last year, is now looking at his international options for next year. The possibilities include competing in Topolino, Italy, in March at what is regarded as the world’s most prestigious junior competition, and the Whistler Cup festival in Canada in April.
New Zealand is usually represented at both competitions but Rich and his family have to sort out a programme that fits best around the school year.
Cafe, who has represented New Zealand at the Olympics, believes Rich could be competitive against Europe’s best juniors.
‘‘He’s one of the most talented we have had coming through for a few years.
‘‘He’s had a really successful season and is ready for the next phase, which is international racing,’’ Cafe said.
‘‘It would be great if he could get to Topolino. It’s a really high standard and attracts the best boys in the world for that age [under-16].
‘‘There are always some standouts from Europe. They can ski for eight or nine months a year and have a lot more mileage on skis.
‘‘Then there is a big pool of talent below them, about 30 to 40 people of a similar standard, and potentially Jackson could be near the top end of those.
‘‘Realistically, considering how much time he would have to prepare himself, he could get top 15 with a top performance and, if he performed out of his skin, possibly top 10. ‘‘But a lot of elements have to come together to come up with that sort of result,’’ Cafe said.
‘‘Jackson is keen and works hard on his fitness. He is very strong, with a good power-to-weight ratio.
‘‘His basic technique is good and he has the ability to adapt to different conditions, which is all about his touch or feel.’’
The HIBS team which competed at the North Island schools competition comprised Rich, brothers Sam and Ben Richards, Bryce Savage and Will Martel.
Sam Richards, a year 11, finished second in the individual standings, ahead of his younger brother, with Rich fourth.