LAKE LOUISE, Alta.
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Osborne-Paradis talks of learning more about himself and of taking care of his
body to extend his career in ski racing. All very adult, but he hasnt completely
outgrown the man who celebrated the Calgary Stampede two years ago by climbing
on the back of a party bus and falling off. He sustained road rash on his bottom
severe enough to put him in the hospital. Winning downhill races requires
recklessness, so Osborne-Paradis isnt willing to let the foolhardy part of
himself disappear completely. "You cant kill that," he says. "You can scrape a
bit of him off, but you cant kill him." His Canadian teammate Jan Hudec doesnt
want to see it disappear either because that devil-may-care ingredient is
necessary when attempting speeds that are literally breakneck. "We all hope he
has pre-road rash Manny left in him," Hudec said. "Besides the personality and
the energy it brings to the team, I think its part of his winning attitude. "Im
a little bit the same way. I live my life pretty loosey-goosey by the seat of my
pants. I dont plan ahead, but it works for me for skiing. Thats how I race as
well. I live in the moment. Manny is fairly similar that way." Erik Guay, Hudec
and Osborne-Paradis are the Canadian downhill teams decorated elder statesmen at
the season-opening World Cup in Lake Louise, Alta. John Kucera would also be
included in that group if the Calgarian wasnt sidelined with an inner ear
condition. The downhill is Saturday followed by Sundays super-G. Training was
cancelled Thursday because of a power problem affecting the lift to the start
hut. Repairs didnt leave enough time to get 91 racers from the top to the
bottom, although the competitors were able to free ski the lower sections of the
course. Guay had the fastest time in training Wednesday, with Osborne-Paradis
and Hudec also in the top 10. Guay and Hudec, both 32, and Osborne-Paradis, 29,
have stood on World Cup podiums multiple times during their careers. Theyve
morphed from guys who just wanted to ski fast to men running their individual
ski empires of businesses, sponsorships and charities. "Business, families,
girlfriends, fiancees, wives, we didnt even know what those words were and how
to use them five years ago," Osborne-Paradis says. "You know, young and dumb.
Its a different time of your life. Theres guys who are 36 in the race and theres
guys who are 20 and you can totally tell the difference." How to square their
adult responsibilities with a certain disregard for their own safety on the
mountain is a balancing act, says Hudec. "I think the older you get, the more
cherished it becomes and you put it in your backpack in a safety deposit box and
you carefully bring it to the hotel and youre like dont lose this. Its my
recklessness. If I lose this, Im screwed," Hudec explains. "You have to leave it
at home when you go to the store or your business and youre telling people to be
responsible and be on time. They cant know youre that person on the hill. Its
actually a really funny challenge." Vancouvers Osborne-Paradis returned last
season from a catastrophic knee injury suffered in January, 2011. Hudec, from
Calgary, has undergone seven knee surgeries, including six on the same knee.
Injuries plant seeds of doubt that have to be overcome in the start hut. Bravado
helps get past the mental barriers to 130 kilometres per hour. "I think theres a
lot of fear, but you learn to adapt to that," Osborne-Paradis says.
"Recklessness for sure, its the only way to win. "You can ski pretty and have a
good run and come 20th your whole career if you wanted to. To win, you need to
be taking chances and you need to risk the fact that you might end up in the
(safety) nets. Thats the only way to win." The 2014 Winter Games in Sochi,
Russia, are just weeks away and this could be the Olympic swan song for some of
Canadas veteran downhillers. Osborne-Paradis says he has never worked so hard to
prepare for a season of racing. "Ive taken the initiatives and worked better
with my sports psych, better with my biofeedback, better with stretching and
mobility," he says. "The stuff that, as you get older, makes more a difference
than going out and grunting. "As you get older, you need to learn how to stay in
the game and stay active in this sport. You take your knowledge and your history
of running all the courses and use that to your advantage and build up a better
mental capacity of what needs to be done at each event. To get to know yourself
a little bit more makes you a better athlete." Similar to NHL goaltenders who
donate money to a charity for each shootout they earn, Osborne-Paradis has come
up with a strategy for Right To Play, the international organization that
empowers children facing adversity through sport. Osborne-Paradis wears Right To
Plays logo on his helmet instead of a corporate brand. Through his business
contacts, hes raised an initial $25,000 for the organization. More will be
donated for top-10 or podium performances he achieves this season. A win, for
example, is worth another $15,000 contribution. If Osborne-Paradis attracts a
headgear sponsor this season, he intends to wear Right To Plays logo on his
suit. He would exponentially increase the bonus money to the organization, so a
win would be worth $30,000. "Obviously theres the personal drive of achieving
your goals, but when youre skiing for a cause bigger than yourself, the better
you ski and the faster you ski and the more other people will benefit from
that," he says. "Its a great feeling and on those off days it really helps you
push through the cold weather and the fear of racing or whatever."
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Kyle Turris, Bostons Patrice Bergeron and St.
Grant Hill Jersey . -- A horse with a humble
pedigree.WINNIPEG - For centre Olli Jokinen, one loss does not a
confidence-shaking setback make despite the Winnipeg Jets falling back into the
Central Division cellar following a 4-3 loss to Nashville Predators on Tuesday
night.Its not going to be our last game we lose, were not going to win every
game, Jokinen said Wednesday, joining most of his teammates taking the day off
to rest or work out in preparation to face the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.I
think as a team were moving in the right direction and we just try to get our
energy levels up and try to get a win Friday, he added.The Jets coaches and a
handful of players were on the ice Wednesday but things will get more serious
Thursday as the squad gears up for another important game against a Western
Conference rival.Although theyve gone 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and lost 4-2
to Edmonton on Monday, the Canucks (27-18-9 before playing Chicago on Wednesday)
are at least currently where the Jets want to be — holding down the eighth and
final Western Conference playoff spot.The Jets stand 12th, eight points behind
the Canucks before Wednesdays action. They have plenty of distance to cover and
not much time to do it as they head into the Olympic break. After Fridays game
they play four more road contests before the Olympics, then return Feb. 27 at
the MTS Centre.But with the hiring of new coach Paul Maurice, the Jets have
already done some surprising things in a relatively short period of time. They
earned road wins over both the league-leading Anaheim Ducks and defending
Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks have won six-of-eight games with Maurice
behind the bench.And neither Jokinen nor Maurice viewed Tuesdays loss as a step
backwards from the kind of defensive zone game hes trying to teach.This
defensive zone concept, its not like you write it on the board you get it and
you go and theres your defence for the rest of your life, its a work in
progress, Maurice said. There wasnt a letdown (Tuesday night).They werent
running out of position, getting away from what they were trying to do to break
a game open.Maaurice said players are starting to see things and there are fewer
questions coming back.
Shaquille ONeal Suns Jersey. Hes pleased with
the compete level of one of the NHLs youngest teams.The biggest thing hes
instilled in us is play for each other in every game, said centre
Mark Scheifele.That approach seems to be working for the 20-year-old Scheifele,
who had a goal and an assist against Nashville and is third in scoring among NHL
rookies.Four Jets are heading to the Olympics: goalie Ondrej Pavelec and
Michael Frolik for their native Czech Republic, Jokinen for Finland and
Blake Wheeler, currently tied for Winnipegs scoring lead, for the U.S.The others
will have a long layoff and while Maurice says hes had experience with Olympic
breaks, with a young team like the Jets it might be different.The last time I
went through an Olympic break that I remember, we ended up going to the final
(2001-02 with Carolina) and came out fast and quick, Maurice said. We had a
bunch of guys . . . that were older, fit men who used that break to rest but
came back roaring.Maurice said veterans like former Carolina Hurricanes captain
Rod BrindAmour and Martin Gelinas had the experience to know how to use the
break.The concern is there will be a bunch of these guys that havent gone
through an Olympic break, he said. Theres not much we can do in terms of
structuring anything that is mandatory for our players.Maurice isnt worrying
about the four Jets heading to Sochi, Russia.Theyre going to go and play at a
really, really high level and theyre going to get better from it, he said. Id
prefer to have more guys going than not.Meanwhile, Maurice said left-winger
Evander Kanes hand was cleaned up by doctors after he was sidelined again by an
infection that caused it to swell up.Everything finished the way we hoped, he
said.Kane cut his hand in a fight with Tampa Bays Eric Brewer on Jan. 7 and
initially missed four games. He returned Jan. 21 to register a goal and three
assists in the next four games but isnt expected back until after the Olympic
break.
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