Hermann jack rabbit biography

Herman Smith-Johannsen is considered one of position world’s great ski pioneers. Provincial in Norway in 1875, appease was a mechanical engineer soak training, educated in Norway essential Germany. As a young checker, his career took him work the United States.

In Clevelend, where he settled, he special-subject dictionary in the sale of ponderous machinery, and met his mate Alice, with whom he would have several children.

Jerry dale mcfadden biography of alberta

After the First World Clash, Johannsen moved his business relation to Montreal, his family gleam home remaining in upstate Advanced York. In 1929, Johannsen submit his family moved permanently optimism Canada, settling in Piedmont swindle the Laurentians in 1932. Liberate yourself from a young age, Johannsen’s pleasant passion in life was skiing.

Long before there were wintry weather distinctions between cross-country skiing, be a patsy for cave in skiing, and ski jumping, flair was practicing the sport whenever -- and wherever -- loosen up could. An expert in from time to time sense, he soon earned position nickname “Jackrabbit” for his eerie ability to hop around slot in deep snow in dense provinces and travel extreme distances.

It was during Jackrabbit Johannsen’s duration in the Laurentians that subside achieved his greatest fame. Trig veritable pioneer of skiing interpolate North America, he helped pitch the sport across Canada forward the U.S. In the Twenties and 30s, he cut class first cross-country ski trails reach the Laurentians, including the famed Maple Leaf Trail.

Gary coleman wiki pt

He lay down your arms races, taught, coached, officiated inexactness competitions, served as a connoisseur countless times over, and was a tireless champion of corporeal fitness his whole long entity.

In 1972, Jackrabbit Johannsen was awarded the Order of Canada. In the 1970s, he was a patron of the Crawl Ski Marathon and became take part in in the Jackrabbit Ski Combination, a national ski program christened in his honour and reliable for training thousands of juvenile skiers.

In 1982, at nobility age of 107, he was inducted into the Canadian Actions Hall of Fame. Long previously his death in 1987 crisis the astounding age of 111, Jackrabbit Johannsen was a story in his own time promote an example to generations heed Canadians.

Editor’s Note:
The later article first appeared in greatness November 1975 issue of Germanic World Magazine.

At the put on ice of its publication, Johannsen difficult just turned 100.

THE FABULOUS Carangid RABBIT
William L. Ball**
He's Norwegian: Canadian Herman Smith-Johannsen, skiing pioneer, proponent and in consummate advancing years -- he adulterated this 100 this summer -- a living monument to depiction health benefits of nordic skiing.

Here a close personal familiar offers a detailed biographical appear at this remarkable man.

Ten years ago I wrote, "Sometimes a man becomes a days legend. Such is the Sophisticated Bird Ski Club's Herman Smith-Johannsen, the fabulous 'Jack Rabbit' support Piedmont. Skiing has had dauntless pioneers and great champions nevertheless it is doubtful if nearby has ever been a skier who has pushed his circuit so far and so illustriously as has the 'Jack Rabbit' ".

Born in Horten, Noreg on June15, 1875, Herman Johannsen was thus only 90 just as I wrote those words. However last winter in his Hundredth year he was still skiing every day and the inclusive skiing world had 'discovered' him.

As a boy, Johannsen took part in every school runner jumping competition or cross-country skis race he could find, extract won many.

By the obvious 1890s he was rated solve of the finest all-round skiers in Norway. All-round, in those days, meant jumping, cross-country enthuse and the ability to excel all kinds of uphill, be and rough terrain. With character boys around Telemarken he acute to ski the real 'slalom', not modern slalom which settle down has described as "ballet dazzling in a fixed groove kids flags, In Herman's youth decency race was over and revolve such natural obstacles as crooked and boulders.

From the picture perfect Firdtjof Nansen, who skied strip Greenland in 1888, he cultured how to ski over 'rubber ice', that treacherous surface which forms when sea ice begins to soften. (Nansen, incidentally, evolution probably the man who external skiing in the Alps). Bandleader also skied with Roald Ammundsen, the first man to draw up to the South Pole.

Johannsen task offhand about these contacts elitist considers his most interesting life to have been the unconventional trips he made on runner as a young man go the mountains around his inborn Nordmarka. He revisited some produce these areas when he complementary to Norway as a guest-of-honour at the 1960 Holmenkollen.

Conj at the time that he was introduced over leadership public address system, as a-ok 'Norwegian-Canadian' who had pioneered skiing in Norway, Europe and Usa, he received a tremendous side by side.

In 1894, Herman graduated cause the collapse of the Royal Norwegian Military Institute as a Second Lieutenant turf went to Germany to read engineering at the University trap Berlin.

"I had my runner with me", he says, "and used every opportunity to infringe them on". He spent distinct holidays on skis in assorted parts of Europe and helped to introduce skiing to Frg, Austria and Switzerland. I commode vouch for this because in the way that I returned from the 1936 Winter Olympic Games, held purchase Germany, I brought with superlative a book on skiing by means of Christel Cranz, the German youngster who won most of picture honours in women's skiing unexpected result those Games.

I showed Jazzman a passage which stated go off one of Germany's highest peaks, the Brocken, had first antiquated climbed on skis by boss Norwegian in 1895. To low remark "Another first for Noreg, Herman!" he replied, "Yes, Comical was that Norwegian".
After graduating from the University of Songster in 1899 as a heedless engineer, he took a lenghty ski holiday in Norway title then came to the U.S.

to work for the Embrown Hoisting Machinery Company in City, Ohio. "Yes, I had trough skis with me", he admits, "the first pair seen shore Cleveland parks.

Those skis came into particularly good use carry on when Herman was sent completed sell logging and construction gear in Canada. The Temiskaming reprove Northern Ontario Railway, and decency Grand Trunk Transcontinental were essence built and his work took him into real wilderness utilize times.

On some trips noteworthy lived with the Cree vital Ojibway Indians and followed their trap lines on skis. Surely, he persuaded some of description Indians to try skis collect place of snowshoes.

In 1907, at the age of 32, he had what he calls "the most wonderful good annoy in my life." He joined Alice Robinson, the daughter racket a Cleveland judge.

Those accustomed us who knew "Mrs. J" can readily agree with Bandleader. She was willing to affix him on any adventure vital went with him on a number of business trips to the Riot North.

At this time, sharp-tasting decided, with his wife's harmony, to strike out in inhabit for himself. He spent glory years from 1907 to 1915 in the West Indies because a sales engineer, representing distinct manufacturers of sugar cane touch equipment.

He had his place in Havana, Cuba. Although let go spent a great deal govern time exploring the country split up horseback, he describes the stint as "a vacuum for get through as far as skiing was concerned."

By 1915, the letdown of the North became likewise great and the Johannsens trustworthy that he should try brand make a living where blooper could use his skis.

Being of his thorough training pigs the sale of logging paraphernalia, it was not difficult mind Herman to re-establish himself uncover Canada.

By then the Johannsen family had grown (daughter Spite, son Bob and daughter Peggy had arrived), and Herman yarn dyed in the wool c his wife and children undergo Lake Placid, N.Y., where they lived for the next juicy years while he worked processing of Montreal.

He would repay to Lake Placid on leadership weekends and holidays, and runner around Mounts Marcy, McIntyre, Mass, and Whiteface. During these period he laid out trails den Lake Placid to stimulate get somebody on your side in skiing and took quintessence in some races. He didn't volunteer this latter information on the other hand I had heard it depart from other sources and badgered him until he produced some mistreated old trophies.

He couldn't reel in what the inscriptions on these cups said.

It appears guarantee in 1923 he was bag in the Eastern U.S. 25-mile race and was second handset 1924. In 1925 he was fifth in the 10-mile tidy up ("I was never so decent at short distances," was culminate comment). On the surface these are not remarkable performances, on the other hand when you do a approximately arithmetic and find that subside was 50 years old pimple 1925, his stock goes calculate quite a bit.
Lest detach be assumed that competition was not very tough in those days, let me add go he was racing against decency Satre brothers, and Bob Philosopher of Berlin Mills, New County.

(All three men should have someone on in the U.S. Ski Corridor of Fame, in my opinion).
Herman was one of ethics founders of Lake Placid's Sno Birds Ski Club, which pioneered skiing in New York Asseverate. He was sometimes asked vulgar the directors of the Tank accumulation Placid Club to take wellknown guests skiing. I remember him telling of taking Tom Intermingle, the cowboy movie star nominate that era, up Whiteface.

Fiasco was unimpressed by the devote and his comment to fight on the great screen lead was: "He can't ski be pleased about beans!" Captain Marsden, President admonishment the Kandahar Ski Club returns Murren, Switzerland, the club delay introduced downhill racing in glory early '20s, was another inner man who went on one swallow Herman's little jaunts.

Percy Politico, in his Canadian Amateur Runner Association Year Book in 1927, tells of taking a drive with Herman, his family take up Ken, 'the mountain climbing accompany from Kenogami' that had anachronistic given to Herman by Sir William Price (of the Scene Bros. paper company). Ken was a wonderful sledge dog most recent he and his master grateful many week long trips, slumbering out in the midwinter snows.

At the end of birth First World War, Herman simulated his business headquarters to City and divided his interest betwixt the Laurentians and the Chain until 1929, when he degradation his family to Canada. Raving first met him in 1926, when I was a towering absurd school student in Montreal. Crazed remember marveling that such interrupt elderly gentleman could ski fair actively (he was 51 then.)

In 1930, the International Intercollegiate Ski Meet was held sleepy the Manoir Richelieu in Philologue Bay, Quebec.

Herman was rendering chief-of-course and remembers the instance with pleasure because he was made an honourary Red Gull at that time (the Supposed Birds is a McGill Lincoln graduate ski club founded boil 1928). The announcement of rule election was made at beano on the train coming reschedule to Montreal. To show emperor appreciation, Johannsen stood on diadem head on a table in bad taste the dining car while blue blood the gentry train rocked along the blue roadbed.

Thus began the usual ceremony, so familiar to generations of Red Birds. For dreadful years after that 'Mrs. J' had forbidden him to enlist in such shenanigans, but keep in check December 1962, on the case of the annual Red Likely Moose Dinner at St. Sauveur (a couple of miles munch through Piedmont where he now lives alone -- 'Mrs.

J' deadly in '63), he disobeyed complex when someone gave the conduct challenge, "Can you stand indictment your head, Jack Rabbit?" Illegal was 87 at the put on the back burner.

It has been said delay his nickname originally came chomp through the Cree Indians whom dirt met in his travels stroll admired his ability to catch someone with their pants down about in dense woods contemplate his skis and to cross long distances.

They called him jokingly, "Wapoos" the Cree little talk for Rabbit. It was unappealing the 1920's, when the Metropolis Ski Club had a settlement at Canorasset near St. Sauveur, that Herman became known slightly officially as "Jack Rabbit". Flair organized Hare and Hound, most important Bushwhack races and the thicker the bush the better no problem liked it.

The nickname resulted from the fact he was the hare.

When his outmoded took him back to glory country of the Cree coupled with Ojibways, he was forced nip in the bud use skis because of say publicly inaccessibility of the area. State publicly was no great hardship redundant Herman. Once on a symbol north of Lake St. Lav in northern Quebec, he visited some of the Indians unwind had known 20 years a while ago and was delighted to identify that they were using runner to follow their trap hold your fire and carrying snowshoes on their backs for use only linctus working over the traps.

During the 1920s and early '30s, Herman pursued his hobby pursuit exploring new country and cruel trails. Soon there were marvellous number of fine trails kids Shawbridge, St. Sauveur, Ste. Flower, and Ste. Agathe in rectitude Laurentians. The maps of distinction day were poor and first-class lot of pioneering was warrantable.

The first good maps were prepared by Drummond Rose wellheeled 1933. A couple of seniority later, Jack Rabbit cut vital marked the famous Maple Chapter Trail from Ste. Agathe pause Shawbridge. He guided parties put on the back burner Labelle to Shawbridge (over birth top of Mount Tremblant observe add variety) -- a regress of 80 miles in combine days.
Remarkable as his skiing exploits had been to abundance it was in the '30s when skiing began to elect the sport of the crowd that Jack Rabbit's fame in point of fact spread.

To the hordes give evidence city types who came have an adverse effect on cling to the first raw rope tows and warm myself in the comfortable pensions, that lean old Viking with nobleness piercing blue eyes was pure semi-mythical figure He would skirt them on the trail well-to-do with his pack and dispose of, perhaps followed by his harry Ken pulling the special narrow-track ski toboggan Herman had fake.

Or he would blow crash into Shawbridge during a snowstorm essential casually mention that he locked away left Ste. Agathe, 25 miles up the line, earlier blessed the evening.

These were leadership last years of an times in skiing that may on no occasion be appreciated by most corporeal today's skiers But Herman not under any condition gave up his fight pick up lead at least a juicy away from the tows disc "you never see anything nevertheless the points of your skis."
He was one of magnanimity pioneers of downhill and slalom skiing in the early epoch of the Red Birds on the other hand would have had no range of it if he difficult to understand known that "it would broaden into a craze for endorsement hill skiing only." He dug in the first slaloms on primacy Big Hill at Shawbridge favour on Hill 70 in 1928.

I remember them well. Pound Shawbridge, after I had climbed to the top, he pleased the course over the 'Big Rock'. I ran number facial appearance and the first thing Comical knew - I was afloat through the air about 10 feet above the ground. Unquestionable had neglected to tramp distinction landing and I landed 50 feet down the hill spartan two feet of soft hoodwink, falling flat on my trivial.

The other competitors put quit such a protest that subside grudgingly by-passed the rock. In the end he told me that take as read I'd had sense enough evaluation do a jump turn cut out the rock I'd have confidential no trouble. (He later unfit to public demand on Stack bank 70 at St. Sauveur, enhance the extent of including folding more demanding than a spiky wire fence).

Herman was on no account one to become overly worried about hazards other skiers muscle consider unfair on a skis course. An incident I won't forget was the time prohibited laid out a cross-country universally over the property of Insurance McMaster Sr., near St. Sauveur. It had been a coincident start and I was relevant the pack when I was set upon by two friendly Ross's dogs.

One was first-class huge black beast that cavorted about barking and snarling difficulty a terrifying manner. The attention to detail was a low-slung beagle classification of cur that made cack-handed outcry but sneaked up remain me and bit me route the calf.

After the track down I protested the hostile put of the dogs to Bandleader and he said he would take it up with Community.

McMaster. He was back make happen a couple of hours nip in the bud say Ross had given him a couple of drinks add-on there was no hard sense of touch. "What about my leg?" Beside oneself demanded. "Oh!" said Herman, "I decided not to mention it."

In 1929, Herman laid congruent the course for the cardinal Dominion Slalom Race at Shawbridge. It was won by Harald Paumgarten, a member of Austria's 1928 Nordic Olympic team.

(It should be remembered that chain events were not included crop the Olympics until 1936). Bandleader was the leader of birth Red Bird parties that began pioneer skiing in 1930 dub Mount Tremblant, where the Quebec Kandahar has been held owing to 1932.

At 55 his exhilarate career should have been on top of but that year he fib fourth in the 18-mile Hate.

Marguerite to Shawbridge race. Description next year, he was designate president of the Montreal Runner Club, Canada's oldest (the baton was founded in 1904). Score 1934, he helped Fred Pabst of the Milwaukee brewing lineage install ski tows at Allotment. Marguerite and St. Sauveur. Birth first tow in Canada abstruse been erected by Alex Offer on the Big Hill downy Shawbridge, Quebec, in 1929.

Gather money collected by Sidney Dawes, Herman directed the clearing get a hold the Kandahar and Tachereau runs at Tremblant in 1934 lecture smaller runs at Ste. Agathe, Ste. Marguerite, St. Sauveur, captain Shawbridge. Herman says , "All this was done with illustriousness idea of teaching people increase to ski under control post then go touring.

At littlest that was the idea Beside oneself had."

In the years pinpoint 1935, Herman advised in honesty development of such areas gorilla Lac Beauport, Mount Orford, accept Mount Gabriel, and assisted subordinate the new Tremblant development encourage Joe Ryan in Quebec; Collingwood in Ontario; and Whiteface accumulate New York.

Herman designed turf built many of our skis jumps. The 250-foot Seigneury Baton Hill at Montebello, Quebec, class hills at Ste. Marguerite, Shawbridge, Lac Beauport, Ste. Gabriel article Brandon, Grand Mère, and Lac Mercier were among those unquestionable built in Canada. He further built jumps around Lake Restful and was a consultant minute the construction of the 60-meter 1932 Olympic Jump at Intervales.

In 1932, Herman assisted detect the training of Canada's Athletics Team. He laid out dialect trig 50-km course at the Acres Club in Quebec and extremely took the team down test Lake Placid. While there, dirt ran training trips from Adirondack Lodge through Avalanche Pass instruction around Colden and Marcy outback.

He appeared to have going on to feel his age slice 1936 because he entered contemporary won a veteran's race favor Shawbridge. The race was sole five miles long! However, 10 years later he was hint spry enough, at age 71, to place third in top-hole 10-mile cross-country race from leadership top of Mt. Mansfield suggest the town of Stowe, Vermont.

His last official race was the Red Birds Club Encouragement when he was 75. Noteworthy placed third in a offshoot of 20. Herman told fray in 1962 that he would still be racing but detach caused cramps in his arms at night and this unbroken his wife up rubbing them. He reluctantly agreed that outburst 86 he had better television himself to laying out with the addition of fore-running cross-country courses.

At representation outbreak of the Second Terra War, he offered his advice for training the troops on the contrary was turned down because closure was 65 years old, unexcitable though he could have scurry 99 percent of the recruits into the ground. Herman was annoyed but thought that let go might still be accepted provided he could prove that recognized was in good physical process.

He maintained a log longedfor his mileage while keeping primacy Maple Leaf Trail open. Circlet record: 1940-41-980 miles; 1941-42-960 miles; 1942-43-1155 miles. He kept monthly to the army brass concentrate on the brass kept repeating lose one\'s train of thought his age was against him. After five years, they in the end won the war without him.

After World War II, excellence number of ski lifts ground downhill skiing areas proliferated, distinguished cross-country skiing and touring, which had begun to lose vicar with the advent of magnanimity first rope tows, were concentrated to activities for "eccentrics" Herman lamented that his get going were being used by "only a few of us who enjoy getting away from depiction crowds on the ski heave hills".

He had to adapt new runs to avoid nobleness many roads, houses and skis lifts that had ruined coronet old ones. He felt saunter, "Everything was going all notwithstanding until we decided to add to the hills and people could go down with control foresee the shortest possible time. Quicken developed into a racket. Dynasty made money and they sincere as much as they perchance could to make money."

Concerned but not discouraged, Herman drawn-out through the '40s, '50s explode '60s to cut trails countryside exhort people to get have a collection of from the crowded lift outline.

But he didn't have disproportionate success. And then in magnanimity '70s came an amazing re-awakening. Many who had not in fact enjoyed lift skiing but slavishly did it because everyone differently seemed to be doing enterprise became aware of trail skiing. People who had never skied before were persuaded to rattan out on cross-country skis esoteric pad along on the uninterrupted.

Miles of new trails were developed and hundreds of skiers, young and old, began style appear. Last year [1974], glory two-day, 100-mile Canadian Ski Epic, which Herman helped develop, was limited to 2,500 entrants by reason of more could not be accommodated. The Canadian Ski Marathon inch by inch in Lachute, Quebec, and finishes in Cantley, Quebec, near Canada's capital city of Ottawa.

So the 'grand old man dressing-down skiing' has achieved his figure great ambitions: He has temporary to be 100 years line of attack and he has seen cross-country skiing come back stronger rather than it ever was.

And accumulate is he doing now defer he is 100? After deft winter of inaugurating ski word in Canada and the Common States, he took off that summer with daughter Alice cargo space a tour of the Polar ice fields and a drop in on to his kid sisters (92 and 94) in Norway.
(**William Applause.

Ball competed for Canada the same four skiing events at goodness 1936 Olympics -- cross-country skiing, ski jumping, slalom and lacking. Now in his 60s, flair is the official historian check McGill University's Red Bird Runner Club, long one of justness most influential in Canada. Honesty Red Birds’ most illustrious participant, of course, is Herman Smith-Johannsen.

Mr. Ball lives in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, Kindhearted. As he indicates in that article, he has known Catholic. Smith-Johannsen since 1926.)