His unassuming demeanour cannot hide his inner competitiveness anymore (if it has before, in the first place...)

From the World Cup circuit to the local bike racing scene to the Strava KOM, Howe’s love of racing shines through.

Author: Kunio Tsuyuhara

Connor Howe began his speed skating journey when he was seven on short track. However, like many successful speed skaters, this young Olympian speed skater also grew up doing many sport activities at various levels, and he attributes his success in speed skating to his multisport background.

“I did a little bit of a lot of stuff, not competitively, but I played soccer, XC skiing, DH skiing, and other school sports, like track and field, badminton, and volleyball. I gained general balance and coordination through those sports, which is especially good for a tall guy like me.”

Indeed, his skating techniques exhibit a great deal of poise and gracefulness. You may not realize how tall he is from watching him skating on ice, but he is 6.4.

His multisport background has also taught him a great sense of body awareness and control of his body, which helps him excel in this highly technical sport.

“I think I’m good at analyzing technical stuff and making changes effectively. When my coaches and I recognize something off, I usually can make adjustments pretty fast. And I think I’m really good at knowing what cues I want to focus on to maintain my technique.”

On top of his superior athleticism acquired through those sports activities as the foundation, Howe’s love of biking also builds his tremendous stamina to be successful at the international level.

“I grew up in Canmore, Alberta, and mountain biking is big there, so I naturally started mountain biking with the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club’s youth program when I was 9.

“I was not particularly interested in racing on MTB, and it was just for fun. But I eventually started road riding and then road racing when I was around 14. At that time, I was switching from short track racing to long track racing, and road cycling definitely helped me pick up long track pretty fast when I switched over.”

Many young speed skaters may not be aware how important cycling training is for speed skating, and you may ask why speed skaters ride that long in summer.

“I ask myself that, too, like Why am I doing this?” laughed Howe.

“But, by the end of summer, I feel fitter in practice, which allows me to do more reps with good technique. I generally feel better on ice if I’m fitter. You probably can do the same thing running, but for me cycling is the perfect tool for building fitness for speed skating.”

Most of the elite speed skaters incorporate road cycling for their summer training for this reason, and Howe is clearly no exception. What may be exceptional for him is that he continues participating in the local bike races.

“I always have fun with racing, and it gives me something to train for during the summer months. Summer training is usually repetitive and long with no speed skating competition for a couple of months. It’s kind of a mental thing, too.”

“Speed skating and bike racing really go hand in hand and complement each other. It’s fun and worth the time because bike races teach tactics, which would help short track races and mass start races. I still prioritize my speed skating training, but it matches up pretty good.”

Many speed skaters might think bike racing is too dangerous and haven’t tried for that reason, but Howe reckons that it’s a “manageable risk.”

“Anytime on the bike, you can crash on your own or be hit by a car on the open road. And in a bike race, cyclists around you are all skilled and know what they are doing. So, bike racing is really not too much worse…. Accidents can always happen anywhere.”

If not bike racing against other cyclists, he also likes challenging himself and racing “virtually.”

“When I started road biking, I would often ride up Mount Norquay, the biggest climb around Banff. Whenever I went, I would always time myself and try to beat my previous time. I’m still a minute off the KOM time (on Strava), so that’s my goal for the future.”

(You can watch his Norquay hill climbing effort on his YouTube Channel.) 

It was clear from our conversation (and of course from his continued successes on ice) that, despite his quiet and unassuming demeanour, Howe possesses strong inner competitiveness and desire to improve himself.

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy cycling for my whole life. And after I finish skating, I’ll keep myself fit on the bike and may even continue racing.”

Author's note: The interview was conducted on December 22, 2023, before he was heading out to Salt Lake City for the Four Continents Championships where he won the 1500m. He then wrapped up his long speed skating season at the World Championship in Calgary in February. Or, so I thought he would...

However, he actually kept going and competed at the Oval Finale in mid March,  including the 100m dash and mass start. And for this summer bike season, he joined Manteo Cycling team, which most likely means he is going to race a lot on the bike as well. Who would love racing more than he does? 

Want to follow Connor’s latest speed skating and cycling endeavour? Check out his Instagram page @connorhowe00.