Bio
For Canadian Coleton Haywood, the winter months tend to race by at 60kph. That is the average speed at which the 27-year-old skates down twisting tracks of ice all around the world. Haywood, who does web design, marketing, and sales for a local energy-efficient lighting company, finished 14th overall in the world standings in 2013 – his best season. Haywood grew up playing hockey with the Unionville Jets and Markham Islanders, but it's the speed, physicality and challenge that keeps Haywood's interest in ice cross downhill and made him one of the sport's top competitors. He was introduced to the sport while a student and saw the local qualifiers for the Red Bull Crashed Ice event in Quebec City. During the off-season and inbetween races, he performs dry-land training, balance exercises, as well as in-line skating sessions. Having the sensation of downhill and uphill skating with in-line skating is important practice, says Haywood, because while he and many other Canadian competitors come from a hockey background, many international competitors come from backgrounds in cross-country or downhill skiing, ski jumping or inline skating. With interest and participation in the sport growing, Haywood said he would one day like to work as an ice cross coach.