Jason Harding
Introduction
Jason Harding is a high level surfer and snowboarder. He is also a sport scientist (BEXSC PHD), Sports Science Coordinator and Athletic Performance Consultant formerly affiliated with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) and Griffith University’s Centre for Wireless Monitoring and Applications (GU). Jason’s affiliation with the AIS began in December 2003 when he was awarded a postgraduate scholarship (Quality Assurance) in the Department of Physiology. Jason’s PhD research was focussed on enhancing the competitive performance of Australia’s elite-level snowboard athletes and additionally improving the reliability of judging protocols used in competitive snowboarding. Jason’s performance based research with the Australian snowboard team culminated with the AIS Micro-Tech Pipe Challenge, an elite-level Australian invitational half-pipe snowboarding competition that utilised both traditional subjective judging measures and innovative micro-technology to assess half-pipe snowboarding performance. The event, conducted on July 30th 2007 in collaboration with the Australian snowboarding community, is believed to be the first half-pipe snowboarding competition in the world to utilise automated, objective feedback to award athletic performance. This project won first place in the “Competitive Sports Category in the ISPO Innovation Challenge” in 2008. Jason is the founder of ‘Anarchist Athlete’, a company focused on providing quality performance based knowledge and advice to talented athletes and uses his website www.AnarchistAthlete.com to publish innovative ideas and research outcomes associated with surf, skate and snow sports disciplines. Jason is now based on the Gold Coast and continues to independently conduct projects and publish research focused on performance enhancement and innovative competition judging protocols for board-riding sports.
Former Professional Roles (Within the AIS, OWIA and GU)
- Provision of physiological services and ‘dry land’ training camps for national snowboard and mogul skiing teams
- Co-ordination of AIS sport science services for the Australian Winter Olympic Team
- Conduct scientific research focussed on improving Australia’s performance in Winter Olympic sports disciplines
- Conducting scientific research centred upon the development and integration of sport-specific micro-technology
Current Professional Focus
- To enhance the policies with which sporting institutes provide support services to athletes
- To enhance the relationship between sport science support teams and athletes competing in elite-level sport
- To enhance the profile and promote the potential of practical scientific investigation and technological innovation within elite-level sport
- To develop elite-level, sanctioned sporting events that incorporate sport science research, objective judging criteria and augmented athlete feedback
- To revolutionise training and competition judging protocols currently utilised in elite-level skill based sports with technologically based automated objective feedback
- To set up long-term talent identification and development pathways for young surfers, skaters and snowboarders to maximise their competitive and personal success
- To develop a national training centre focused specifically on elite-level competition success in surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding disciplines
- To vigorously promote youth orientated freestyle sports as legitimate Olympic disciplines and to assist the practice community with control over any introduction
Recommendations
“Jason is known by the AIS Applied Research Centre as an innovative, entrepreneurial and gifted young scientist. His work included the introduction, use and adaptation of technology in the sport of snowboarding. For this work, Jason utilised not only his scientific skills, but also his ability to communicate and negotiate with a range of diverse stakeholders. I have no hesitation in recommending Jason.” Tim Kelly, Business Manager, Australian Institute of Sport, January 12, 2009
“Jason is an energetic and insightful colleague. His PhD work in Winter Sports is outstanding. He is an innovator and trusted colleague.” Keith Lyons, Head of Department of Biomechanics and Performance Analysis, Australian Institute of Sport, March 30, 2009
“I believe Jason to be an inspiration to Winter Sport and sport in general here in Australia and abroad. Jason is someone to look up to and respect in the sport industry and more important in life. He is continually leading, motivating and inspiring the people he works with. He develops excellent relationships with people on a professional and personal level, which makes him a very valuable collogue, and friend. Jason is striving to push his abilities in life and work to be the most outstanding and successful person that anyone could know. He is an inspiration to those he has dealings with and gives them something that they can take away and use in life and their career. A unique quality that is very rare in this world.” Ben Wordsworth Head National Snowboard Coach, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, January 7, 2009
“Jason is a creative individual focused on achieving results for elite level snowboarding and further development of the sport using technology” Dr. Daniel James. Scientific Researcher, Centre For Wireless Monitoring and Applications, Griffith University, March 16, 2009
“I have known Jason for approximately 5 years, first as a quality assurance officer at the AIS and then as an Industry based PhD scholar at the AIS working with Winter Sports. Jason has a number of desireable attributes as a sport scientist. He has been very well trained and is highly experienced when it comes to laboratory standards, ensuring accuracy of results and designing and implementing appropriate testing methodology. Jason also has a natural connection and love for sports such as skateboard, snowboard, and surfing; sports not traditionally engaged with sport science support. Jason has proven to be very innovative and highly resourceful when it comes to working with the Australian National Snowboard Program. I am sure that in the right environment, Jason could become a very valuable resource for a national team coach responsible for sports that combine fitness and acrobatic skills. Jason has become unique as a sport scientist because of his ongoing interest in how to incorporate micro and nanotechnology into the sport in a way that has the potiential to differentiate training practices from ordinary to exceptional. When Jason finishes his PhD he will emerge as a very unique and highly experienced young professional, ready to support elite sporting programs at the highest level. I am sure, if given the right opportunities Jason will have a very productive and exciting career in sport science and high performance management. I am more than happy to comment on Jason further if you require additional comments on his strengths and weaknesses, personality, ability to work with other professionals or his specific fit within another organisation.” Dr. David Martin. Senior Physiologist, Department of Physiology, Australian Institute of Sport, March 13, 2009
“Jason is an innovative, creative and thorough sports scientist, constantly pushing boundaries and ideas in the never-ending search for that often elusive ‘edge’. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable professional” Matt Lyons, Head National Ski Cross Coach, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, October 11, 2009
“Jason has a strong background in Winter Sports. I worked with him on the Half Pipe sensor project where he had good ideas and developed good strategies to test those ideas. I would certainly be happy to work with Jason in the future.” Colin Mackintosh, Head Applied Sensors, Australian Institute of Sport, March 3, 2009
“Jason is an independent worker and innovative thinker with a huge passion for board sports and high-performance sporting success. He eagerly acquires new skills when relevant to project outcomes or when tasked to do so. He develops good relationships with the coaches that he works with, which is one of the most critical aspects of success in our field.” Jeremy Sheppard, Sport Scientist, Australian Institute of Sport, January 6, 2009
Note: All recommendations can be accessed in the original form through Jason’s Professional Profile On Linked-In
Contact Details
Name: Jason Harding
Email: AnarchistAthlete@gmail.com
Linked In Profile: Jason Harding
Website: www.AnarchistAthlete.com
Current CV: Download PDF Document of Current CV (200KB)