tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60749879157057897472024-03-14T03:38:54.297-06:00Ski Jumping SpectatorFlying observationsLandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-5142662423699188112015-11-07T12:24:00.002-07:002015-11-07T12:25:40.388-07:00If you want to see some great Historical Jumping check out some from<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;">RiPa Konamies</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vanha.konamies/videos?pnref=lhc">https://www.facebook.com/vanha.konamies/videos?pnref=lhc</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;">but his Feed has other ones as well.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Not sure how to imbed, but better just to go.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Love the Oberstorf 1976 piece. but many more as well.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-8902275413355137182015-11-07T12:10:00.001-07:002015-11-07T12:19:03.475-07:00One of the nicest jumps and "replay sets" you can find.<br />
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250 Meters straight up for Peter Prevec - February 2015, Vikuersund Norway<br />
"robbed on style points" but not fun.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EurosportRU/videos/1583841345186919/">https://www.facebook.com/EurosportRU/videos/1583841345186919/</a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-65659726626897440342015-03-11T11:49:00.001-06:002015-03-12T10:42:11.618-06:00Ski Jumping - a difficult sportI have had the opportunity to be on the hill and near to it for many years. In my memory bank of athletics and in my view on the hill, I know the difficult spread that can go from near to doing. It is a difficult gap to smoothly span.<br />
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When you see the path from first jumps, through exploration and improvement there is a fundamental of practice, striving and improvement. The process can take years, and it can, at the same time have steps that show progress in short time spans. The process of improving is also in learning to understand and keep the improvements you have made.<br />
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Ski Jumps in general are expanding scales of the same form. (Starter "bunny" jumps break this just a bit).<br />
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Each jump has:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Start Gate</li>
<li>Inrun</li>
<li>Inrun Curve</li>
<li>Table</li>
<li>Takeoff</li>
<li>Knoll</li>
<li>Flight Plane</li>
<li>Transition Curve</li>
<li>Flats</li>
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Each of these areas are areas of skiing and to be skied well each needs a proper approach, as what happens there feeds into the next area, and the next area after that.</div>
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Done well, the process is internalized by the skier and the mental anticipation is absorbed and accepted and let to go. Very much happens in a very short time and dwelling on specific details can make the process blocky and break the fluidity which ultimately is critical.</div>
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But the internalization also needs to keep control. One needs to move into the air and actually go into a space which is "out there". It is a remarkable space and unbelievably fun. Getting there, however, requires commitment and something akin to bravery. What it really is though is kinesthetic awareness of what works and an an willingness to look for what might work better. </div>
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Being fully "on" game means taking all this and adding physical training, power, gymnastic control and the mind of an actor as the art must be performed on stage and performed with a smile.</div>
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I will expand on this this as we start opening these pages up again. Video, Pictures, nice graphics are all needed. But deep breath, relaxation and the will to go, those are among the touchstones you will want to know on every hill.</div>
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Have fun out there and stick those landings!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-51698980583085558512015-02-22T09:08:00.002-07:002015-02-22T09:13:11.107-07:00Internet Streaming: and Nordic SportUSSA made a big move this year aquiring the broadcast rights to both World Alpine Championships and the World Nordic Champs. They ran the production on the Alpine side at Vail-Beaver Creek and did a great job of it. In Falun Sweden for the Nordic, they have simply broadcast everything directly via the <a href="http://nordic.usskiteam.com/">http://nordic.usskiteam.com</a> web site and simul streamed at <a href="http://universalsports.com/">UniversalSports.com</a>.<br />
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The footage has been fantastic. There needs to be commentation on some of the events, but even without it you can follow the events and really understand a heck of a lot about the sports. Jumping is Fun. Cross Country and Nordic Combined are fun. (Commentation does help. The Women's jump had a very good british commentator. The Nordic Combined Team relay had, it seems, a Scottish commentator.<br />
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NITA ENGLUND just put a huge jump down to 94 Meters!! Very cool. (Back Ground on site commentator only. They are cutting speed.) -- we will explain that one later. Czech's are next.<br />
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Distracted, I need to watch the comp. Really addicting.<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-87568825029173993232015-02-20T12:53:00.000-07:002015-03-11T11:50:39.563-06:00Livestream.com features USA Ski Jumping, including Iron Mountain Continental Cups this weekendCheck out todays comp in Iron Mountain live today at:<br />
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<a href="http://new.livestream.com/accounts/991921/events/3825879">http://new.livestream.com/accounts/991921/events/3825879</a><br />
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USA Ski Jumping can be followed on LiveStream at:<br />
<a href="http://new.livestream.com/accounts/991921">http://new.livestream.com/accounts/991921</a><br />
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As USASJ is using a free account, you do need to login to LiveStream. I have found that the easiest way is through Facebook. Yeah, they won't mess with you, and if you like what you see you can share pretty easily too.<br />
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...or just search "USA Ski Jumping" and they will pop to the front. Follow them to get notices of competitions.<br />
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I can see improved production methods in the future but looks like this will be from a nice angle in the Judges tower when the event gets underway.<br />
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Great thing about livestream is they generally archive events for at least a month. Better still there is open chat that is associated with many events. Fun way to check in with your friends far and wide.<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-55405506811330368212015-02-20T10:01:00.000-07:002015-02-21T11:59:26.804-07:002015 World Championships - Falun SwedenNot sure we can imbed this, but there is some very good coverage being streamed, and sometimes commentated at:<br />
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<a href="http://nordic.usskiteam.com/nordic">http://nordic.usskiteam.com/nordic</a><br />
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Right now, women's 1st round has just ended. At the bottom of the feed line choose "Womens Ski Jumping". You can see other events that are playing. Generally it seems there are feeds coming from different venues, and the various named events share those venus.<br />
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May have been a mistake, but one time I found the audio on one feed and the video on the other (basically the audio was in the background, seemed to be the British TV video for Nordic Combined racing).<br />
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Happening fast.<br />
<a href="http://universalsports.com/video/2015-fis-nordic-world-ski-championships-falun-sweden-february-20-ski-jumping/">http://universalsports.com/video/2015-fis-nordic-world-ski-championships-falun-sweden-february-20-ski-jumping/</a><br />
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Universalsports.com also is streaming video. Ads are a bit loud. I haven't figured out how to see any replays.. seems that like the USSkiTeam.com feed this is Live only. Does seem good quality and it may work on an android, which I have not been able to get to work with the USSkiTeam site.<br />
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There is also an IOS ap referenced off of the USSki Team site.<br />
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Check it out. Really great coverag, generally early mornings to morning (Sweden Evening) US times.<br />
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It seems you can "watch later" on Universal Sports. Maybe also on the USST website. I am not sure how long they will keep the feeds open, but you can quickly scroll to the end for instance to see the last 10 or 20 for example. <br />
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Mens Jump feed did not show the final result but you can see it here: <br />
<a href="http://live.berkutschi.com/worldcup/3931">http://live.berkutschi.com/worldcup/3931</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-977165525778670722013-11-23T10:23:00.000-07:002013-11-23T10:23:02.164-07:00The Winter Season is upon usWorld Cup jumping has started this week in Germany rather than Finland as in the past. The pictures I saw from Klingethal showed a jump surrounded by a sea of green. All "man made" snow covering the jump and nothing else. Thats generally OK, though with the new methods of summer jumping I question why he summer surfaces are not simply used sometimes in the winter. It would sure take less work and less energy consumption.<br />
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These are photos from <span class="fcg"> Tveitenbaken, Norway, (shared via FB from Katinka Hulu Saksalainen - Thank you both (Baken means Jump by the way in Norwegian) </span><br /><span class="fwb"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.286523218139650.1073741828.284016205057018&type=1">Snow production Tveitanbakken 13/14</a></span> <span class="fcg">(More Pics on the Link)</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-86591949914250215822013-03-01T12:24:00.003-07:002013-03-01T12:24:59.420-07:00Sarah Hendrickson makes US proud, WC 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Feb 22, 2103: First Jump at Val de Fiemme (Femme) FIS World Championships for Sarah Hendrickson, USA 106 Meters, and fantastic style.<br />
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Second jump is just as good, in fact technically even better. Perhaps there was a lower start.<br />
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I don't know that I recall anyone getting 3 x 19's ( (19, 19, 19) from judges on 2 Jumps in a row. That is simply fantastic skiing and jumping Ms. Hendrickson performed. We are very proud of her and proud of our USA Womens Ski Jumping for putting together 2 Individual World Champions (Lindsey Van, 2009, in Liberec CZ ) in the first 3 World Championships for Women ever in Ski Jumping.<br />
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Now the FIS just needs to let them ski some bigger hills. Jumping like this Sarah would stand with the best of the men it appears to me.<br />
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You go Girl!<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-35220237586313804882012-09-15T20:47:00.001-06:002012-09-15T20:55:31.578-06:00Hans Schmidt at Obersdorf (early 70's)I would like to know the year of this, but I expect it is around 1972.<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/R9XbZhO6UdA" target="_blank">Hans Schmidt, Switzerland (SUI) at Oberstdorf Ski Flying 167 Meter</a><br />
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I used to wear the same hat and goggles, though I was only 11 years old.<br />
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Great to think that the Swiss were skiing so well then. Walter Steiner plus Hans Schmidt.<br />
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You can really see him loft the end of this flight (and backed out at the end).<br />
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He was 2 meter short of the World Record of the time, so the WR was 169 meters.<br />
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Flying is wonderful1<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-79222087212302038322012-09-12T06:15:00.001-06:002016-09-13T05:59:12.716-06:00Historical context in Ski Jumping (flying) and The Great Ecstasy wonderful film.<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.wernerherzog.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Werner Herzog">Werner Herzog</a>'s film about <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Steiner" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Walter Steiner">Walter Steiner</a> (circa 1974-75) shows some remarkable aspects of the sport.<br />
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You can see the start of the film here with english subtitles (perhaps all of it) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liYnvIBLMBQ&index=2&list=PL6458C8B871527116" target="_blank">The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner</a>...<br />
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The full film in German can be seen at this <a href="https://youtu.be/liYnvIBLMBQ" target="_blank">Video</a>.. looking for the Part 2 in English.. which I think would be interesting as this is a very poetic film as well as a very beautiful one. The Slow Motion parts from flying in Planica are truly out of this world.<br />
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If you are (or were) a Ski Jumper like me it is fun to see the sport that you knew growing up, and also to notice how it has changed. The equipment is the most different. <a class="zem_slink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4c4DhVVAwU" rel="youtube" target="_blank" title="Planica ex ski flying world record">Ski Jumping</a> Boots of the early 70's were not much more than basketball shoes. Skis were narrow, bindings were prone to stretch and rebound. Skiing into the track of the inrun required real turning, and tracks were often glaze ice. On top of this, helmets were nearly non-existent.<br />
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My time ski flying was 8 to 10 years later than this. Boots were taller, Helmets were on every skier. Suits had transitioned in a few short years through Air Suits (that were subsequently outlawed) to full arm covering suits. Skis got stronger and bindings a bit lighter and more consistent.<br />
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Another 30 years have past and the sport has changed more. Cut tracks have become the standard in winter jumping -- an aspect that grew out of the great confidence and safety that was established with Frost Rail was introduced (followed by Porcelain Rail) for summer jumping. <br />
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The intro to the Great Ecstasy shows jumping on Plastic with plastic track. The problem plastic had was that it tended to cause deceleration coming into the takeoff (rather than either acceleration or at least maintenance of developed speed). The Plastic track shown also shows the reality that one could not turn into a plastic track the way one could or had to on snow. By 1983, Sit Start were starting to be introduced, again first in the Summer, allowing a much greater control of speed and challenging the best skiers to get to the bottom of the hill with the minimum of takeoff speed.<br />
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The biggest visible difference is the "V" method of flying which aerodynamically has turned skiers into flying squirrels and allowed jumping to follow a flatter and safer flight line.<br />
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The 1973 Jump shown of Walter Steiner falling at 179 <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.last.fm/music/The%2BMeters" rel="lastfm" target="_blank" title="The Meters">Meters</a> is remarkable. Walter stood at 172 or 174 meters in 1974. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Innauer" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Toni Innauer">Toni Innauer</a> had one of the most beautiful jumps ever made in 1976 flying 176 meters (clearly with the help of an air suit, but he was the consumate stylist). This was the year that the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Germany" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="East Germany">East Germans</a> moved inrun arms from the front to the hips and everyone followed suit within the next 12 months at most (perhaps the fastest technique change ever in a sport of "eras" and difficult transitions.) 1980 had skiers matching 176 meters and seeing 180, but it was not until 1983 that 180 was reached, then 1985 Matti Nykannen went 1984 meters (I have a nice photo of this jump in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.markt-oberstdorf.de/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Oberstdorf">Oberstdorf</a>). The equipment was pretty much static from 1979 through the late 80's. <br />
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In the 1980's frost rail and porcelain track jumping was coming to summer skiing and this brought a tremendous level of control and focus skiers could put towards technique. The takeoff clearly became the area of utmost focus. and the safety of a inset track also allowed more assertive and aggressive moves. The result of improving technique is that the best skiers can fly to the bottom of the hill with less and less speed so the sport became safer and safer. And then Jan Boklav of Sweden got really crazy and pushed his skis away from under him, to bringing them out beside him in the "Boklav" or "V" technique.<br />
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Bindings have also changed. Between not knowing the V and not knowing the string corded bindings that replaced the Adidas binding.. and now there is a more logical Wire Track Heel lift coming into the scene (<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.simonammann.ch/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Simon Ammann">Simon Amman</a> brought these forward at the Olympics in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="2010 Winter Olympics">Vancouver 2010</a>)... The sport has very few crashes. There are some incredible jumps coming out of the new hill in Vikersund Norway, but truly world wide. Jumping has many fans and many devotees. The Biggest CHANGE of ALL though is the inclusion of WOMEN! Hip Hip Horay! I will give it another 10 years but I'll bet we see open class jumping. To my eye, women can be every bit as good as the men, and likely more so as they are brought into bigger hill and ski flying venues where technique out weights power on the takeoff.<br />
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With all this one can in fact, fly like a bird. The current world record (for some reason recorded in a Trial Round) is 246.5 meters. Once we get to 250 one might reasonably say in a 2 day, 4 jump competition that one flew a Kilometer this weekend! Pretty remarkable. And takeoff speeds are considerably less than 60 mph, and the good fliers are likely hitting stable glides at less than 70 miles per hour, and if I am doing the math right, with final flight lines of about 34 degrees. What does this mean? It really means that jumpers are indeed flying squirrels. If the rules on suits were a little "looser" or, lets say "a lot" looser and one could use the inflating jump suits of 1975-1976 we might be talking 50 mile per hour glides.. which is a nice thought but "its not about the suit --- its about the skier". Fly far men and women.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-28130544287497116122011-02-11T19:08:00.000-07:002011-02-11T19:08:36.490-07:00New World Record at Vickersund. Johan Remen Evensen Vikersund 2011 246.5 m new world record.Johan Remen Evensen Vikersund 2011 246.5 m new world record<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/453UBJjB1jc" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-43848456098491385412010-11-18T20:52:00.003-07:002010-11-18T21:06:05.549-07:00Huge efforts so far into USA Ski Jumping" USA SJ"Well, Winter is HERE. Snow is falling in the hills above us and the prime season for my winter sport (of years gone by...) is upon us.<br /><br />I will not belabour, but Nordic Ski Jumping was hung out to dry on the line about 10 years ago. I don't know the details other than the fact that we were not winning Olympic and World Championship medals... (search SkiRacing.com for one comment)... Well, 2010 comes along, Rex Bell shows up at the USSA Congress, he starts talking and a week later the "at least we have something" program of US Ski Jumping Development has a parallel work group formed, and a very strong set to constitute the working board, (led by Rex and Jeff Hastings) and things start happening.<br /><br />This is not about politics. It is about art, beauty, and a tremendous way to spend ones youth and the immediate years beyond that. Ski Jumping is a wonderful sport that is both great to watch and to do, and the group has been formed to keep it going and let it blossom in America. I won't go further into the full details, but check out the action at:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.usaskijumping.org">http://usaskijumping.org</a> and on facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/USA.Ski.Jumping">http://www.facebook.com/USA.Ski.Jumping</a><br /><br />We will tell you more, and if you are lucky, maybe we will get you into the Start Gate - the best place to be!<br /><br />Happy Flying!<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-4214348812143261002010-10-25T21:48:00.000-06:002010-10-25T21:49:20.732-06:00USA Ski Jumping is out of the gate<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g5uXt_cMMp0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g5uXt_cMMp0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-10923995643231701132010-07-16T17:38:00.009-06:002010-07-16T17:57:34.537-06:00Many Posts have links to defunct feeds (my apologies)Given the nature of the web some things are permanent, others only somewhat so. If you fish down a page (maybe 2 pages) there are some great, still active Video Links. Universal Sports seems to be "expiring" many of their Video feeds that were referenced in the section directly below. Same true for one Boston Globe link about the new Brattleboro VT jump... (It is still a New Hill Though in Ski Jumping Speak!).<br /><br />Do check out the Jan 2009 and earlierontent. Much worth watching there! There is, I think, one of the best jumps and a great analysis of Gregor Schlierenzauer's long jump in Kulm Austria<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><ul><li>the full blown analysis of<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><a href="http://landis161.blogspot.com/2009/01/gregor-schlierenzauer-kulm-10109-2155.html">Schlierenzauer's Jump, Go Here</a></li></ul><ul><li><h2 class="date-header"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and the (then) live Feed:</span><a href="http://landis161.blogspot.com/2009/01/gregor-schlierenzauer-kulm-2155m-hill.html"><span><span> Tuesday, January 13, 2009</span></span></a></h2></li></ul><br /><br />Landis<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-37263264134061515232010-02-18T13:55:00.009-07:002010-07-16T15:51:21.429-06:00Vancouver Olympic Ski Jump Coverage (take 1)Disregard this post: The Links posted below have been removed by NBC. Now there is only preview Ads for the London Olympics. You Tube type links are probably more enduring, though the subject of what can be posted or even linked to seem to be an issue - particularly when it comes to Video links<br />old post below<br />________<br /><br /><br />I just spent some time at <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/">www.nbcolympics.com</a> and found quite a bit of footage. Not that it is easy to find out of the box, but given some time it does come to you.<br /><br />Here are some good ones: (<a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=fa95c11b-703e-4493-841c-91a1ca5561c0.html">Gregor Schlierenzauer hightight on Normal Hill</a> - bronze medal - great second jump!)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=e4d127b5-7a31-4bf2-8a44-6a6ecc4796d7.html"><br />Simon Ammann's second Jump (to Win) on the Normal Hill</a><br /><br /><br />Full US - <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=25d08b92-b41b-46ae-8e28-e364ac534f71.html">NBC Feed from the Normal hill</a>:<br /><br />"What is the Normal Hill?" you ask. In other parlance it is the "small hill". It used to be the 70 meter hill, but now they measure jumps by how far you can go, not how far you need to go to get on the good landing area. The Normal Hill is important in that is the most important training size hill. Jumpers can go from 70 to 10x meters on this size hill and such a hill takes more technique and power than the "large" hill which is more about the air and flight-- 90 to 150 meters. Jumpers also compete on "flying" hills whcih will bring flights from 120 to 240 meters (not an Olympic Competition yet though they do discuss it I have heard).<br /><br /><br />There is more at <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/">www.nbcolympics.com</a> about jumping<br />.<br />Great news about Johnny Spilane's Silver Medal in Nordic Combined. News posts of the Austrian's questioning the Jumping Bindings of Amman (not sure what they are questioning?) -- they should question a $700,000 bus for the Austrian Team to drive around in if you ask me.<br /><br />Check it out. Have a Fast connection. Figure out how to save some of this if you can.<br /><br />best to all,<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-83648881758089258012009-09-23T21:15:00.003-06:002010-07-16T15:02:10.363-06:00Not to be Outdone.. another view of the Great Ecstasy...I started this blog w/ the outtakes from Herzog's great Ecstasy, letting the film stand for itself. I guess I was understated. This is a nice, "outside jumping" view of the film. See my out takes by going back several posts.<br /><br /><a href="http://themanwhowrotetoomuch.blogspot.com/2009/09/great-ecstasy-of-woodcarver-steiner.html">The Man who Wrote too Much</a><br /><br />And by the way, Oct 10, in Lake Placid will be the US Nationals in jumping an nordic combined.<br /><br />Stay tuned.<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-44986180958586271532009-02-28T11:42:00.007-07:002010-07-16T15:53:36.405-06:00Swiss Skier Coach Keuttel wins Large Hill ChampionshipsIn the Large Hill Special Jump<a href="http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=105880&SPID=12760&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3680234"></a> (Link Removed) Andreas Keuttel put it together to win his first comp in 2 years. Remarkable in this is the fact that he has been spending much of his time coaching teammate Simon Amman and that the two of them are their team.<br /><br />This is quite in contrast to the powerhouse Austrian team who, as noted, were suprisingly left out of this events podium (they made up for this on Saturday winning the Team Competition). The swiss don't even hae enough skiers to field a team (they should have gotten together with the American Duo of Johnson and Fairall).<br /><br />Lets tip our Hats by the way to Anders Johnson. He not only qualified top 50 for this event, but had his best finish - to my knowledge - to date on this level of competition, coming in 40th with a respectable jump of 114 meters! Anders and Nick Fairall (see my earlier post about Nick - Ski Flying) are part of the Project X ski jump development effort that is through shear force of will power bringing the US back into the international ski jumping arena in the mens category (fuller discussion USST's abandonment will follow in a later post).<br /><br />Add this to the emergence from retirement of Todd Lodwick and the story is this. At some point it becomes the skier and not the coach who makes the magic happen. It is hard to say when and where this happens (perhaps from the start), but in these events normally, the effectiveness of the program makes much of the results happen. This effectiveness, of course, needs to transfer to the individuals confidence and abilities, and as they mature, like good wine, they are able to bring this from themselves as Keuttel and Lodwick have so amply demonstrated.<br /><br />Athleticism needs to be nurtured and in the end, it stands on its own in full glory.<br /><br />Congratulations to Keutel and all the skiers who participated in this years Nordic World Championships. This will be a year to be remembered for many years to come -- much for me because it has been the first that I have been able to see, on a regular basis, through the great work of the FIS and NBC Univeresal Sports in putting it out on the web.<br /><br />I do hope that they don't start "geographically" restricting the ability to watch this through national licensing arrangements -- this is what (in the TV Only world) has made Nordic Skiing languish for so many years in North America.<br /><br />Work this one out FIS! The sport depends upon it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-13090172578557410312009-02-28T10:48:00.006-07:002009-02-28T20:58:55.602-07:00Austrian 4 Some is Fearsome in LiberecThe Austrian Special Jumping Team, <a href="http://www.universalsports.com/ViewImage.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&PHOTOID=3538328">who can be seen Here</a><br />are seemingly unstoppable. Hats off to them and the tremendous program that Toni Innauer has put together.<br /><br />To talk about why's and hows I would reach back 30 years to the era where they really burst on to the scene in Toni Innauers time and the Austrian program was doing everything that had not been done before. Early plastic hills, skiing at high elevations very early in the fall, speed training on the glaciers in the summers, developing the first (later made illegal) air suits, building skis in 2 of the best factories, and most importantly, building a national development program that remains tremendously effective 35 years later.<br /><br />The Austrian program is much about the "Ski Gymnasium" (Similar to an American Boarding School)in Stamms Tirol, but it is also about the feeder program that gets kids there. To my understanding there are regional coaches who are out with the clubs helping to identify and invite promising kids when they are 12 and 13 years old.<br /><br />Much like the Gymnastics world, Ski Jumping is a sport where teenagers need to be in break through mode if they are going to be competitive by at 16, 17 and 18 years old. This is likely difficult on "family life" and more normalized upbringing, but Austria is a small enough place that kids can get home for weekends and parents like wise can visit often.<br /><br />But this is not just about school. It is also about having an effective training an sports development program - that clearly, in Jumping and Alpine Racing, the Austrians are very good at. Time on skis, time in the gym, time learing the art is as important as developing the craft, and Stamms has the ability to impart this knowledge and skills in a consistent and powerful way.<br /><br />It probably also doesn't hurt that those who make it through the gauntlet become nationally and internationally known names.<br /><br />This is the part of the equation that we need to put together with the effective Nordic Combined Program in Steamboat, as well as with the programs Lake Placid and Park City. Hats off the the US Nordic Combined Program! 3 Gold Medals is remarkable! We won't forget this effort!<br /><br />Go Billy, Todd, Johnny and Eric, and congrats to the coaching team led by Dave Jarrett!<br /><br />Lets step up our development efforts in Jumping now as well. We are not a true skiing powerhouse unless we can be competitive in all disciplines. And as noted above, competitiveness demands development and I don't know anyone opposed to that!<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-33256219348478329502009-02-28T10:37:00.005-07:002009-02-28T11:41:03.796-07:00Bill Demong gets it DONE!What a commanding race! Bill Demong showed his mettle today by putting down a supreme performance in the XC final component of the large hill Nordic Combined event at the World Championships in Liberec Czech.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3681052">Watch the whole Race Here, (you can't get this type of coverage on TV!)</a><br /><br />You can watch the full race and understand the incredible amount of effort and strategy that he put together to make this work.<br /><br />Read the details on the attached link but most of all, watch this in full screen mode and you will understand what a remarkable athlete he is.<br /><br />Congratulations Bill, and Congratulations Team USA on an an incredible achievement - one for our team that we have never seen before.<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-62501313236273799122009-02-21T11:05:00.010-07:002009-02-28T20:55:12.179-07:00Lindsey Van, You Go Girl!Making us all so proud, but there is more to that. You stood up to the challenge and put it really together. All this in the very first World Championship for Women in Ski Jumping competition.<br /><br />You are, I believe, the United States' first World Champion in Ski Jumping. Feb 20, 2009. Lets all try to remember this date. Todd Lodwick joined you bringing down the "Mass Start" Nordic Combined Gold Medal for the United States as well (I will get that video link in here shortly as well).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?SPID=12760&SPSID=105880&DB_OEM_ID=23000&CLIP_ID=374007&CLIP_FILE_ID=380170&_MODE_=ONDEMAND&db_oem_id=23000">Watch the full Competition Here!</a><br /><br />As to analysis: She skis like she means it. Quick to her in run position, solid in the track, explosive like no one else that day, and just beautifully together in the air and taking her jumps for all they were worth.<br /><br />Lindsey put in a solid first jump landing in 4th place, and her second jump, something like 4 meters furhter than her closest competitor moved her all the way to the top.<br /><br />The clip above is the unedited feed that went from FIS to Universal sports and it is likely to be edited and changed, but it is wonderful in it to see the galavanting after the event and more than that the beauty and poise these women present.<br /><br />You go girl!<br /><br />All star, that is what you are! Lets look up the <a href="http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?CLIP_ID=374042&CLIP_FILE_ID=380195&_MODE_=ONDEMAND&db_oem_id=23000">Video on Todd</a> next! That link is to the takeout of his jumps: Powerful and Poised! Great Jumps Todd. Lets find the <a href="http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?SPID=12760&SPSID=105981&DB_OEM_ID=23000&CLIP_ID=373706&CLIP_FILE_ID=379978&_MODE_=ONDEMAND&db_oem_id=23000">XC mass Start </a>Next. This is the <a href="http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?SPID=12760&SPSID=105981&DB_OEM_ID=23000&CLIP_ID=373706&CLIP_FILE_ID=379978&_MODE_=ONDEMAND&db_oem_id=23000">Full XC Race</a> (suffer through the Sprint Ads one more time)<br /><br />You go Todd too!<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-17162990776835747892009-01-30T08:58:00.007-07:002009-01-30T09:28:29.253-07:00A lot of News about the Brattleboro Ski Jump and older jumps around the countryVermont ski jump restored to old glory - Boston.com<br />For decades, ski jumpers from around the world -- Norway, Austria, Canada<br />-- launched themselves off the ski jump at Harris Hill.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/skiing/articles/2009/01/25/vermont_ski_jump_restored_to_old_glory_1232908115/">Read the whole story:</a><br /><br />When I was 17, I and many others got to Ski in Berlin (discussed below). It was a wonderful jump and is also worth restoring.<br /><br />Thrill of victory forgotten<br />Boston Globe - United States<br />By 1937, the Granite State was home to the country's tallest ski jump, a<br />fearsome, now-defunct, 198-foot tower in Berlin that was home to the United<br />States ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/skiing/articles/2009/01/29/thrill_of_victory_forgotten">Read the Whole Story</a><br /><br />Look at what is coming to Oslo Norway:<br /><br />Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects | SpaceInvading<br /><br />Holmenkollen ski jump<br />Construction is underway in Oslo, Norway, on the new Holmenkollen ski jump<br />designed by JDS Architects. Building will be completed in time for the<br />Holmenkolldagen annual international ski jumping competition in March 2011<br />...<br /><a href="http://www.core.form-ula.com/2009/01/29/holmenkollen-ski-jump/">Read the Whole Story</a><br /><br />Norge Ski Club hosts 104th ski jump tourney<br />Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago,IL,USA<br />For hundreds of fans, the 104th Norge Ski Club's ski jump tournament<br />competition Sunday in Fox River Grove was a chance to see something<br />extraordinary. ...<br /><a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=267099">Read the whole story</a><br /><br /><br />There are more postings about Leavenworth Washinton and Frisco Co that we will be exploring.<br /><br />Build a jump in your home town!<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-32631834305152665952009-01-29T11:53:00.003-07:002009-02-28T20:46:08.724-07:00Schlierenzauer sweeps in Vancouver<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/uoeSmxBoEnc" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/uoeSmxBoEnc" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>Double click on this one (now).. the second jump is very nice.<br /></p><p>Sometimes the highlights don't put the full perspective on the jump. This can likely be viewed on<br />www.universalsports.com as a complete competition.<br /><br />Schlierenzauer is on a roll. His jumps are right on and he is flying like no other. It is critical to understand that he takes every bit of lift that he is given to gain more and more altitude going down the hill.. Add to that he keeps going when the hill is running out when many would back out.</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-91638953852680717412009-01-17T13:26:00.003-07:002009-02-28T11:42:23.654-07:00SkiJumpingUSA.COM Great Site from Ken AndersonKen Anderson has done a wonderful site bringing the many parts Ski Jumping Resources of the world under one Roof. Check it out at:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.skijumpingcentral.com/">http://www.skijumpingcentral.com/</a><br /><br />and also<br /><br /><a href="http://www.skijumpingusa.com/">http://www.skijumpingusa.com/</a><br /><br />It would be nice if the USSA had this much information.<br /><br />Thank You Ken for all your efforts!<div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-77084706771573809492009-01-16T23:46:00.004-07:002009-02-17T20:50:17.190-07:00Robert jumping the 38m<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/p8I20zkIaWY" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/p8I20zkIaWY" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>Much better than the piece I saw just just before this - "Who is the Greatest Ski Jumper in History"?... promoting Adam Malysz who certainly was a good jumper... I just don't like proclamations like that.<br /><br />And besides, kids are more important than "who was the greatest!" Through the march of time what is important, is that kids can find challenges, and grow through them to become the people who are good in this world.... and as for Ski Jumpers, well, all I can say is that Ski Jumping is very very fun and worth the effort.</p><p>To be on some of the flights below one has to start on jumps even smaller than this one.<br /></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6074987915705789747.post-31241987208466065292009-01-16T23:42:00.001-07:002009-01-16T23:42:30.818-07:00Birger Ruud<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/PZ42q8jOBnQ' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/PZ42q8jOBnQ'/></object></p><p>The quality of the feed could be better but a wonderful piece about Birger Ruud. 37 Years old in his last Olympics. Impressive.</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">L S Arnold comments</div>Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13449286054707276429noreply@blogger.com0