Ski Jumping Spectator by L.S. Arnold

New World Record at Vickersund. Johan Remen Evensen Vikersund 2011 246.5 m new world record.

2011-02-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Johan Remen Evensen Vikersund 2011 246.5 m new world record

Huge efforts so far into USA Ski Jumping" USA SJ"

2010-11-18T20:52:00.003-07:00

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.

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.

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:

http://usaskijumping.org and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/USA.Ski.Jumping

We will tell you more, and if you are lucky, maybe we will get you into the Start Gate - the best place to be!

Happy Flying!

USA Ski Jumping is out of the gate

2010-10-25T21:48:00.000-06:00

Many Posts have links to defunct feeds (my apologies)

2010-07-16T17:38:00.009-06:00

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!).

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

the full blown analysis of Schlierenzauer's Jump, Go Here

and the (then) live Feed: Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Landis

Vancouver Olympic Ski Jump Coverage (take 1)

2010-02-18T13:55:00.009-07:00

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
old post below
________

I just spent some time at www.nbcolympics.com 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.

Here are some good ones: (Gregor Schlierenzauer hightight on Normal Hill - bronze medal - great second jump!)

Simon Ammann's second Jump (to Win) on the Normal Hill

Full US - NBC Feed from the Normal hill:

"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).

There is more at www.nbcolympics.com about jumping
.
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.

Check it out. Have a Fast connection. Figure out how to save some of this if you can.

best to all,

Not to be Outdone.. another view of the Great Ecstasy...

2009-09-23T21:15:00.003-06:00

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.

The Man who Wrote too Much

And by the way, Oct 10, in Lake Placid will be the US Nationals in jumping an nordic combined.

Stay tuned.

Swiss Skier Coach Keuttel wins Large Hill Championships

2009-02-28T11:42:00.007-07:00

In the Large Hill Special Jump (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.

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).

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).

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.

Athleticism needs to be nurtured and in the end, it stands on its own in full glory.

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.

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.

Work this one out FIS! The sport depends upon it.

Austrian 4 Some is Fearsome in Liberec

2009-02-28T10:48:00.006-07:00

The Austrian Special Jumping Team, who can be seen Here
are seemingly unstoppable. Hats off to them and the tremendous program that Toni Innauer has put together.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It probably also doesn't hurt that those who make it through the gauntlet become nationally and internationally known names.

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!

Go Billy, Todd, Johnny and Eric, and congrats to the coaching team led by Dave Jarrett!

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!

Bill Demong gets it DONE!

2009-02-28T10:37:00.005-07:00

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.

Watch the whole Race Here, (you can't get this type of coverage on TV!)

You can watch the full race and understand the incredible amount of effort and strategy that he put together to make this work.

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.

Congratulations Bill, and Congratulations Team USA on an an incredible achievement - one for our team that we have never seen before.

2009-02-21T11:42:00.002-07:00

Billy Demong is laying it down in the XC Race.. Just to the 5 K and he is in first. Todd Lodwick in 3rd. This is full on bike racing w/ a pack like this. Great Video of Nordic Skiing.

Nordic Combined Mass Start XC Race at the 2009 Liberec (Czech) World Championships.

A tremendous race to watch to understand just how strong they must be to make it through. Todd Lodwick ends up winning this compenent. Billy Demong is 3rd. Comment at the end, I think from Billy is "Perfect Teamwork".. Enough Said.

Lindsey Van, You Go Girl!

2009-02-21T11:05:00.010-07:00

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.

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).

Watch the full Competition Here!

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.

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.

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.

You go girl!

All star, that is what you are! Lets look up the Video on Todd next! That link is to the takeout of his jumps: Powerful and Poised! Great Jumps Todd. Lets find the XC mass Start Next. This is the Full XC Race (suffer through the Sprint Ads one more time)

You go Todd too!

A lot of News about the Brattleboro Ski Jump and older jumps around the country

2009-01-30T08:58:00.007-07:00

Vermont ski jump restored to old glory - Boston.com
For decades, ski jumpers from around the world -- Norway, Austria, Canada
-- launched themselves off the ski jump at Harris Hill.

Read the whole story:

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.

Thrill of victory forgotten
Boston Globe - United States
By 1937, the Granite State was home to the country's tallest ski jump, a
fearsome, now-defunct, 198-foot tower in Berlin that was home to the United
States ...

Read the Whole Story

Look at what is coming to Oslo Norway:

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects | SpaceInvading

Holmenkollen ski jump
Construction is underway in Oslo, Norway, on the new Holmenkollen ski jump
designed by JDS Architects. Building will be completed in time for the
Holmenkolldagen annual international ski jumping competition in March 2011
...
Read the Whole Story

Norge Ski Club hosts 104th ski jump tourney
Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago,IL,USA
For hundreds of fans, the 104th Norge Ski Club's ski jump tournament
competition Sunday in Fox River Grove was a chance to see something
extraordinary. ...
Read the whole story

There are more postings about Leavenworth Washinton and Frisco Co that we will be exploring.

Build a jump in your home town!

Schlierenzauer sweeps in Vancouver

2009-01-29T11:53:00.003-07:00

Double click on this one (now).. the second jump is very nice.

Sometimes the highlights don't put the full perspective on the jump. This can likely be viewed on
www.universalsports.com as a complete competition.

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.

SkiJumpingUSA.COM Great Site from Ken Anderson

2009-01-17T13:26:00.003-07:00

Ken Anderson has done a wonderful site bringing the many parts Ski Jumping Resources of the world under one Roof. Check it out at:

http://www.skijumpingcentral.com/

and also

http://www.skijumpingusa.com/

It would be nice if the USSA had this much information.

Thank You Ken for all your efforts!

Robert jumping the 38m

2009-01-16T23:46:00.004-07:00

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.

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.

To be on some of the flights below one has to start on jumps even smaller than this one.

Birger Ruud

2009-01-16T23:42:00.001-07:00

The quality of the feed could be better but a wonderful piece about Birger Ruud. 37 Years old in his last Olympics. Impressive.

Old ski jump! (Springertournee in the early 60's)

2009-01-16T23:38:00.001-07:00

Nice Telemarks and a mixture of styles. Music Too.

1967 - Lars Grini - 150m, Oberstdorf

2009-01-16T23:36:00.001-07:00

Ski flying in 1967.. working its way up. This is Lars Grinni, who I believe was Norwegian.

SKI JUMPING - HISTORY

2009-01-16T23:31:00.002-07:00

Need to figure out who makes these pieces... This is "Morelka1990"..

Nice history of Jumping!

US Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined

2009-01-16T23:24:00.001-07:00

A great piece from Park city and the US Nationals 2007

skijump(skihopp)

2009-01-16T23:22:00.001-07:00

A great view of kids ski jumping as it is tody around the world. I believe this is Norwegian gnerally.

Watching Ski Jumping...

2009-01-16T20:30:00.003-07:00

Well, Universal Sports.com (following wcsn.com) is changing ones ability to keep in touch w/ Ski Jumping and it is really really nice.

Besides needing to feed off of IE Explorer and not Firefox, it is darn stable. You can PAUSE when you want to grab a beer or some such, and you can actually watch a ski jumping competition.

I am watching Kulm Day 1 right now and about 1/2 through the second round and all is good.

Here is the Link to this One
Otherwise, hit the "Schedule" button at Universalsports.com and find what you want to watch - usually on veiw "On Demand" - there could be some more comps but it is good around New Years like this with the SpringerTourneee (4 Hills Tournament is their term in strict translation)

Now, about that ski jumping. You all need to try it. It is really really really fun.

And yes, maybe 30 people in the world get to ski the second round. I have seen a 32 year old, but most are younger. I stopped too young.

I could go on.

Be a spectator and imagine yourself there. The air pressure is much much more than it appears, and when they are really on the jump the vacuum of the lift envelope is more amazing than nearly anything...

Just say no to TV, but watch these competions. It is worth the time spent.

best.

Gregor Schlierenzauer - Kulm - 215.5m - HILL RECORD

2009-01-13T21:44:00.001-07:00

This is the Austrian piece. If you sit through it you can see how far down the hill he lands in the last Zoom out shot.. Really unbelievable.

Lots of fun to have this go around the world like this.

Schlierenzauer 215,5m - Polish Feed K185 2009 - new hill record!

2009-01-13T21:39:00.004-07:00

This is the Polish feed, but I put it here to make a technical comment. By his jumping so far he actually was able to land without too much force in his landing, and remarkably, pulling out of his squat landing he went immeditately into a slalom style stop.. He is a very good skier, but his flying, remarkably, made it quite easy to stop..

Why, you may ask. Basically one goes slower in the air than on the snow. These jumps increase in size slowly, based upon the abilities of the best skiers, but more than that, the dangers to the worst skier. Falling, or tumbling down the landing hill is much much more dangerous than gliding in the air down the hill... and one picks up a lot more speed too when they are on the snow than in the air.

Watch him stop here... amazingly easy.

all for now

Project X Wki Site

2009-01-12T14:32:00.003-07:00

You may be aware of the current US Development program, and you may not. If not, check out the site at the following link.

http://skijumping.wikispaces.com/

Mens Ski Jumping, for various reasons, has fallen on some hard fortunes and is not currently supported by the US. Ski Team as most other disciplines are supprted (I don't know the full details of this, but specifically there is no Named US Ski Team in Jumping)....

Reacting to the need for creating a viable path for develoment and international competition, the US. Ski Jump Development program has been formed as a self standing 501c3 Corp. The need for fundraising is very real for this group, but the call to action of creating an effective and functional program has been remarkable. Jochen Dannenberg has been retained as the Coach (Olympic Medalist and Springertournee Winner). The outstanding efforts and support coming from Alan Johnson and Jim Holland deserve our full recognition.

Lets all help with their success in the ways we can. Find out more at:

http://skijumping.wikispaces.com/

Project X is part of the wider movement that that is fermenting success in Nordic Disciplines throughout the continent. Lets support these initiatives.

139m Ski Jump-Blake Hughes

2009-01-12T13:08:00.001-07:00

Blake Hughes in Klingenthal.. Go Project X!

Johnny Lyons on Klingenthal

2009-01-12T13:07:00.001-07:00

Nice Jumping Johnny!

Anders Johnson - Project X

2009-01-12T13:06:00.001-07:00

Summer Jumping with Anders Johnson, US World Cup Competitor and Olympian.

You Go Anders!

Nicholas Fairall 170,5m - Kulm K185 2009

2009-01-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

Awesome first Ski Flying Comp Jump for Nicholas. Thanks to Mr. Hastings for finding this.

Nicholas Fairall 120m - Ga-Pa 2008 Q

2009-01-11T22:24:00.001-07:00

Great Jump In Garmisch by Nick Fairall. Great to see you getting it done!

Gregor Schlierenzauer - Kulm 10.1.09 215,5 meter

2009-01-11T22:21:00.003-07:00

Unbelievable Jump and subsequent Flight by Gregor Schlierenzauer. This Jump really shows the relationship between proper takeoff and the right attitude in the air. His "fly away" that can be seen extremely soon into the air is on a completely different plane, and the result of this is seen as he proceeds down the landing hill. He is "lofting" and literally could have flown this onto the flats but it would have likely been impossible to land.

The primary commentator for this piece, I believe, is Armin Kogler who was a very accomplished jumper and Flyer in the late 70's and early 80's. This is from Austrian TV (ORF) around Jan 10, 2009.

Re Shlierenzauer, I heard that he only put on Jump Boots 3 years ago... (hard to believe, but would be interesting to find out more about). He is an amazing athlete which you can see, not only in the jump, but in how he handled a difficult landing, and even more how quick he was back up w/ fist in the air, and turned into a stop.

One of those jumps to be remembered for a long time. Simon Amman had one last year (shown below I think still) at Haarachov CZ that had a similar Loft going on.

Fly well everyone.

Ski Jumping On Line

2008-01-26T11:59:00.003-07:00

You Tube is the major place to see what is going on in peoples minds on the sport. It is pretty amazing to me what I came across today:

Take the playlist showing to dwell upon. The film is from 1975 (made in 74)
Werner Herzog's,
The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner

Embeded View is Just Above Here:

You can find the full URL as a compilation Playlist: do note that this is not the full film -- but a core component. The full Film can be found normally on Ebay following this link:

The separate sections will open in a Series of You Tube Pages and have been posted by different people.

Opening Scene

Middle Section (not All)

Closing Scene

Other Ski Jumping highlights follow:

I will work on getting these to show on this page w/ a click.

A great sport for Kids too, and as a summer sport.

From Planica Slovenia some very big Jumps

Bjørn-Einar Romøren - The current standing"World Record" - 239 meters
Jane Ahonen - Probably the longest Ski Jump Ever w/ an unfortunate and painful fall 240 meters also in German
The Previous World Record (I think) Matti Hautamaeki

Other Flying Hills:

Roar Ljoekelsoey - Oberstdorf, Germany - 223 m - HILL RECORD
Simmon Amman , Ski Flying at Harrachov, Czech Republic 2007

Ski Flying hills world wide include:

Planica Slovenia
Harrachov Czech Republic
Kulm Austria
Vickersund Norway
Oberstdorf Germany
and Ironwood (UP) Michigan.

Ironwood unfortunately, is no longer actively used I believe.

Some Historical Jumps of Note:

The First Flight over 200 Meters
A Tremendous Jump from 30 years ago (with a fall) from Walter Steiner in Oberstdorf. Possibly the 179 w/ Crash that drove Herzog to make the "Ecstasy" film above.

In Closing:

There is much more out there, but if you want a good hit of the greatest sport you just don't see on American TV, watch this one.

The 200 Plus (lots of awesome jumps)

I will bring this into better focus in the months ahead.