Myth #2 Debunked, Part 6

Back in 1992 another interview took place atop the large hill in Courchevel, France.  This interview was between CBS weatherman Mark McEwen and ski jumping analyst Jeff Hastings.

 

Mark: Do you jump after you've retired?

Jeff: Oh, the way I like to put it for me, (stuttering on his words), let me start that again, no you don't jump after you retire.  It's not the sort of thing that you come out here and play a recreational 18 holes or something.  And a lot of people ask me, but Jeff you must get the itch, you must get the itch.  Yeah, and my response to that is yeah I get the urge but I do not get the urge to scratch it.

 

Now 1992 was the first time I really can ever remember seeing ski jumping on television.  I know I had to have seen it previously since I had already been interested in getting into ski jumping prior to the 1992 Olympics.  Little did I realize at the time I heard this interview that I was learning everything I could ever want to know about ski jumping.

 

"When you quit competing, you quit jumping"

 

Show me another sport with this attitude and I'll show you another sport with the same growth problems that ski jumping has.  I can think of two sports, besides ski jumping, that has this attitude, skeleton and luge.  They also have a very disproportionate number of juniors to adults partcipating in the sport.  Both sports also have trouble with funding and facilities as well.  Um, I wonder.  Is this telling us something?

 

Tomorrow more proof that this attitude exists in ski jumping.  I'll stop and listen to the jumpers that I jump around.  Kids will tell you the truth if you will just shut your mouth and listen to them.  Stay tuned

 

Until next time

Keep the ski tips up,

Crash