Jumping Journal: January 05, 2006

Well, it pretty much worked out just like I figured it would.  I didn't know for sure which to expect, whether I would end up jumping real well or not be able to jump worth a crap.  I knew it wouldn't be anywhere in between.  It would be one extreme or the other.

 

To put it simply, it ended up on the bad side of things.  Between jumping early on the first jump, late on the second jump, and crashing four out the five jumps I pretty much had one of those crummy nights of jumping.

 

The mind was definitely fighting me on each and every jump I took.  I could see if from the first jump on.  I do have a strange feeling it is about to change though, for the long haul.  I know how to take care of the problem, and I fully intend to.  Granted, it's not the method to use but I know how to be smart, self-preservation always comes first.

 

Crash

Myth #2 Debunked, Part 5

From what I have seen so far that best thing that ever happened to the sport of ski jumping was when the NCAA dropped the sport.  The NCAA didn't kill this sport, they actually did the smartest thing that could have ever happened to help the sport.  The problem is simply the fact that everyone was too busy blaming the NCAA to realize the major benefit that was being offered up by losing the NCAA Championships.

 

Yes, that sounds totally radical.  Yes, it probably makes many people very mad at me.  During the rest of this series I will show you why I say that it was the best thing to ever happen to ski jumping in the United States.  I will also show what needs to be done to bring this sport back to life.

 

During the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France two interviews took place that involved ski jumping.  Today I'll look at one of those interviews and I'll take a look at the other interview tomorrow as I start to show what really has did the most harm to the sport of ski jumping.

 

Atop the large hill in Courchevel, France, Charles Kurault was interviewing three members of the US ski team.  The interview is progressing, talking about how it feels to jump.

 

One of the jumpers say, "It's such a thrill.  You get to the bottom sometimes your heart, you can feel your heart literally just feel your heart going and...(pounding on his chest)wow".

 

Another jumpers says "After you jump you will know what we are talking about."

 

Charles replies, "I am not going to jump, of course, and neither are you."

 

As I pointed out a couple of days ago, this attitude is constantly seen anytime that ski jumping appears on television.  Why does the ski jumping community put up with the news media dissuading people from jumping?  In truest respect it almost seems like no media is better than the media that ski jumping has seen over the past 10+ years.  The news media will try all sports out there that happen during the Olympics but they won't put on the skis and jump off a small 5-10 meter jump.

 

There has been a big push recently by NBC to find out what sports the viewers want to see at this years Olympics.  The nordic list has been passing around the link, as has the divisional websites showing where you can go to vote for ski jumping.  I heard that ski jumping was doing quite well in the voting.  I just wonder what the media will be doing/saying this year at the Olympics.  Will it be more bad press.

 

Tomorrow, more dissuading in the mainstream media, this time by a well known ski jumper himself.

 

Until next time

Keep your ski tips up,

Crash