OCR Text |
Show Wasatch oe Reporter, 8 - 21 March eo eee 7 BIG AIR, BIG EXPECTATIONS: Utah’s Ren to ski jumping at Bear Hollow By David Adam Peck Nothing else in winter meter; freestyle aerial jumps, sports comes close to the pheboth upright and inverted, for nomenon of ski jumping. The winter; and summer freestyle air events of nordic jumping, jumps into a pool. The nordic its little brother gelande jumps can also be used for jumping, and freestyle aerials summer training. This stateare at the pinnacle competiof-the-art facility, with its ski tive skiing. This holds true for lifts and lodges, is a far cry jumpers and spectators alike. from the old jumps at Eacker A downhiller may knock _ Hill, where Alf Engen soared these sports for their brevity in the halcyon age of j jumping or a cross-country skier for in the 1930's. their lack of aerobic athletiThe Bear Hollow facility cism, but what it comes down was built in large part to to is this: an intermediate Skier could make it down the Hannenkahm, and _ John Goodman would eventually seduce the Olympic Committee to bring the Winter Games to Utah in finish a 15 kilometer loop, but jumps, construction of bobsled and luge tracks is under way at Bear Hollow. If Salt Lake gets the Olympic nod, a larger, K-120 jump will be built, probably around the ~~ RON Tam Trp one Te oe ee Se most mature adults wouldn’t even ascend a ski jump let alone jump off it. Jumping returned to Utah in grand fashion with the con- 2002. In addition to the ———— A.C.L. therapy off the upright ramp Photo his retirement. Photo by the generous Cynthia Wilck struction of the Utah Winter Sports Park in Park City in 1992. Funded by a statewide tax increase, the complex includes an array of Nordic jumps from a K-90 meter (the smaller of the two Olympicsize jumps, but still rather substantial) down to a K-8 year 2000. Utahns are making much ado about a no-brainer, that is, debating whether host--: ing the Winter Olympics would be beneficial to our community. The editorial section of this issue covers that debate adequately; suffice it to say that Bear Hollow was and the future of our U.S. Ski round training allows our Team hopes as well. aerialists and jumpers to keep up with the Europeans, whose ski teams enjoy a much larger budget than the Americans’. Additionally, we have an emerging force of young The Bear Hollow site is the only place in the world that opens up the sport of ski jumping to the general public. No special skills or qualifica- tions are required; just show nordic jumpers from Utah, the up with first in years. The new Intermountain division team boasts six jumpers who traveled to Steamboat Springs for the Junior Olympics 27 Feb-4 Mar. “They’re not just going there to compete, they’ll be competitive.” said Kris Severson, longtime U.S. Ski Team jumper and coach to these young athletes. The first touring, or jumping skis and a skier off the K-65 and K-90, Kris also lists on his resume SATURN alpine, telemark, sport helmet, and the staff will get you jumping. John Bauer, himself a two-time Olympian. in __ nordic Combined in the 1960°s and current director of the ski jump complex, fully embraces the concept of public jumping. “These facilities were provided by the taxpayers, and now they’re serving the taxpayers by allowing We would Ae Out First i event this. ; MENUS QTE to handle ay a eed oO 1én a dl. a atk for intfowmation. é Dinner 6-6-10pm e Jumping’ Jimmy Holland planks one, before SEAN ETT . ( it 3 Bear Hollow is a huge shot in the arm to our athletes, as well as giving us an Olympic venue. Having year- Pred elie combined. the first ever naked jump at them to participate. Soon Bear Hollow, wearing “ only they’ll realize that these my boots, my skis, and a _ Jumps aren’t just for watching smile.” Previously the good prima donna athletes from out western jumpers came out of The Bear Hollow Story is Colorado, which has jumping continued on pg.10 facilities in Steamboat Spring and Winter Park. To have this much talent only three years after building the jumping ‘complex is terrific for Utah, oe instrumental in getting us this _ far in the Olympic bidding. Hopefully the King of Sweden has supplied the coup de grace. Park City will also host the Junior Olympics in 1997 for jumping and nordic by the magnanimous Cynthia |