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US Team Athletes Get to know ‘em! Ski Jumping Kevin Bickner AJ Brown Trevor Edlund Christian Friberg Tara Geraghty-Moats Michael Glasder Abby Ringquist Sarah Hendrickson Jessica Jerome Casey Larson Nina Lussi William Rhoads Nordic Combined Ben Berend Brett Denney Bryan Fletcher Taylor Fletcher Jasper Good Adam Loomis Michael Ward We’ll add more as we receive them. Please visit their team sites also, via links above.

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Isn’t Ski Jumping Awfully Dangerous? The PERCEPTION is that ski jumping is an extremely dangerious. sport. The reality is far different ... learn more! ** READ ARTICLE How Do People Start Ski Jumping? Nobody just picks up a pair of skis and gives it a try. Not on big hills, anyway. Most jumpers start young, on very small jumps, and learn incrementally, moving gradually to larger jumps as their skills and confidence continue to develop. ** RECRUITING VIDEO Here’s a short video from a junior jumping event in St Paul MN at their annual Christmas Beginner’s Camp ... ** LITTLE KID VIDEO The following video was a 20th Century Fox Newsreel feature in about 1950. ** HISTORIC VIDEO When Do People Hang Up Their Jumping Skis? The answer to this one is quite simple ... when they want to! Once a jumper is 30 years of age or older, he or she becomes eligible to participate in Masters competition. Jumpers age 30-39 are class M1, 40-49 M2, 50-59 M3, 60-69 M4, 70-79 M5, etc. There’s now a pre-Masters class for jumpers age 25-29. Tom Ricchio is a corporate jet pilot who jumps in class M4. Tom has competed multiple times in the Masters World Championships. ** READ ARTICLE about Tom, and his participation in the 2010 US Masters Nat’l Championships in Coleraine MN. Don West retired in 2011 as the oldest jumper in the US. A resident of Plattsburgh NY, Don was a retired college professor. He was a class M5 jumper (in his seventies), and competed multiple times in Masters World Championships. Don passed away on Aug 30, 2014, at age 77 ... click to read obituary CONCLUSION: For those who enjoy ski jumping, it can be a lifetime sport. Some like to continue competing, others become coaches or volunteers. If you live anywere near one of the clubs listed on our Regional Clubs page, make an effort to see some live ski jumping, and if you’re inclined to give it a try, talk to one of the coaches. Although most jumpers start very young, there are adults who would like to try it, and they’re welcome, if they’re willing to “start small” and work their way on up, just like kids do.

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The US Men’s Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined teams have been merged into USA Nordic.

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Hendrickson Leads US in Women’s SGP, Frenstat CZE Aug 18-19 Ringquist, Geraght-Moats, Englund also earn points Results: Fri Aug 18 Sat Aug 19 Sarah Hendrickson was 9th on Friday, with in Summer Grand Prix action in Frenstat. Tara Geraghty-Moats was 24th and Abby Ringquist 27th. Japan’s Yuki Ito took the top spot on the podium, ahead of Lucile Morat (FRA) and Maren Lundby (NOR). Hendrickson finished 15th Saturday, with Ringquist 18th and Nita Englund 30th. Sara Takanashi (JPN) was the winner, with Lundby 2nd and Ito 3rd. Glasder 29th in Men’s COC in Szczyrk POL Aug 18 Makes final round, earns Continental Cup points Results: Fri Aug 18 Poland’s Alexander Zniszczol took top honors in Continental Cup action in Szczyrk, with teammate Klemens Muranka 2nd and Slovenia’s Miran Zupancic in 3rd. Michael Glasder of the USA earned a spot in the final round, finishing 29th. Hendrickson 8th, Ringquist 16th, Geraghty-Moats 27th in SGP Three US women earn points in Courchevel FRA Summer GP Results: Fri Aug 11 It was the season opener for women in the Summer Grand Prix series. Germany’s Katharina Althaus was the winner, followed by Japan’s Sara Takanashi and Yuki Ito. Sara Hendrickson was the top US finisher in 8th, with Abby Ringquist 16th and Tara Geraghty-Moats 27th. Nina Lussi and Nita Englund didn’t qualify for the starting field of 40 athletes. Men’s competition was held on Saturday; neither Casey Larson (USA) or Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes (CAN) qualified. American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame Inducts Six Event held in Red Wing MN Aug 5 … Canada’s legendary Steve Collins was honored guest Six new names were added to the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame as the Class of 2017. They include Reuben Hamari, Chuck Heckert, Bobby Immens, Randy Lunde, Tim Norris, and Wally Wakefield. More details, including a video about Steve Collins, can be found at www.americanskijumping.com Nita Englund & Will Rhoads Win 2018 National Championships Results: Friday July 28 - K90 Saturday July 29 - K120 US 2018 Nationals On Friday, top Springertournee honors for women’s senior class went to Nina Lussi, ahead of Taylor Henrich (CAN), and Abby Ringquist. The top 3 in U20 class were Anna Hoffman, Cara Larson, & Annika Belshaw. Men’s senior class winner was Will Rhoads, followed by Kevin Bickner and Canada’s Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes. Decker Dean won the men’s U20 title, while Sam Bolton (GBR) and Elijah Vargas tied for second place. The 2018 US National Large-Hill Championships were held on Saturday July 29. The top five finishers in women’s class were Taylor Henrich (CAN), Nita Englund, Abby Ringquist, Atsuko Tanaka (CAN), and Nina Lussi. So Englund is the US Champion for the 2018 season (only US athletes eligible for National Championship title). In the men’s class, Will Rhoads took the National Championship title. He was followed by Casey Larson, Josh Maurer (CAN), Kevin Bickner and Mike Glasder. Longest jumps were 123.5M by Englund (among women), 135.5M by Glasder (among men). Project Updates: Red Wing MN … Iron Mountain MI READ JULY 31, 2017 ARTICLE ON THE RED WING PROJECT - CLICK HERE New K125 jump project in Minnesota, upgrades coming to K120 in Michigan’s UP Two Olympic-sized ski jumps in the midwest have been in the news recently. Plans for a new jump near Red Wing (called Baldy125) are moving along, and a three-stage project for improvements to the Pine Mountain jump were released by the Kiwanis Ski Club. R ED WING I RON MOUNTAIN To read articles about each project, click on city name above the photo. To view enlarged images, click on the individual photos. We’ll bring you updates on each of these projects as things move along. First Men’s Summer GP held in Wisla POL July 13-15 Bickner only US qualifier at 46th Results: Thu 7/13 quali Fri 7/14 team Sat 7/15 indiv Kevin Bickner was the only American to qualify on Thursday for Saturday’s individual large-hill competition. The US placed 12th in Saturday’s team competition, and on Sunday Bickner finished 36th, missing the cut to the final round of 30. Bickner on COC Podium in Kranj July 8, Longest Jump of Day! Was 17th on Friday, Glasder 28th Results: Fri 7/7 Sat 7/8 Kevin Bickner, USA Nordic, put himself on the podium on the second day of Continental Cup competition on July 8 in Kranj SLO; his second jump of 115 meters was the longest of the day. He was the only American to make the final round. On Friday, Bickner had placed 17th, just behind Canadian Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes. Mike Glasder of USA Nordic was 28th. Martin Bayer Named as US Men’s Nordic Combined Head Coach Has been a US coach at every level over past 17 years … link to USA NORDIC announcement USA Nordic recently announced that Martin Bayer has been selected as the new Head Coach for the Men’s Nordic Combined national team. The promotion is the culmination of over 17 years as a coach in the US, at every level possible. Along with his extensive coaching experience, Bayer brings with him an innate knowledge of the sport, only shared by those who have spent time representing their country at the international level. Bayer competed at both the 92’ and 94’ Olympics for Czechoslovakia and the Slovak Republic, respectively. CONGRATULATIONS, MARTIN! USA Nordic Working on Reviving Ski Jumping Across Country Keen focus on communities that had ski jumping clubs and facilities in the past We’re very pleased with the efforts of USA Nordic to bring our sport back in places that once had active clubs. Jed Hinkley has been leading this project, and we think you’ll enjoy reading his recent status report. It begins by spotlighting the newly-revived club in Cameron WI, which is operating as a satellite of the Eau Claire Ski Club about 50 miles away, with the close cooperation of several other clubs. CLICK HERE Attracting Newbies, Retaining Experience, Growing the Sport Involved in, or interested in, growing our sport? See “Recruit/Retain”... link at left Before the growth of participant snow sports, which took off in the 1950s, ski jumping was one of the ways to have fun in the snow, and it was a very big spectator attraction in many snowy regions of the US. The numbers of participants have remained low for many years, but some clubs are growing again, and some which have been inactive are coming back to life. If you are already involved in growing our sport, or have an interest in what it will take to make it happen, please click the link above left to visit our “Recruit/Retain” page. Masters Classes Encourage Adults to Keep Jumping! For men & women 25 years of age and up ... age brackets & hill sizes for ALL We invite you to visit the US Masters Facebook Page ... CLICK HERE for info. Masters age classes are as follows: Pre-Master 25-29 M1 30-39 M2 40-49 M3 50-59 M4 60-69 M5 70-79 click photo to enlarge So, you WERE a ski jumper, hung ‘em up a few (or many) years ago, but still think you’d enjoy the thrill of flight once again. Masters Ski Jumping may be JUST WHAT YOU NEED! And Masters Ski Jumping NEEDS YOU!!! The more, the merrier ... but you know that! Masters competitions have age classes, but you will jump on a hill that’s comfortable for your skill and experience. You will NOT need to compete on a hill bigger than you choose. It’s all about FUN, and we’d like YOU to think about it! Click link above to visit the Masters FB page. We want to keep jumpers in the sport, bring old jumpers back, and bring new jumpers in. Late Season Competition News, 2017 Season Americans 7th in Team Ski Flying, Best in Over 3 Decades! Bickner, Glasder, Larson, Rhoads achieve milestone for USA Nordic Results: Sat 3/25 Kevin Bickner’s two jumps of 227.5 and 225 meters, combined with Mike Glasder’s 196.5 and 203.5, Casey Larson’s 198 and 186.5, and William Rhoads’ 204 and 185.5, gave the US a 7th place in four-man team competition in Planica SLO on Saturday, Mar 25. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches Bine Norcic, Uros Balki Vrhovec, and Clint Jones. If your cable provider carries NBCSports.com you can view replay at: http://stream.nbcsports.com/nbc/olympics?pid=30717 or watch free via the NBC Sports Live Extra app on your device. Mike Glasder & Scott Smith … click photo to enlarge The event was won by Norway, followed by Germany and Poland. The US team finished just behind Japan, and ahead of the Czech Republic. Three of the four US jumpers, Bickner, Glasder, and Larson are from the Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, IL, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Their Central Division coach, also from Norge, is Scott Smith, a former US team jumper, and he was on hand to see his proteges in action. The fourth member of this year’s team is William Rhoads, of Park City. Although none of the Americans qualified for Friday’s individual competition, Bickner missed the cutoff by only two spots. Top honors went to Austria’s Stefan Kraft, and he was followed by a pair of Germans, Andreas Wellinger and Markus Eisenbichler. But we must mention once again the astonishing, ageless Noriaki Kasai of Japan, who placed 4th at age 44. On Sunday, the top 30 got the chance to end the season with a bang. Stefan Kraft continued his hot streak by winning on a flight of 250 meters (the competition was held to one round by wind). Andreas Wellinger was 2nd, and Noriaki Kasai finished the season on the podium in 3rd. Kraft is 23 years old, Wellinger is 21. Together, their ages add up to 44. Kasai IS 44 years old! Noriaki Kasai… click photo to enlarge KEVIN BICKNER FLIES 244.5M IN VIKERSUND … VIEW VIDEO Longest ever by American, places 15th overall Results: Sun 3/19 Twelfth after first round, Kevin falls after landing at 234.5M in final round, still takes 15th. Strong and gusty winds were evident throughout, and starting gate was changed multiple times. The winner was Poland’s Kamil Stoch, and Japan’s 44 year old Noriaki Kasai was 2nd. Michael Hayboeck of Austria was 3rd. www.nbcsports.com/live Click photo to enlarge World Record Broken Twice in Vikersund Team Competition Austria’s Kraft flies 253.5M after Norway’s Johansson hits 252 Results: Sat 3/18 Saturday’s team competition in Vikersund provided major fireworks … ROBERT JOHANSSON blasted off for a distance of 252 meters, eclipsing fellow Norwegian Anders Fannemel’s world record by a half meter. Austria’s STEFAN KRAFT then stretched it another 1.5 meters to 253.5M (832 ft). Norway took the team title with 1572.6 points, Poland was 2nd with 1538.6, and Austria placed 3rd with 1465.4 points. The USA placed 9th among 12 teams, one spot short of making the final round. However, CASEY LARSON flew 216.5M, and Kevin Bickner hit 202. Bickner & Glasder qualify for Sunday’s individual ski flying Results: Fri 3/17 quali Two Americans qualified on Friday for Sunday’s individual ski flying event in Vikersund. Kevin Bickner and Michael Glasder looked strong in training on Friday, and followed it up with solid results in the qualification round with filghts of 198.5 and 190 meters, respectively. Holmenkollen Kicked Off Late Season Competition in Norway Holmenkollen Results: Sat 3/11 men’s team Sun 3/12 women’s indiv men’s indiv Oslo’s Holmenkollen featured men’s team jumping Saturday, with both men’s and women’s LARGE-HILL competitions Sunday. Austria took the team title, ahead of Germany and Poland. Yuki Ito of Japan won the women’s competition, ahead of teammate World Cup series champion Sara Takanashi. Norway’s Maren Lundby was 3rd. Americans Nita Englund, Sarah Hendrickson, and Abby Ringquist finished 19th, 21st, and 25th, respectively. Stefan Kraft of Austria won the men’s competition, with Germany’s Andreas Wellinger second and Markus Eisenbichler, also of Germany, third. None of the US men qualified for the starting field of 50 for Sunday’s competition. FIS Continental Cup Double-Header In Iron Mountain Feb 26 Too windy on Saturday, ran two full competitions Sunday Results: AM PM Video available via Livestream: morning (3 segments) afternoon (5 segments) Once each year, the FIS Continental Cup series makes an appearance in the US, at Iron Mountain in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (100 miles north of Green Bay). This year, high winds on Saturday resulted in that competition being held Sunday morning, with the scheduled Sunday comp being held in the afternoon. Jumpers from eleven nations were on hand, and the large crowd was treated to a lot of jumps of 130+ meters, with Poland’s Klemens Muranka touching 140 in the morning’s first round. Stefan Huber of Austria was the morning’s winner, ahead of Muranka and Austria’s Clemens Aigner. AJ Brown of the USA made it into the final round, finishing 28th. Top honors in the afternoon went to Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway, with Bor Pavlovic of Slovenia 2nd and Huber 3rd. More info at www.kiwanisskiclub.com For More on the 2017 Season, click to Archive (link at top left)

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