International
Masters Ski Jumping
Old Boys -- Still at it, after all these
years!
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OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE INTERNATIONAL MASTERS SKI JUMPING
COMMITTEE --
HOME PAGE
A Brief Introduction
to Masters Ski Jumping
Imagine this scene -- you approach a complex of ski jumps, half a dozen or
more jumping
hills of different sizes, the sparkling snow carefully groomed, decorated with flags and
banners.
Scores of athletes in one piece jump suits brighter than the banners trudge up
through the snow and stand in groups of two or three, conversing, stretching, and waiting for
their moment to zip down the track and launch into the air. As you come up close, you
notice that these skiers are not teenagers, many are a little gray around the temples or bald
on
the top, and they converse in a half dozen different languages.
This is the annual International Masters Championships in Ski Jumping (IMC) and the
lean, fit athletes range from youngsters in their thirties to octogenarians.
Masters ski jumping is not a new idea, but these
championships reflect a new level of
organization. The first Championships were held in Lake Placid NY in February of 1990.
Subsequent
editions of the IMC visited Odnes NOR, Swanstein SWE, Kuopio
FIN, Hurdal NOR, Zakopane POL (photo at right), Steamboat Springs USA, Sundsvall
SWE,
Perm RUS, Otepaa EST, Rognan NOR and Rovaniemi FIN. To establish a presence in central Europe,
IMC came to Harrachov CZE, returned to Zakopane, then visited Reit im Winkl GER, Villach, AUT and Kranj SLO
.
The IMC was the brainchild of Earle Murphy (left) of Lake Placid and Guttorm Bakke
(right) of Jessheim, Norway, who also established an international committee for Masters ski
jumping to
coordinate IMC and other activities. This Committee
has representatives from the U. S., Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Estonia, Russia,
Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria and Australia,
and seeks interest from all ski jumping nations.
Many ski jumping competitions around the world, including several national championships,
recognize a Masters class. In addition, several nations hold separate age group national
championships, usually on smaller hills. The Duluth Ski Club's annual Souvenir
Booklet lists
U.S. National Masters (formerly Veterans) champions
starting in 1935. Norway is the cradle
of ski jumping and has led the way in Masters jumping. In 1905 for the first time,
the old
timers had their own class in Holmenkollen, for those over thirty; that year, the oldest
competitor was
70 years old. In 1997, the Norwegian Veteran Club celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.
Masters Ski Jumpers -- Other Times and Other Names
Age group competition goes back to the earliest days of ski jumping, and through the
decades
many different terms have been used in the U.S. to refer to the oldest class of competitors.
The Senior
class was replaced with Veterans, then the present euphemism,
Masters.
Any of these is more dignified than
Geritol class, and surely preferable to survivors. Perhaps the most
appealing is the
Norwegian term Gamle Gutter, literally Old Boys. It
reminds us
that ski jumpers at any age
must be playful and young at heart.
Other International Masters Events
Harrachov, in the Czech Republic has hosted an annual Master competition for more than two decades.
In fact, for some time, before joining the IMC family, they thought of their event as the
World Championships for Masters, and one year they advertised their oldest jumper, Kurt Brausse of
Germany, as the oldest active ski jumper in the world. You can
read a report and results of the 22nd
Harrachov Masters competition from the year 2000.
For several years, the IMC Committee has contemplated organizing a summer event, and they finally
did in the summer of 2006. [ See report ]
How to Start Ski Jumping
Ski jumping in the U.S. is a club based activity, and
ski jumping clubs welcome both adults and children who think that
they would enjoy this exciting sport. These clubs usually have some
second hand jumping equipment on hand (some old Cadillacs, some Edsels)
which beginners may borrow.
Adult beginners usually progress faster
than children, sometimes negotiating large hills after only a couple of
years. A few fine athletes starting the sport as adults have eventually tried
out for the U.S. Olympic Team. Others spend many enjoyable seasons simply
jumping smaller hills maintained by their own clubs.
Want to try it? Here are two links to sites listing all ski jumping clubs in the
eastern U.S. and in the
midwestern U.S.
International Masters Ski Jumping Committee
[ See Minutes of 2008 meeting.]
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The Five Members of the Board of Officers:
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Klaus Günther - Chairman
Bamberger Str. 64C
95445 Bayreuth, Germany
(phone) 0049 921 43141
(fax) 0049 921 35861
(e-mail) 092130686-0001@t-online.de
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Torbjorn Haugen -- Vice Chmn.
Nordengvn. 51
N-0755 Oslo, Norway
(home phone) -22502584
(cell phone) +47-92807856
(fax) -22502958.
(e-mail) ts.haugen@c2i.net
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Direct technical questions to:
Alexander Diess - Austria
[Technical and Facilities Expert]
(cell phone) +436641469545
(e-mail) Alexander.Diess@onemail.at
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Culture and Communication:
Anton Zapf
Kolonie Str. 16
82194 Gröbenzell
(phone) +49 (0)8142–6526790
(mobil) +49 (0)172-6004504
(fax) +49(0)8142-3058159
(e-mail) antonzapf@gmx.de
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www.musikerportait.com/anton-zapf
www.concertartist.info/
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Questions on Nordic Combined:
Ĺke Saloniemi - NC Chmn
Kalixvagen 20A
S95795 Hedenaset
Sweden
(phone) 0927.30309
(fax) 0927.30355
(e-mail) noid@algonet.se
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Representatives of the Nations:
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Ole Eldar Kjřlen
Břvn.44
1389 Heggedal
Norway
(phone) 31286054 (Norway)
(e-mail) ole_kjolen@hotmail.com
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Norway:
Per Ole Vik
(phone) 90 97 08 39 (Norway)
(e-mail) per.ole.vik@ebnett.no
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Tim Denisson -- Past Chmn
118 Applewood Court
Cheyenne, WY 82009 USA
(phone) 307 634-6066
(fax Sep to May) 307 771-2609
(e-mail) tdenisson@yahoo.com
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Don West
9 Addoms St.
Plattsburgh, NY, USA
(phone) (518) 563-7604
(e-mail) westdc@plattsburgh.edu
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Jan Dahlgren
Vavstuguvagen 17
S-862 41 Njurunda
Sweden
(phone) 060 313 15
(fax at work) 060 15 07 10
(e-mail) jan.dahlgren@ssg.se
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Sweden:
Pietro Nilsson
Vasavägen 214c
192 69 Sollentuna
Sweden
(phone) 0046707624910
(Fax) 004687624947
(e-mail) pietro@mail.ip-only.net
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Veijo Stranden
Finland
(direct) 358 5 6230045
(GSM) +358 500 552381
(Fax) 358 5 8871147
(e-mail) veijo.stranden@pp.inet.fi
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Erkki Ahtiainen
Kaarlenkatu 7 A
67100 Kokkola
Finland
(GSM phone) +358 400 504606
(fax) +358 6 8224683
(e-mail)
erkki.ahtiainen@pp1.inet.fi
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614087 Russia Perm
St Rabochay, 9
Sergey Tcherviakov
phone/fax home 7 (3244) 620-787
phone/fax work 7 (3244) 196-392
(cell phone) 8 (902) 954-6923
(e-mail) serg.cherviakov@permonline.ru
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Russia 107082, Moscow
st., F.Engelsa, 26-20
Airopetov Felex
(phone) 095 276 7590
(fax) 095 261 2678
(e-mail) prism@yandex.ru
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Slavomir Kardas
310 Catherine St.
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7E 1K6, Canada
(phone) 807.622 1509
(fax) 807.623 2622
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Kurt Brausse
Linsenholerstrasse 1a
98529 Suhl, Germany
(phone) +493681700672
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Kair Tammel
Eesti Kahevőistluse
ja Suusahüpete Veteranide Klubi
Trummi 14 D Tallinn, Estonia 12617
(phone) +372 672 6443
(fax) +372 672 6443
(cellphone)+372 503 6251
(e-mail) kairtammel@hot.ee
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Stanislav Slavik
512 46 Harrachov 257
Czech Republic
(phone) ++420 432 529536, 529787
(fax) ++420 432 529536
(mobile ph) ++420 603 470113
(e-mail) camping@harrachov.cz
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László Molnár
9730 KOSZEG
Rajnis u. 5.
Hungary
(phone) 0036 94/ 563-122
(fax) 0036 94/563-123
(web) www.becsikapu.hu
(e-mail) info@becsikapu.hu
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Tony Mihelcic
(phone) +61 4 0856 0274
(fax) +61 3 9749 5728
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tonymihelcic
(e-mail) tonymihelcic@iprimus.com.au
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Kristof Gaspirc
A. Vavkna 9
4207 Cerklje
Slovenija
Phone: +386 41 521 721
(e-mail) kgbar2002@yahoo.com
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Honored Emeritus Members:
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Co-Founder
Guttorm Bakke -- Emeritus
Bjormoen 16
2050 Jessheim, Norway
(phone) 46.06-97 14 27
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Co-Founder, First Chairman
Earle Murphy -- Emeritus
1090 Farmingdale Rd.
Jackson, NJ, 08527, USA
(phone) (732) 730-6287
(cell) (757) 272-3456
(e-mail)Eprofmurphy@aol.com
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Past Chairman
Alf-Tore Haug -- Emeritus
...Norway
(work phone) 47.915.95110
(home phone) 47.381.66108
(fax at work) 22 68 63 53
(e-mail) athaug@online.no
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[ See 2008 IMC Report ]
[ IMC 1990-present ] . . . .
[ International Masters ] . . . .
[ USA Masters ] . . . .
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