The Weekly Ski Jumping Trivia Quiz

Answers to past questions
May 10 to May 24, 1998

We often hear that there is too much politics in ski jumping, or in sports in general. Yes, politics in ski jumping is common, but ski jumping is rare in politics. But ski jumping has entered national politics, at least once. A centerfold picture in Life magazine shows a skier in mid-flight. Not a ski jumper, but a politician who siezed on an opportunity for visibility at a ski jumping tournament. The jumper was not the candidate, in fact he wasn't even a jumper, just a recreational skier, but by taking one jump off the 40 meter hill, he earned an opportunity to take the microphone and make a pitch for his candidate for U.S. President. More significant, of course, was the photo opportunity, which led to the centerfold in Life Magazine. (In a gesture which was at least half facetious, officials offered equal time to supporters of opposing candidates who wanted to borrow jumping skis and come down the slide.) Who was Presidential candidate who was so bravely supported? John F. Kennedy, campaigning for the Democratic Primary election Who was the supporter who put his body on the line for his candidate? His brother, Teddy Kennedy When and where did all this take place? 1960 in Madison WI, on the Blackhawk Ski Club K-45 jump This is a History Project item. We ask anyone with information or personal recollections of this event to submit them, so that we may document this interesting event before it passes from memory. Click here to share your knowledge by automatic e-mail ... or just send your own e-mail message to: westdc@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu

Week 17-18: April 26 to May 9:

The 1998 National Champions, Randy Weber and Todd Lodwick, had both been champions before. But who has been U.S. National Champion most often? List all the jumpers with more than two national titles, and give the number of wins for each one. ANSWER: A quick count shows that eight skiers were crowned twice as national champion and twelve more were top dog at least three times. It is natural to divide history into two periods because since 1981, most years saw two national champions named: the normal hill champion and the large hill champion. This gave competitors twice as many chances to win the title. THE RECENT PERIOD (two champions per season) Three times champion Mark Konopacke Four times champion Jeff Hastings Five times champion Mike Holland Randy Weber Six times champion Jim Holland THE EARLIER YEARS (one champion per season) Three times champion Ragnar Omvedt Casper Oimoen Ansten Samuelstuen Gene Kotlarek Jerry Martin Four times champion Anders Haugen Seven times champion! Lars Haugen For more details, see lists of National Champions.

Week sixteen: April 19 to 25:

The snow is gone, but the ski jumping season is not over! For 25 years or more, ski jumping has been a year 'round sport, with summer jumping on plastic landing surfaces. This week's question introduces you to a History Project, delving into the early developments in summer jumping. Where was the first modern plastic surface in the U.S.? Madison WI, on the Blackhawk Ski Club K-65 jump Who created this first plastic hill? The project was spearheaded by Bill Bakke What were his prior skiing achievements? Bill was U.S. National Champion in 1970, and he jumped in the Grenoble Olympics, just to name a couple of high points. (Later he became coach of the Canadian Jumping Team in the heady days of Horst Bulau and Steve Collins.) Where is he now? Bill is venue manager at Canadian Olympic Park, the ski jump and bobsled complex on the western edge of Calgary.