Salisbury is Jumping

While cruising around during the 2011 Junior National Championships for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined this past week in Salisbury, CT, Evan and I stumbled across a neat bumper sticker which read simply, "Salisbury IS Jumping." At first we both laughed. Sure, John Satre lost a bet in 1927 and kicked the first jumps off in that community by skiing off a barn roof, with a phenomenal yearly competition taking place most every year since.

But still, we found it tacky. Case in point? World Championships taking place this same week in Oslo, Norway. Shiny new Holmenkolen hill, countless Olympic Games held, and a tradition for jumping that scientists agree dates back to the early Cenozoic era. So Salisbury is a quaint hamlet in the Northwest Corner with a fine legacy of jumping, but Oslo IS jumping.

Right, fast forward five days. Fast forward past the finest Junior National or North American Championship event Evan or I have seen in our oodles of participations as spectators, athletes, coaches. Read: opening ceremony and parade with 2000 zealous spectators. Packed dinners at the Millerton Legion. A killer brand new hill, bolted together a mere 2 days before the Eastern Championships two weeks previous. An opening banquet in the Lakeville Hose Company Fire House. The raddest 1km XC loop we've ever shredded, held at the base of a small town ski area.

The town of Salisbury rallied. Fundraised. Organized. And turned some heads. Athletes loved it. Coaches praised it. Photographers loved the shiny suits and new tower. Proud old jumpers took pride in being part of it. And the amazing exhibit downtown proved it-- Salisbury is synonymous with jumping. No, it's not the Holmenkollen, and I'm sorry to say it, but they'll never host an Olympic Games. But know what? That bumper sticker doesn't lie. Salisbury IS jumping. Thanks for letting us be a part of it!

Congratulations to Team East for letting the rest of the national jumping community know where we stand. We had some awesome jumps and some killer races. We lost more than our fair share of sprint finishes, but hey, we were still sprinting for the win. Our J2 athletes stepped up the bar in a big way from where they stood last year. And our new New Hampshire High School talent proved that they could roll with the big boys. NYSEF Grasshopper Kaleb Cook even got some cowbells ringin' at the Ripton Touring Center at the Mid-Atlantic Bill Koch Festival, setting the hill record on the K10 demo hill. Huge!

If it's results from Salisbury you're looking for, find 'em all here. Over 2200 great photos? You've got Sue Kavanah to thank for some great shots here on the St. Paul Ski Club website here.

Mid-A Bill Koch Fest Results? Here.

What a week. Thanks for reading. We're thrilled to report that Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined are flourishing here on the Eastern Seaboard.

Dave & Evan