Ski Jumping Update

I’m glad to say that Alan Jones, the British Master’s Team member who took a big crash and was helicoptered out in Ruhpolding has recovered with no major injuries, though his confidence has probably taken a big knock. Good news was that James Lambert came 5th on the big hill, jumping 76.5 and 75.5m and came 6th in the combined competition. Cracking result – who says Britain doesn’t have successful ski jumpers?

One thing that has been bothering me is the self-imposed target of the “big four”; Ski Jumping, Speed Skiing, Speed Riding and the Cresta Run. I’ve knocked off the Cresta Run, added in a Bobsleigh run as an extra, and I’m due to start Speed Riding tomorrow, but Ski Jumping fell by the wayside due to illness, and Speed Skiing is looking less and less likely to happen as I couldn’t find anyone to get in touch with to point me in the right direction. For the Speed Skiing, the last option was a 10 hour round trip to Vars in the Southern Alps on my own to try and find someone, but for all I know it might not even be open. And add to that, Calais just 9 hours away from here so that does seem like yet another excessive detour in a car that’s beginning to play up.

However, today is a good day and I think both the Jumping and Speed Skiing could be back on. James got in touch to say that they may be running a beginners course in Sweden in April for Ski Jumping, and I noticed a poster in Les Arcs yesterday to say that they are opening up the “flying km” for Amateurs on Thursday. This is a surprise as I was under the impression Speed Skiing was off the agenda in Les Arcs at the moment, after the tragic accident last year, but apparently I might

This does clash with the Speed Riding as it’s been put back 2 days for bad weather, but I’m sure I can sort something out. 100mph is now optimistic without a skin-tight cat-suit and downhill helmet, but I think 80 mph is just about do-able in normal ski gear with my downhill skis….Thursday, here I come….