Who can forget the legend that was Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards? Though often considered as a bit of a laughing stock, Eddie was actually a very good skier indeed. He was not only the British National Ski-jumping Record holder, but also the World No 9 in Amateur Speed-skiing (106.8mph) and the Stunt Jumping World Record Holder (10 cars / 6 buses). And let’s be fair he had balls of steel throwing himself 80 meters into the unknown in front of millions of people. He’s also the only individual athlete to be mentioned in an Olympic closing ceremony, when the games president in Calgary said “At this Games some competitors have won gold, some have broken records and one has even flown like an eagle."
I am a huge fan off Eddie because I can see through the plucky loser tag and appreciate quite what he achieved. He was totally self funded, made do with inadequate kit and terribly short sighted, yet he made it to the greatest sporting event on earth and became Britain’s most famous winter Olympian. The downside is that he is also responsible for the IOC introducing the “Eddie the Eagle Rule”, which requires Olympic hopefuls to compete in international events and place in the top 30 percent or the top 50 competitors, whichever is the lesser. So don’t expect to see any other plucky Brits jumping at the Winter Olympics in 2010.
I’ve always wanted to launch off a ski jump. I love the adrenaline rush, and Eddie’s feats have been imprinted on my imagination since 1988. I’m not aiming to get anywhere close to his achievements, but I do want to go off a full size ski jump under my own steam.
Apparently there is not much of a market for 30-somethings wanting to learn to ski jump, and finding someone to help has been tricky. My letter to Eddie the Eagle Edwards has gone unanswered (though I can’t really blame him – no doubt he regularly has crackpots hassling him), the Canadians had a couple of lessons on offer but I’d have to join a class of 8 year olds and most of the Scandinavians I’ve spoken to have been less than helpful.
However, after 2 years trying to find someone to help, James Lambert (who took the British Record from Eddie) has offered to help. He is a member of the British Masters, a ski jumping team of ex-pats based in Scandinavia, and has agreed to meet me at the International Masters Championship at Ruhpolding at the beginning of March. From there, who knows…
I am a huge fan off Eddie because I can see through the plucky loser tag and appreciate quite what he achieved. He was totally self funded, made do with inadequate kit and terribly short sighted, yet he made it to the greatest sporting event on earth and became Britain’s most famous winter Olympian. The downside is that he is also responsible for the IOC introducing the “Eddie the Eagle Rule”, which requires Olympic hopefuls to compete in international events and place in the top 30 percent or the top 50 competitors, whichever is the lesser. So don’t expect to see any other plucky Brits jumping at the Winter Olympics in 2010.
I’ve always wanted to launch off a ski jump. I love the adrenaline rush, and Eddie’s feats have been imprinted on my imagination since 1988. I’m not aiming to get anywhere close to his achievements, but I do want to go off a full size ski jump under my own steam.
Apparently there is not much of a market for 30-somethings wanting to learn to ski jump, and finding someone to help has been tricky. My letter to Eddie the Eagle Edwards has gone unanswered (though I can’t really blame him – no doubt he regularly has crackpots hassling him), the Canadians had a couple of lessons on offer but I’d have to join a class of 8 year olds and most of the Scandinavians I’ve spoken to have been less than helpful.
However, after 2 years trying to find someone to help, James Lambert (who took the British Record from Eddie) has offered to help. He is a member of the British Masters, a ski jumping team of ex-pats based in Scandinavia, and has agreed to meet me at the International Masters Championship at Ruhpolding at the beginning of March. From there, who knows…
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