AL MERRILL
Andover, ME
CURATOR’S NOTE
This story is on behalf of Al Merrill who died in 1990. It was frankly prompted by Clas Brede’s piece last week and an old photo that I happened upon at about the same time. To the point- I was (pleasantly) gobsmacked by the ripples that were unknowingly created when Jim Denney stopped to sign a shy boy’s autograph book. Clas Brede Brathen went on to be an international ski jumper and program director for the Norwegian team (with a soft spot for the USA thanks to Jim Denney) who advocated for and co-founded an innovative Norway/USA program that is already impacting USANS results.
The other night I found the photo of the 1953 Lebanon High School (NH) ski team. Al Merrill would go on to become a world-respected Nordic coach and official but at that time was a high school physics teacher and ski coach (and 1974 US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee). He took a liking to an athletic farm kid (my father Paul Hastings) and taught him enough about ski jumping (everything was 4 events in those days) that when Paul’s kids started building jumps on the hillside around the house, he knew enough to get them into a program with free heels before someone broke a leg. He later invited himself into the Holland’s living room with a pair of jumping skis and Mike Holland (and eventually brothers Joe and Jim) were brought into the sport as well. Mike would go on to set a world distance record in Planica in 1985.
Could Al have had any idea that some 30 years later – and as a direct effect of his actions- a kid from Norwich VT would be introduced to ski jumping and set a world distance record? (Rhetorical question)
We entertain angels unaware… and leave impressions that pass through many degrees of separation that will outlive us. This is both haunting and encouraging.
PS-There are at least two athletes on the national scene, Evan Nichols and Caleb Zuckerman, who have been directly influenced by Mike’s commitment to kids and the sport. In other words, Al, who died over 30 years ago, is still having a direct impact on ski jumping and Nordic combined.
