DAVE NORBY
Blackhawk Ski Club, Madison, WI
mc3@chorus.net
A Fair Trade
In 1970 I had the good fortune of making the FIS team that competed in Czechoslovakia for the World Championships. Back then during the Cold War period we were always put up in the same accommodations as the Soviet team. Apparently no country wanted to be accused of showing favoritism to either super power. It was a good thing in my estimation because we got to know some of those guys.
I had two nice long conversations with Gariy Napalkov, winner of both Special Jumping gold medals. One day during the practice session he came over and asked if he could have the club patch on my sweater. I said he could provide he give me the patch on his sweater. He chuckled and said that probably couldn’t be done but he would try. I said that was the deal, make an even trade.
After the competitions were done and we were packing up to leave I heard a knock at the door of my room. I opened it and there with a big grin on his face was Napalkov with the Soviet patch in his hand. I immediately took out my pocket knife and retrieved the club patch from my sweater. We exchanged them, shook hands and away we went.
So I have the arm patch that was on the sweater that won both gold medals in the 1970 FIS World Championships. And that is as close as I ever got to a medal!
Looking back over the years I learned a lot and met great people along the way, including all of you! Memories for a lifetime. What a great sport.
|
2 Comments
Wow! That’s a great story. Shows the power of sport (especially this one). That patch you have is priceless.
Dave Norby’s story about being so close to a medal, reminded me of how the US Nordic Team (at that time we were all under “one roof”), consisting of Men’s Jumping, Nordic Combined, Ladies Cross Country, and the Men’s Cross Country teams.
I was sitting in the then Denver office of the USSA/US Ski teams when Evelyn Masbruch, the executive Secretary buzzed me to say that Walter Mondale, the Vice President is on the line.
Walter opened our conversation with some platitudes, and then got to the point of his call. He asked why I hadn’t responded to the telegrams from the USSR ski Federation inviting our team (although it was to be a small group of us) to participate in a competition in the Soviet Union.
I responded; I couldn’t answer something I never received. He was shocked to learn that I had not received the several telegrams inviting us, and that I was putting our schedule for the upcoming season together and would like to have us participate in the USSR.
In only two days, in came a telegram delivered to our ski team office with the invitation.
To be truthful, the sequence of that scenario never entered my mind until much later, when an amazing revelation was made after our team became the first US team to “go behind the Iron Curtain” into the Soviet Union.
But, that’s for another story.
It was the most “interesting” trip I ever had with our team, and I believe that to be true for the rest of our members.
Jim Balfanz,
USSA and US SKI TEAM
Nordic Program Director
1970 – 1975