DON JACOBSON (Remembrance)
Blackhawk Ski Club
Madison, WI
CURATOR’S NOTE- I got an email last week from Eldridge French telling me that his good friend Don “Dummer” Jacobson had just died and that I should rerun an old story Eldridge had submitted. The old story was mostly about Don’s twin brother, Ron (“Nipper”) and when I tried to advise Eldridge of this, the email (his “new” address) bounced back- “inbox full.” So I got on the phone with Greg Windsperger who had a couple of memories of Don that I share below.
Don and Ron were twins from the Blackhawk Ski Club and both stood 6’7″, the tallest ski jumpers in the world in their day (maybe still). They were truly bigger than life and so tall that Northland made a special run of 9′ skis just for them. Greg said the sound (and sight) of all 6’7″ of Don and his 9′ boards coming over the knoll in Westby was incredible… like watching a 747 taking off. His size also gave him an advantage on windy days. Greg recalled an especially blustery training session in Iron Mountain when he and a few of the younger jumpers were “lingering” at the top waiting to see others try it first. Don came charging up asked them what the hell they were waiting for and told them to get out of the way. Then looked them in the eye before kicking out saying- “you’re gonna want some rocks in your pockets today, boys!” before disappearing down the tracks.
Don’s obit- https://oconnellfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/donald-jake-jacobson/ |
