MARK LEVASSEUR
Class of 2018 American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame see bio
remarkboston@yahoo.com
Gene Levasseur
Most people never realized that my dad, Gene Levasseur, was a ski jumper!
He was born in Rumford, Maine and moved to Worcester, MA when he was just 13.
It was really tough in those days before highways to be a jumper from central Massachusetts!
He would tell me how it would take over 8 hours to get to places like Lake Placid and Bear Mountain.
But he had a great love for the sport and was quite an athlete.
The first photo was with Art Tokle. I remember asking dad about him coming in second in class A to Art. He told me that he NEVER was much competition for Mr. Tokle!
I included the article ” WINS SKI JUMP ” of Gene to also remind people that there were ski jumps all over New England! Several were in Massachusetts. Dad talked about how he liked the one in Greenfield, MA because it was only an hour away on route 2!
The last photo is of the 1954 FIS training team. Let’s see who can name them!!
Lastly, ski jumping enriched our lives beyond words. So many wonderful experiences and great friends! I wanted to be a hockey player but I’m glad dad introduced me to this incredible sport. In my opinion, I think ski jumping is the greatest sport in the World!
9 Comments
Those experiences With your dad, I’m sure is what made you such a Level head individual, and not the Kind of Man that’s Always trying to one up someone,
The Fact that your dad could balance such a Competitive Career and have the Drive to do so well and still run a Healthy Home life ❤️ , is really something to be Marveled at !
The Articles that document his HARD Work for History of this Sport, to Always be able to Look back on ,Must make his Sons More than POUD.
The FACT to be Related to such a LEGACY and to have a SON (Mark Levasseur) also as
COMMITTED to the SPORT, who has Flown All
Over the World to JUGDE PROFESSIONAL
COMPETITION, is Making the Family Proud !
That Dad’s LEGACY is still Alive and WELL in a SPORT he was PASSIONATE ABOUT.
So kind of you. One of the nicest things anyone has written about me and my Dad. Can’t thank you enough…
Thank you for the kind words❤️
I remember your dad from many jumping tournaments in the eastern states in the 1950s and early 60s. I saw your last name with this story and wondered if there was a connection. As a junior, I skied out of Salisbury, CT (SWSA) and later for the University of new Hampshire. I knew some of the other eastern class A Jumpers – I especially remember Roy Sherwood, Art Devlin and Art Tokle.
I’m glad you got into judging. I live near Vancouver, BC now, and I ran into Art Tokle Jr., who was judging at Whistler Olympic park, around 2010. That was cool; I remembered him from when he was competing as a junior jumper in the age group below mine.
Thanks for the story. It brought back memories.
Thanks, Mark. I remember your dad not only jumping but putting in a lot of time, summer and winter, maintaining the jump in Lancaster with my dad. Those were different days when people would come from all over to a 30-m hill! We used that jump for practice for another year or two after the last competition there (which may have been the one in your first newspaper clipping). Now there are houses where the outrun was.
I loved going to Bear Mountain and jumping on the kid’s hill with Art, Jr. and Hans Strand in the early 60’s (I did get to the ‘big’ 50-m? hill later, ‘71?) and then put in a lot of hours on bad roads around New England in high school and college.
For Bill Perry – I have to say that the scariest thing I ever did skiing was to climb up the trestle at Salisbury.
Go USA Nordic!
So kind of you. One of the nicest things anyone has written about me and my Dad. Can’t thank you enough…
Georgie! Can I write that?
Omg…I have great memories of you and your dad Ernie. How can I get in touch with you??
Hi George! I remember you well…I remember they would call you Georgie?
My first jump was at Mount Wachusett on your jumping ski’s. They were blue with a red stripe down
the middle. Your dad took 2 or 3 birch logs to make a jump. I probably went 2 feet but, I remember it
vividly! I was about 6 or 7.
It would be nice to talk to you. My dad would always regret not keeping in touch with your folks.
My email is remarkboston@yahoo.com and phone number is 617-388-0203
Warm regards,
Mark
Georgie! I remember you !
This is amazing…I would love to catch up with you. I honestly have thought a lot about your dad…
My cell is 617-388-0203
Sincerely, Mark