STORY No. 7
DAN BEVINGTON
Age 49
Anchorage, Alaska
Norge Ski Club
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| Dan (2011 USSA ski jumping coach of the year) with AK youth jumpers |
When dad left active duty we landed in northern Illinois in the summer of 1970. I was 6 years old and we found ourselves in a home on the Fox River, across the river from Norge Ski Club. I recall my parents asking me “do you want to ski jump?” The six year old in me said, “okay.” A small makeshift takeoff was placed on the side hill of the landing bowl. I recall my first days getting “let go” down that hill by the older kids on an old pair of downhill skis with rat-trap bindings.
So there began my journey. In the early 70’s, my parents allowed me to jump into any old car (sometimes driven by teenagers themselves) and travel around (mostly Wisconsin) to go to ski jumping competitions. There were many interesting adventures and some events that I probably shouldn’t recount in my outside voice. At any rate, that experience of crossing the frozen ice of the Fox River to go ski jumping, the hours and hours spent at the hills, experience of “learning how to fly” and traveling to other clubs around the Midwest was significant for me. More so, was the impact of my coaches.
My teammates Scott Smith and Eric Shoemaker and myself were taken under the wing of Eric’s dad, Shoe,” for a time. Along with Jim B. from Wisconsin, Shoe called us his “Four Eagles” and he gave us all Eagles (the band) belt buckles. We all worked together, supported one another, and it was good. Shoe would sometimes put giant speakers on top of his car in the outrun and play “power music” while we were training. Eric was the unassuming guinea pig for some of Shoe’s more radical ideas, like putting fists onto the skis during inrun to help get into air flight quicker.
I recall marking the landing hill during an international competition at Westby when I was 12 years old. A European came flying over the hill and was so committed to getting every meter possible from his jump that I recall his tips bent back over behind his shoulders as the tails scraped along the ground. Shoe looked at each of us that weekend and said, “next year, you’ll be on that hill.” In truth, I think we all did jump the big hill the next year.
From my perspective now, Shoe’s devotion as a coach motivates me in my efforts to help kids that are learning the skill and the art of ski jumping. What I know is this: wherever a life leads from learning how to jump, facing and overcoming fears, learning skills to fly, teamwork, and sportsmanship will be a foundation upon which any person can build a meaningful and fulfilling life.
No 8
JEFF PAPKE
Age 59
Tahlequah, OK
Mt. Simon Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI
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| Jeff Papke- then |
It was in the late 60’s, me in about the eighth grade someplace in Wisconsin and I had borrowed a longer pair of black ski’s with the yellow bottoms as mine were getting short. I came out of one of the side ramps because the top was to fast. When I went to jump into the main tracks of the inrun my right foot and ski caught an edge and ended up crossing sideways in the jump. My left ski in the track and my right almost straight across the old wood jump with the bottom of the ski towards my leg going bang, bang, bang, I went down the jump. My right ski was catching on each of the upright boards of the sidewalls all the way to the bottom. Just before the end of the jump as the walls disappeared, I managed to get my right ski in the track and jumped with all my might. Of course I landed on the knoll and bounced into the air again managing to keep my balance and landed the second time on the landing hill, I then skied out the rest of the fiasco to my and everyone’s amazement. Learned a good lesson that day… I improved my technique… The great Billy Olson was our ski club coach back then. I also jumped with Dan Wold and Dave Tompton too. Wow what memories.
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| Jeff Papke- now |
What a sport, nothing like flying. It’s time to also let Women Jump in the Olympics if they can downhill and participate in the other types of games too…
