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Logan Gerber, Lindsey Van Win Minneapolis Shootout!
Men - Top Ten
Steamboat Springs & Park City jumpers win after six rounds of long jumps
On Saturday, Jan 31, the Minneapolis Ski Club hosted the first major U.S. competition ever
held in which the jumpers competed for distance only, cutting the field by half after
each round, until the last two skiers took one final jump to determine the winner in each
division.
Borton Volvo was the major
sponsor of this special event;
James Page Brewing
was also a sponsor.
Logan Gerber (Steamboat Springs) took the top spot in a field that included Johnny Spillane
(First US gold medalist in World Championships, 2003). Lindsey Van (Park City, ranked 5th
in the world among women) walked away with a win in a women's field that featured four of the
five members of the US team that won last year's Ladies' Grand Prix in Europe.
Prior to the meet, the "target" distance of 87
meters was determined by a panel of coaches and officials as the maximum safe distance.
Skiers exceeding this distance would be disqualified. Skiers were then allowed
to choose their own starting gate (takeoff speed depends on which gate the skier chooses).
These conditions were required by the USSA to prevent skiers from choosing too high a gate and
jumping beyond the target point; in the past, there have been concerns about how to build in
a safe upper limit to distance-only events, and this appears to have worked very well. Until
now, "long-standing" competitions were unofficial, and usually held after a regular tournament.
SkiJumpingCentral commends the USSA for taking the lead in creating this format, and the
Minneapolis Ski Club for implementing it effectively.
Distances in feet (max distance in M)
(conversion: 70 M = 231 ft, 80 M = 264 ft, 90 M = 297 ft)
Women - Top five (we're awaiting distances for several skiers)
Logan's best ride was the longest standing jump of the day, at 86.5 meters (284 feet),
and Lindsey's best was 78.5 meters (258 feet). Both have competed internationally,
and Lindsey has won two US National Championships. In addition to prize money, both received
engraved glass "Top Flight" awards from SkiJumpingCentral.com.
After the first elimination round, about half of the rides through the remaining five rounds
were in excess of 80 meters. However, the two longest flights of the day resulted in falls,
eliminating two excellent skiers, one male, one female.
Brian Welch (2002 Olympian) flew 87 meters (285 ft) in the final pair, but fell after landing,
and Jessica Jerome, age 16 (ranked 4th in the world), soared a whopping 88.5 meters (290 feet)
on her semi-final jump, also with a fall after landing. Brian's from Lake Placid, and Jessica
is from Park City. The chosen "target" distance of 87 meters proved to be a good call.
Distance elimination format a huge hit with athletes and crowd!
We spoke to a large number of the athletes, who were unanimous in their praise for this new
competition format, a tournament where they could choose their own starting gate and concentrate
on distance. Lindsey Van, two-time US National Champion, indicated that she was excited, and
hoped there would be more tournaments like this, because it was fun for the skiers and also for
the spectators. Stephen McKay (Park City), who placed tenth, wrote to say that it was "awesome;
definitely the most fun I've ever had in a ski jumping competition. It got the crowd and the
jumpers in the same frame of mind" ... and that was to see distance. Spectators we spoke with
shared that view, and liked the fact that as the competition progressed, it focused attention
on the top jumpers.
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