USASJ Story Project- Nov 3 FARNHAM/RUDOLPH

STORY no. 5

JON FARNHAM

Age 55

Saxons River, VT

Ford Sayre Ski Club/Lebanon Outing Club

Jon Farnham high and tight over the knoll in Salisbury CT

This is my offering- The day I met Don West!

It was 1970, my first visit to Harris Hill with skis. It was a training day (college guys were at a carnival).  I was with my buddy Don Cantlin. We rode the landing hill three times and then got in line to go up top. One jump before lunch, wow!  In the afternoon we got three jumps, the problem was, we ended up last in line.  One of us was going to have to be up there all by ourselves. We couldn't agree on who that was going to be.  Night rider was not yet our thing.  The guy ahead of us, had his boards on and was ready to go. He was an old dude. Red hair, big beard, maybe a hippy or a beatnik.  We said ," sir, would you mind waiting and going after us? We're scared to be up here alone."  (Trust me, Cantlin was going to beat me up before he went last, good buddy uhh?)  The response from Dr. West was "no problem boys", and he moved aside. We survived and I got a friend for life.

Don doesn't remember doing that, but I will never forget it!

Peace,
Jon Farnham

Editor's note-  Don West seems to have served as midwife to many Eastern ski jumpers, delivering them safely through their first large hill experience.  His list includes me, my brother Brad, Jeff Baker, and Hans Johnstone on the old Lake Placid 70m on a bluebird afternoon in March of '75 or '76.  Like Jon, none of us knew who Don was before the chance experience, but haven't forgotten him,or the role he played, since.

 

Story No. 6

GREG RUDOLPH

Age 52

Steamboat Springs, CO

Greg back in the day

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club





Greg more recently, gelande'ing off Steamboat large hill

 I will never forget the coaching style of my second ski jumping coach. He would stand up in the tower, shivering, with a huge bulky ski jacket and a flask in the pocket. After every jump he would say “That sucked… get back up there and try it again”. This would be followed by a long pull on the ol flask. His coaching style was consistent, unwavering and never changed. At least that’s the way I remember it. That’s my story… and I’m stick’n to it.