USASJ Story Project 27-Nov-13 NENAD STEVANOVIC

Serbian record holder Nicola Stevanovic..  

NENAD STEVANOVIC
Age- 42
Smederevo, SERBIA

I am pioneering in ski jumping in Serbia about five years and more. I followed ski jumping about 30 years when as a kid in former Yugoslavia I saw legends Primoz Ulaga and Miran Tepes who took silver medal in (the team event in) Calgary 1988 Olympics. I had many idols from Finland especially Yari Puikkonen was first but the greatest is Janne Ahonen and he inspired me for doing this thing.
 
But history is too long to be said in this short format.
 
At the beginning ski jumping was dream in my childhood but nowadays it can be reality. I followed World Cup for ten years as journalist of different European sports media for several years. Every year I was on final ceremony in Slovenia on flying hill Planica. For five years I made many interviews with famous coaches and jumpers..for example Simon Ammann, Adam Malysz, Jakub Janda, Michael Uhrman, Andreas Kofler, Thomas Morgenstern, Robert Kranjec, Wolfgang Leutzl, Severin Freund, Matti Hautamaki, Alex Pointner, Mika Kojonkosky, Goran Judez, Miran Tepes, Heinz Kutin etc…and of course with my idol Janne Ahonen.
 
I’m one of editors of our facebook page with comments, reportages and short reports from competitions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/47228330671/
 
That’s not all. I made by my own first little jumping hills k-10 for children exercises in winter conditions and also made by my own drawings 20 meter long roller for balance in flight. My son Nicola is first unofficial record holder for all categories in Serbian ski jumping with 8 meter jumps made this summer in Slovenia on plastic hills.
 
I’m his coach and we work in every conditions with different tools (skate, sticks, etc.) to make athletic preparations and ski jump techniques.
 
In 2012. I was in Lahti to meet again Janne Ahonen, who I met 2010 in Planica. For all years of his career I followed him…I can’t explain spiritual connection with him but its guided me through all these years- it’s something transcendent, something primarily from the soul.
But we couldn’t meet each other because of different reasons. Then I decide to make doctoral thesis in Sociology in Finland and to cross our paths again. And it will be. There is a strong connection that I can feel and that almost inspired me for doing unusual things. This connects all of us- it is nature of ski jumping.
 
I know from the beginning that it is a gift which tells me more about myself and connection with someone who inspires me. Our paths will cross again and we will speak again after Olympics 2014 somewhere in Finland and celebrate it on the same language.
 
My son has promising future and he is growing up with same purpose to reach the sky as Janne did and dedicate it to his father. It’s truly a life story.