E very year brings its own unique challenges to the Salisbury Winter Sports Association in its annual mission of organizing, promoting and hosting its Jumpfest, the Salisbury Invitational Ski Jumping Competition and the United States Eastern Ski Jumping Championships. This year (Feb. 10, 11 and 12), the Northwest Corner was the recipient of the heaviest snow of the season and frigid temperatures on the Thursday going into the weekend, and another round on Sunday, the last day of competitive jumping, when the jumps were moved up to be completed before the snow got too bad. Saturday had good, warmer weather and a great crowd to watch the jumpers. Because of the snow, the many, many volunteers who groom the jump and landing hill, as well as the spectator area, were given tasks that would seem Herculean to those of us who would be daunted by moving mountains of snow.
Kudos to all those volunteers, who braved the cold to make sure conditions were as conducive as possible to good jumping, as well as to sell tickets, hand out programs, cook food to sell to hungry spectators and more in order to make sure the event lived up to the high expectations of those who attended to watch and those who came to jump.
Kudos also go to the jumpers, whose courage in facing that hill and sliding down it cannot be overestimated. Most of us would find climbing the stairs to the top of the jump and looking out over the beautiful New England scenery to be more than enough excitement for one day. Going down and jumping? It takes a special kind of person, and all those who have seen the jumpers can only marvel at their skill, bravery and athleticism.
Here’s to next year, and hopes that the challenges will be fewer and the thrills as irresistible as ever.
