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Flight School just getting off the ground

Program to build athletes for ski jumping, nordic combined

One of the legacies of the 2010 Games wasn't intended to be a legacy at all.

From the beginning, the ski jumps at Whistler Olympic Park were designed to be temporary, easy to remove and maybe set up somewhere else if there was a demand for them. Same with the on-site buildings and chairlift.

But during the Games it was determined that the facility was better than Calgary when it came to snow and shelter from the wind, and while there was no funding for practice jumps, the facility was better off remaining open to jumpers.

Talks are still underway regarding the construction of training jumps (whether to locate them in Squamish or Whistler Olympic Park), but either way it seems Whistler has a ski jump legacy that's here to stay.

The question now is, "How do we use it?"

The Callaghan Winter Sports Club, which was created to build programs around Whistler Olympic Park legacies, has taken on the role of building grass roots jumping programs in the community, and has launched Learn to Jump and Flight School programs aimed at introducing kids and adults to the sport. The most recent Flight School event was this past weekend, and there are classes this Sunday, Feb. 6 and on Feb. 20, and March 6.

To take part you have to be at least 10 years old, and show up with a set of alpine skis and a helmet. You also need to be an advanced to intermediate skier.

The jump in question was built out of snow and is rated at 25 to 30 metres, which is the distance you can travel if you hit the jump at full speed. By comparison, the two jumps at Whistler Olympic Park are rated at 106 metres and 140 metres.

"The jump is pretty nice," said John Heilig, the manager of sport at Whistler Olympic Park, a former Olympian in the sport of nordic combined, and the chief instructor for Flight School and Learn to Jump programs - the latter of which he says he does as a hobby.

"It's not terribly high. The way the jump is built the take-off is about a foot-and-a-half to two feet in the air. In nordic jumping you follow the contour of the landing hill quite closely. In aerials they build a kicker that puts you up in the air, where on these jumps the takeoff leans downwards - on this particular jump it's negative-eight degrees. The good thing is that you can jump one metre and be fine, or jump the 25 metres. It all depends on how much effort you put into the takeoff, how good your technique is and how much speed you can take."

While some students show up with telemark skis, the usual progression is alpine skis, to long and straight downhill skis, to ski jumping boards with alpine bindings, to the actual ski jumping boards with telemark bindings.

The main goal is to attract athletes that have an interest in ski jumping or nordic combined (a combination of ski jumping and cross-country disciplines), but when Heilig worked at Whistler Olympic Park he said the facility there was put to use by alpine skiers looking to improve their comfort in the air.

During a two-hour Flight School session, participants get some instruction and between 15 and 20 jumps - depending on how many times they're willing to walk back to the start.

Heilig maintains that ski jumping is safe. His son participated in the program, and he has twin daughters that jumped two years ago at the age of six.

That's what attracts adults to the program, says Heilig - they come to watch their kids and end up trying it themselves, and getting hooked. As a result, there are a lot of recreational ski jumpers out there at all ages.  At the Masters Ski Jumping Championship some of the skiers were over the age of 70.

Heilig hopes that a program will develop at Whistler Olympic Park to rival the one at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. "This is a great place for ski jumping, we have a great large facility and we just need more local kids for it to take off," he said. "This is also an unbelievable site for nordic combined because you can ski from the jump hill to a massive area of cross-country terrain."

Heilig said nordic combined is unique because the two sports, ski jumping and cross-country skiing are so different. The genetic advantages that make a great cross-country skier are not great for jumping, and vice versa.

"Ski jumping is explosive and cross-country is aerobic capacity, and when you put it together you need an athlete who is not necessarily gifted in either sport - you need to be good at both and to train hard," he said. "Maybe one in 100,000 have the ability to compete at the World Cup level in cross-country skiing. Ski jumping, with the quick twitch muscles, might be even more rare. But in nordic combined the people that are dedicated to training can do reasonably well, whatever gifts they were born with."

Flight School runs from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays and costs $25 per session for participants 10 and older.

The Learn to Jump program is on Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with four sessions for kids aged 6 to 13 for $75. Participants must have beginner to advanced cross-country skills, cross-country skis and helmet. Dates are Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and Mar.6.

For more information or registration, visit www.callaghanwintersportsclub.com.