Patrick Cooney's Weblog

2006-02-20

While traditional winter sports enjoy the limelight in Turin, the sport of paired ski jumping has gotten very little coverage. The reason: it doesn't exist. Or more correctly, it doesn't exist outside of a series of bizarre DVDs from Japan that give us a window into an alternative universe... The universe where two people (sometimes accompanied by an acrobatic toddler) can fly hundreds of feet in the air and perform tricks like "carrying the watermelon"¹, all the time strapped to one giant pair of skis. The web site www.jump-pair.com explains it best:

"In 2002, a new event was added to the ski jump. In addition to its attempt to pursue further flight distance, it also challenges one to find artistic sense in the sport. An attempt to search for the ultimate communication style of human beings; that is Ski Jump Pairs."

These really must be seen to be believed. Back in the real world, I went skiiing/snowboarding with my team last week. My head still hurts from the whacking, but it was great fun.

1. Pictured on the cover of my Christmas present "Ski Jumping Pairs 8"

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