Nagamo hope: Westby's Kyle Buros and other junior ski jumpers are already aiming for the 1998 Olympics in Nagamo, Japan

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Feb 11, 1995 | by Brown, Jeff

Kyle Buros sat by a clubhouse window, head tilted skyward Friday afternoon.

Despite the biting wind and the below-zero windchill, he wanted to be outside, across the road where the action was.

On the Snowflake Ski & Golf Club's 40-meter hill, where the rest of the best young ski jumpers this country were gearing up for today's Central Region Championships. About 130 juniors are expected to compete in today's junior events, which are part of the Club's 72nd annual international tournament.

The 15-year-old Buros, a freshman at Westby High School, is hoping to be one of them.

"I fell on the 40-meter (hill) on Tuesday. I dropped my head... that's all I remember," said Buros, the scrapes on his cheeks and nose a reminder of his nasty fall. "I don't remember anything until being in the hospital in Viroqua."

A concussion -- the second of his jumping care-er -- kept him off the hills Friday, but he's hoping to be a part of the competition today. Ski jumping is a safe sport, Buros insists. He has fallen less than 10 times in 400 jumps over the past year.

The really good jumpers, he says, rarely fall.

"It doesn't bother me at all. I will be back out there tomorrow (today) if they let me," Buros said of his fall "Dr. Bland will see me in the morning."

While the 90-meter competition will grab much of the attention this weekend, the Junior Championships will determine who will earn a spot on the 12-member Junior Olympic team. Buros, along with Derek Lunde of Westby, are good bets to land spots on the team.

Both are currently members of the Junior Olympic Team, and another team called "Hope Nagamo." Hope Nagamo is comprised of young, talented ski jumpers hoping to have a chance at the 1998 Olympics in Nagamo, Japan.

Buros probably has already earned a spot on the Junior Olympic Team even if he doesn't jump today. Competition results from Fox River Grove near Chicago, Ironwood, Mich., and Westby determine who makes the team. After two of three events, Buros is sitting in fourth place.

The top 12 go to Steamboat Springs for the national championships. The top three in the national championship, advance to the world championships. Got all that?

"Everybody in Westby knows all about this," Buros said. "There are about 15 kids in my class that jump. The rest kind of wonder why I do it."

Buros' parents, Dianne and Jerry, don't wonder anymore. Buros has been ski jumping since he was 5 years-old on 5-and 10-meter bills that were once used in Westby. Buros' brother, Craig, also jumped.

"It's fun. I love flying through the air," Buros said. "The speed, the challenge of staying in the air. You're never really more than 10 feet off the ground."

Buros' first big test came this winter at Eau Claire, where Buros went off a 70-meter hill for the first time.

"The first time it was kind of scary," Buros said.

"I didn't jump well on Saturday, but finished seventh overall on Sunday. I had my longest jump ever (74.5 meters, 245.5 feet). It's just a little more speed and a little more air than the smaller hills."

The 90-meter, the one Buros had his eyes on Friday, is a different story. A much bigger challenge.

The last Westby native to jump off the-90-meter hill was Greg McGarvey, who competed in the Masters Division in the 1990 tournament.

"Next year," Buros said. "Hopefully."

WESTBY SKI JUMP AT A GLANCE

* WHAT: Snowflake Ski & Golf Club's 72nd annual International Ski Jumping Tournament. 9--meter tournament, along with Central Junior Championships, will be held both today and Sunday.

* WHERE: The Club's 10, 20 40, 65 and 90-meter hills are at Timber Coulee, which is 3 miles northwest of Westby, and about 25 miles from La Crosse. Timber Coulee is located on Hwy. P between Coon Valley and Westby.

* WHEN:

* Today: Celebrity ski jump begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by the 90-meter Intercontinental Cup at 11 a.m. The 40-meter Central Junior Championships will follow the Intercontinental Cup. The 65-meter Central Junior Championships will be held under the lights, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* Sunday: The nordic combined championships -- cross country skiing and ski jumping -- begin at 8:30 a.m.; 10-meter and 20-meter Central Junior Championships at set for 10 a.m. 90-meter International Tournament will begin about 1 p.m.

* COST: Buttons may be purchased in advance for $8 at area Kwik Trip stores. Buttons are available at the gate for $10.

* PARKING: Parking is available at the bottom of the hill, but get there early. The best spots fill up early. Cost is $2.

* WEATHER: While today's forecast calls for a high temperature of between 0 and 5 degrees, the tournament will go on. Winds can be a factor, but Friday's gusts of 30 to 35 mph did not stop the tournament.

* BEST JUMP: Friday's 90-meter jumps were termed "official training," but were measured and scored. The best jump of the day: None other than 15-year-old U.S. Ski Team member Brendon Doran. Doran soared 122 meters, or about 400 feet. If that jump would have taken place in official competition, it would have erased the hill record of 119.5 meters (392 feet), set by Japan's Jun Shibuya in 1993.