Zra, I think that's Gene and Dean. Ween.
Big jumpers back in the day before they discovered the rocknroll devil music.

I watched "The Ski Flyers" on PBS years ago and got kind of misty.  We were skiing at Pine Valley in Cloquet one time and stopped afterward to watch some awesome old guy in a 1960s snowmobile suit coaching a bunch of little kids in ski-jumping.  I wish they were still jumping in Duluth, although I'm not sure I'd be thrilled if our girls wanted to do it.

The kid strapping on his skis in that newspaper clipping is my grandfather. He's in his 70s but still skis Spirit just about every weekday.

One of my brothers was on the team briefly in the 1960s. He came home one brisk winter day with a very bloody face from a bad wipe out off of Big Chester. I think it had something to do with the crappy used skis he had. My mom had to tie his wrists to the bedposts to keep him from scratching his face in his sleep.

I also "lived" at the bowl during the late 1960s, early '70s.

I used to ski over from our house after school weeknights and then call home for a ride when I was done because it was dark then. Most weekends were spent there as well.

I remember being coached by Adrian Watt.  Skied alongside a lot of talented skiers of the age.  The Denney's, Broman's, McTavishes, to name a few.

The first ride down Big Chester for me is still etched in my memory, you can't get that kind of feeling from an amusement park ride.

Gunnar,
Please explain! LOL!

Videos used to be taken during tournaments and used for coaching, wonder if there are any of those lying around??

@Ed
With an amusement park ride you are tethered or restrained by some means, not so with jumping.  It's more like skydiving. Controlled suicide.