|
 |
Alborn making a name for himself in ski jumping
By Jason Swensen
Deseret News staff writer
A slice of pizza or a can of Slim-fast? Slim-fast or pizza? Alan Alborn asked himself such questions whenever he opened the refrigerator door last summer. The questions seem absurd. The slender Alaskan — whose 5-11 frame carries about 130 pounds — won't find his mug any time soon on one of those "before" photos in the diet ads.
But Alborn's a World Cup ski jumper and, as jumpers say, "fat don't fly." So, in a sport where a spare pound or two can keep a jumper from the medal podium, motivation and willpower are as vital as properly waxed skis.
Alborn says motivation has been an integral element of his jumping preparation. Now that preparation seems to be yielding rewards. The 20-year-old Yank is earning a name for himself in a sport long dominated by European and Far Eastern athletes.
Last summer, Alborn became the first American to win three consecutive Continental Cup events. He was later called up from the Continental Cup — considered the sport's Triple-A league — and enjoyed success on the elite Grand Prix circuit. Most recently, Alborn earned a pair of consecutive top-15 finishes during the opening weekend of the 2001-02 World Cup circuit.
"(Observers) have come to realize that Americans can ski jump," Alborn said before the start of the current World Cup season.
An American vying for space on the Olympic medal stand was thought to be impossible prior to Alborn's string of recent successes. It's still a long shot. But Alborn has to be regarded, in boxing terms, as perhaps a "live underdog." Alborn has credited much of his recent success to strong coaching and consistent training that has tightened his technique and increased his strength. Alborn has also watched his diet and kept off unwanted pounds. He doesn't count calories but says he eats a lot of chicken, rice and, yes, an occasional Slim-fast.
"The stronger you are and the lighter you are, the quicker you are going to be on the takeoff and the more effective your jump is going to be in terms of length and technique," Alborn said.
Alborn's parents originally wanted their son to be an alpine skier, but 9-year-old Alan kept sneaking off the alpine runs in Anchorage to fly off a small, nearby ski jump. Skiing down a hill was fine, "but it couldn't come close to the sensation of jumping," he said.
Flying must be programmed into the Alborn DNA. Alborn's father is a commercial airline pilot, and Alan — a licensed pilot himself — owns a Cessna he keeps grounded in Salt Lake City.
"I just like the sensation of being off the ground and being in control of the flight," Alborn said.
The U.S. ski jumping team will be ambassadors of sorts during the 2002 Winter Games. Alborn and the others will be introducing the sport to millions of Americans whose exposure to ski jumping is perhaps limited to that "agony of defeat" guy tumbling down the in-run on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
No matter. Alborn says he feels no pressure outside of the competition itself.
He believes his recent success proves he belongs among the world's top ski jumpers. Is he an Olympic medal contender? "I think I'm pretty close."
|
|
December 6, 2001
|
