THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607110195
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 51 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CAMDEN LENGTH: 61 lines
Although waterski jumping has declined in popularity over the last few years, there are still die hards keeping the sport alive.
Two ski jumping fanatics were getting air during this month's River City Challenge Waterski Tournament at Shipyard Landing.
Tommy James of Hamlet and Tommy Wheeler of Rockingham love the sport so much that they're willing to risk bodily harm to participate in it.
Others in the state, though, have had a tougher time getting into the air.
The River City Ski Club is one of the last clubs in North Carolina to have a jumping ramp.
``There were two clubs that used to have two or three tournaments a year with jumping,'' said tournament co-director Jeff Mitchell. ``One club lost their site. The other club sold their ramp. It took out one-third of the jumping capability.''
Randy Keaton, who jumps as a member of the River City Ski Club and is also co-director of the tournament, said several factors have come into play contributing to the decline in the number of jumpers.
``There's a lot of expense to keep the jump ramps up,'' he said. ``Also, a lot of jumpers have aged out. There's still right many jumping, but a lot of the young ones can't start because there are fewer and fewer ramps. For some of the younger jumpers, their only chance to jump at all is at a tournament.''
Then there's the injury factor. Ski jumpers take a pounding on their knees and sometimes crash land after soaring through the air at speeds up to 50 mph.
James and Wheeler, both 20, are younger jumpers who sharge a passion for the sport. The two sported white t-shirts which read ``T-N-T Points Championship,'' a three-tournament point challenge between the friends. The shirts should have read, ``No Fear.''
``It's just such an adrenaline rush,'' said James, a wiry student at Sandhills Community College. ``The thought about getting hurt makes you want to do it more.''
``The threat of a collision with the water gives you an adrenaline rush,'' added Wheeler, a burly football player at Davidson College. ``It's also a thrill knowing that everyone on shore either can't or won't do it.''
The pair admit ski jumping is not for everybody.
``Not everybody has the stuff to do it,'' James said. ``Anybody can knee board or wake board.''
Wheeler interrupted, ``Yeah, jumping takes a substantial amount of training and guts.''
To warm up for jumping, James and Wheeler often do ``belly busters'' off the piers. ``That really gets us psyched up,'' Wheeler said.
The jumpers also admit that pain is part of the game.
``One time I went about 140 feet on my face at our lake in Sanford,'' James said. ``It gave me a concussion for about a week. But I got right back up and jumped again with stars in my eyes.''
``You have to get up and jump again after a crash. It's a matter of pride,'' Wheeler added. ``One time I was late coming to the ramp. I knew both skis were not going to go over the ramp. I went over on one ski. I crashed about 60 miles an hour on my head. You really do see stars. But you've got to get back up. Otherwise, you'll be afraid.'' by CNB