high jumpers/ question

[marknhj]

Re: high jumpers/ question

>NOTE that Satch never answered his own brilliant question. DWEEB HJers 1. Have
>HUGE feet but small peters 2.Like to HJ on to beds and other weird behavior 3.
>Got into jumping because cut from every other sport and track event.4. non
>athletic but like hanging around REAL athletes."

1. Yep, size 13, also have large hands. Can confirm that well-known saying is correct.
2. Demonstrates aforementioned superior intelligence; flopping onto anything but would be a trifle silly.
3. Varsity football and rugby, club standard high hurdler.
4. Part 1 demonstrates writers poor understanding of word definition; Part 2 is correct.

[Inquiring Mind]

Re: high jumpers/ question

You guys are all conveniently ignoring Satch's description of your peters. Law Dude would probably advise that you have the right to remain silent, but your collective silence is deafening.

[marknhj]

Re: high jumpers/ question

>You guys are all conveniently ignoring Satch's description of your peters. Law
>Dude would probably advise that you have the right to remain silent, but your
>collective silence is deafening.>>>

Not so. At least 3 replies: 2 countering the satch theory, 1 confirming. Could it be that satch is not all a brother should be?

[highjumpfan]

Re: high jumpers/ question

We simply glow. Plus we are having the most fun, as previously stated. (also the first ones to start a B-ball game during a rain delay.)Not to toot my own horn, but one year at IC4As, opening height was 2.01. Scissored it. Right then and there the competition was over. What other event can you do something like that in!

[jhc68]

Re: high jumpers/ question

>wandering around, in an apparent world of their own, doing strange arm and leg
movements rehearsing our last couple of strides and take-off techniques...

That's great. Such an accurate description. No other competitors get so detached.

When I was jumping seriously I was completely oblivious to people or events... the trick was to be completely adrenalized and yet maintain physical and emotional control. It's a pretty unique form of intoxication, and it takes total focus. Once you get distracted it's all over for the day. If you fall out of the trance zone and just take a long sober look at any overhead height then logic and thought process take over and tell you that no one, especially not you, could jump that high!

To jump well you have to stay mindless in your own little happy place. The reward for staying stupid is that once in a while you get to experience that feeling of soaring weightless flight that is so much fun that no one else has any idea what we high jumpers are talking about. (Let me warn you that when you get old and hop-less you'll miss that sensation of flying, but better to have known it than to be like the clueless masses of non-high jumpers) That's what sets us apart. Am I right, high jumpers, or am I right?

[hj197steve]

Re: high jumpers/ question

you're right.

[highjumpfan]

Re: high jumpers/ question

second

[mrbowie]

Re: high jumpers/ question

Even though I was not a national-class high jumper, very few days go by that I don't think about jumping or recall the feeling. And it has been 40 years since I went to college.

[The Fern]

Re: high jumpers/ question

I used to vary the routine. In some meets I would go off a bit away from everyone and walk in circles, always to the left. This wasn't by design it just started happening. I did it in between jumps at the higher heights. But my favorite memory is jumping in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in '77. I remember standing near the wall outside lane 8 and talking to the spectators in between jumps and then excusing myself to go jump when it was my turn. One of my best track days ever.

[satch400]

Re: high jumpers/ question

Would like to hear DWIGHT STONES discuss this subject. A lovable HJ flake.

[highjumpsteve]

Re: high jumpers/ question

>Even though I was not a national-class high jumper, very few days go by that I
>don't think about jumping or recall the feeling. And it has been 40 years since
>I went to college.

me too, in all respects you mentioned... non national class,feelings/thoughts, and years in the past !

[berkeley]

Re: high jumpers/ question

>Would like to hear DWIGHT STONES discuss this subject. A lovable HJ flake.

I would love to hear Dwight weigh in on this thread (though he might fill T&FN's disk - one sobriquet, I think coined by UK mag Athletics Weekly, was "the tower of babble"). I had him in mind with my counting and nodding remark earlier.

On feet, mine are relatively small compared with my height, which probably explains why I was not a very successful jumper (made up for it in dedication and enthusiasm).

Fortunately we can still benefit from Dwight's insights regularly on TV. The guy has an encyclopaedic knowledge, and his commentary just resonates with all real track fans. I've never been able to understand why he is not the anchor instead of far more ignorant and less fluent broadcasters such as Tom Hammond.

[Bob Duncan]

Re: high jumpers/ question

>I've never been able to understand why he is not the anchor instead of far more ignorant and less
>fluent broadcasters such as Tom Hammond.
And when they allow Dwight to provide commentary on running events, he shows more knowledge than any of the others/

[Randy]

Re: high jumpers/ question

He didn't do too shabby in Salt Lake City either. He prepared himself well. (XC skiing, as I recall)

[mike renfro]

Re: high jumpers/ question

Dwight's strength as a commentator is that is a T&F fan. He knows (or has learned) events other than his own and mostly doens't dumb his commentary down. On the other hand, he was the main reason I lost a lot of interest in HJ. Dwight would use every second on his clock. If they weren't enforcing time, "Statue Imitation". On the other hand, I never saw him take a time foul. Tully was his evil twin in the PV. Mike did take time fouls, often in big meets.

To Satch's original question, it seems that HJers are the most approachable of elite athletes. Dwight would talk to anyone, anytime about anything. On the way to or from Indy in '85, I ran into Jim Howard at the St Louis airport. I think to, as we talked about the meet in the future tense. He was very nice and willing to shoot the breeze between planes.