Competitors, Aspiring Olympians Take To The Skies This Weekend At Norge Ski Club's Winter Ski Jump Tournament
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's 150 feet above the Fox River and definitely not for the faint of heart. This weekend, this ski jump will be busy for the Norge Ski Club's 117th Winter Ski Jump Tournament.
You can hear the wind as the ski jumper goes flying past our camera. here's another look in slow motion. Tough to keep your balance when you're going that fast.
The aerial displays will thrill big crowds this weekend as they come to Fox River Grove from all over the country to watch competitors soar through the sky.
The Norge Ski Club is the oldest continuously open ski club in the U.S. Even kids as young as three can learn to jump. It's become a training ground for Olympic ski jumpers.
Since 2018, they've had four hit the big international stage.
MARISSA: Does it ever get old watching kids you've trained become Olympians?
SCOTT: Not at all, it's awesome.
"It's unheard of, really, to have that many from one club. Especially us here in Illinois. We're the most southern ski jump in the country. You know so, our kids just work hard in the program," said coach Scott Smith.
Three of their alums will be competing at the winter games in Beijing. Several of the ski jumpers we caught up with at Norge have Olympic dreams of their own. Catch them this weekend and you might spot a future Olympian.
If you plan on buying tickets and hitting the jump, be prepared to have a lot of company. Norge expects crowds in the thousands.