h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey, does anyone out there know what ever happened to Eddie the Eagle? He was a member of the British Olympic ski jumping team (or maybe he was the only member?!) I remember he was pretty poor jumper but, gosh darn it, he got himself in the spotlight for a few shining, bumbling moments.

I don't know, but always thought he was just a liitle eccentric...until I stood at the top of the 90M jump in Calgary. WOW!! You have to admire balls like that even if he couldn't see. Power to the Eagle!

Great guy, and I'd love to know what he's up to right now as well.

He actually just decided to become the UK Ski Jumping team (Dispight having NEVER ski-jumped in his life!). Paid his own way to Calagary, said that's what he was there to do (the UK don't have a ski-jumping team normally) For some reason, the Calgary organizers let him go ahaed (this was the same year as the Jamaican Bobsled team you know) He then promptly started doing the round trying to borrow skis and equipment from the other countries' ski jumpers.

I heard a rumour that he actually helped revolutionise ski-jumping, by inventing the "split-V" jumping stance. The way it goes, before Eddie, all the jumpers would hold thier skiis tightly together in parrallel formation, which was incredibly dificult to do. So dificult, in fact, that Eddie simply let his ski tips seperate, and inadvertantly producing better lift, and longer jumping distance, than if he had tried it the traditional way, with the new "split-V". His last few jumps were actually fairly decent.

The British government forbaid him from competing for them ever again, citing him as an embarasement to the UK sports movement (or some such). Too bad. He's always been somewhat of a hero to me...

Last I heard he was bankrupt (though this was a few years ago.) Pity - we need characters like him at the forefront of life to remind us all to try even where we fail.

I know exactly what he's up to - read it just minutes ago when I was sitting on the loo...

From this week's Private Eye (small ads) "Christmas Gift! From skiing WITH EDDIE THE EAGLE" (Their caps).

Chris

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_the_Eagle_(film)

I met him last year. He was a guest at a local science fiction convention.

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