Most people learn how to ski jump at a very young age—after all, it's a very technical sport like gymnastics and takes years to perfect and be able to successfully jump the large hills. Therefore, most people don't even attempt to do it recreationally. But, that doesn't mean you can't. Ruth Winick has, and loves it as a wonderful sport to do recreationally and share with her family all year round (there is jumping on plastic in the summertime). Congrats to Ruth, for trying something new and sharing her story!

My oldest son (12 years old) and I started ski jumping 7 months ago with Norge Ski Training Center. It's actually the oldest ski jumping club in the country. It was started by a bunch of wacky Norwegians who worked in Chicago and wanted to have a place to jump. It's located in Fox River Grove, IL. I live in Lake Forest, IL, both are suburbs of Chicago. It takes us about an hour to get there (rush hour) and a half an hour to get home. I'm orginally from Minnesota (a proud American/Scandinavia like the whole state). We had a ski hill where I grew up, but often went to Minneapolis to Afton and Buck—and like every Minnesotan would skip the warm trip so that we could ski out West. After finishing college I moved to Chicago to go to graduate school, got married, had 2 boys now (9 and 12) and we have, every year gone skiing out West. We try to ski around here but of course it sucks. So I had to think of a way to be on skis year round—and being on skis during the summer was an even sweeter proposition. My kids are both good skiers but the older one has real coordination so I thought what the hell (I got my black-belt in tae kwon do a year ago as well). We started in the summer and after a few weeks we got to jump on plastic. If you've seen Vanessa Pierce's video, you'll know that the grass is like a freakin' brick wall if you don't immediately sit and grab the backs of your skis. I might start my 9 year old this summer.

Even though I was bleeding (at the knees) and horribly bruised, it gave me such surprising joy. I mean real joy. So I kept doing it (my son has fallen less than 5 times in 7 months and he's on the 25 meter, too—a real freak of nature the coaches say—and now I'm jumping the 25 meter and I can see the 45 meter in the near future. I don't fall on the 25 and I have started serious gym training for my legs—quick twitch. I have so much more to say about the subject: Lindsey Van friended me and we've had a few exchanges, she encouraged me to keep doing it. I love SheJumps— grew up with all brothers so I have really high expectations for women (they must kick ass!) and this group is like a God send. It's also just gross how much attention celebrities get and in my mind I'm thinking (you suck, what do you do...really?).

So I started ski jumping after being so desperate to ski and missing downhill so much (I have to get on schedule for that again) and just knowing I could do this, that I must do this. And I really do love it—you have to love it in order to keep going. Ski jumping is decidely, NOT for wimps!! —Ruth Winick (we call her the ski jumper, shejumper, and awesome mom)