Women Need Not Apply

cbs ^ | 2-6-06

[LouAvul]

Growing up on the side of a mountain in ski-crazy Park City, Utah, didn't hurt. Lindsay Van says she couldn’t help falling in love with ski jumping. Now Van is a 21-year-old University of Utah student with a passion – and undeniable talent – for jumping off mountains at highway speeds.

Her coach, Casey Colby, trains Van almost every day, and estimates Van has jumped 13,000 times in her life off of Olympic-sized hills. It’s paid off: Van is ranked second in the world in women’s ski jumping.

But Van won’t be jumping next month in the Torino Olympics. Nor will the three other American women who are ranked in the top 10 of women’s ski jumpers in the world. Ski jumping is the only Olympic sport that doesn’t allow women to compete.

Van’s teammate, Alissa Johnson, who comes from a ski family (her father is a coach and her 16-year-old brother is one of America’s best ski jumpers and qualified for Olympic competition), is ranked ninth in the world. She tells CBS News.com that while she never felt entitled to go to the Olympics, she always wanted it to be an option.

"It hurts me to think that someday I won’t have a medal I deserved, an Olympic run I deserved, or be in a world championship, just because I’m a woman," Johnson said.

[LouAvul]

Ski jumping is the only Olympic sport that doesn’t allow women to compete.

Let me guess. This article will be the catalyst to change all that.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Are the not allowed to compete, or is it just that there isn't a women-specific competition?

[Mulch]

I'm sure she thinks of herself as a man. So technically, she's not a woman.

[Onelifetogive]

Ski jumping is the only Olympic sport that doesn’t allow women to compete.

Personally, I can't wait for the Summer Olympics and the Men's Balance Beam...

[jazusamo]

This must be the precursor of Title 9 for the Olympics.

[F16Fighter]

"And the sign said long-haired freaky people...need not apply."

~ 'Signs," 1971 ~

[Arthalion]

Honestly, this says it all:

"Actually, they are all jumping, but not all are really jumping. Six or seven of them are really jumping," Casper said in a telephone interview. "There are a few really jumping, but a few, in very few nations." More than 120 women from 14 countries are registered with the International Federation of Skiing as ski jumpers, and nearly half of them are qualified to compete internationally — ski jumping boasts more seasoned competitors than women's bobsleigh and skeleton had when added to the 2002 games.

Unlike the millions of female ice skaters worldwide, the nearly billion who have strapped on skis at some point, the hundreds of thousands who participate in luge, or even the thousands who have tried their hands at curling, the total number of women who seriously attempt ski jumping is only 120. Of those, what percentage are actually any good? If they hold with other sports, the percentage is amazingly small. So they want the olympics to spend tens of millions of dollars so a dozen women can compete? It's understandable why the IOC says no.

I have no problem with female ski jumping becoming an olympic sport WHEN IT'S READY. If these women really want to see jumping in the olympics, they'd be better off focusing their energy on trying to convince more female competetive skiers to join up first. Get a good pool of competitive athletes built up, and THEN try to get the IOC to approve it as a sport. I gurantee that if a five hundred of the top female skiers in the world ALL ask for female jumping to be included, it WILL get included.

[MotleyGirl70]

Ski jumping is the only Olympic sport that doesn’t allow women to compete.

Yet they let the women compete in the giant slalom and freestyle aerials.

It won't be long before women will be able to compete for gold in ski jumping.

[MotleyGirl70]

Good song :)

[laney]

My cousins husband *Daryl Rawls* is in this winter's olympics he's pretty awesome, they live in Truckee CA.

[F16Fighter]

"Good song :)"

Wow -- you've heard of 'Signs'? That was a hippies-days tune.

I'm impressed...

"Sign said ya gotta have a membership card to get inside -- HUUH!" :-)

[arasina]

I don't get your affection for that song. I always thought it was stupid. 'course, I'm older than both of you so that could account for the taste gap. :o)

[F16Fighter]

"I don't get your affection for that song. I always thought it was stupid. 'course, I'm older than both of you so that could account for the taste gap. :o)"

Lol, anything you couldn't dance to was on your "stupid" list. The words and meaning were symbolic at the time (you oughta know having been "there" at the time), and song was...far out ;-)

BTW, it came out the same year as 'Maggie May.'

['Signs,' The Five Man Electrical Band)

"And the sign says "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"

So I put my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why

He said you look like a fine outstanding young man, I think you'll do

So I took off my hat, I said "Imagine that, huh, me working for you"

[Chorus:] Signs, signs, everywhere there's a sign

Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

And the sign says "Anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight"

So I jumped the fence and I yelled at the house

Hey! What gives you the right!

To put up a fence and keep me out, or to keep Mother Nature in

If God was here, he'd tell it to your face, man, you're some kind of sinner

[Chorus]

Oh, say now mister, can't you read

You got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat

You can't watch, no you can't eat, you ain't supposed to be here

And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" - uh!

[Solo]

And the sign says "Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray"

But then they passed around a plate at the end of it all

And I didn't have a penny to pay

So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign

I said, "Thank you Lord for thinking 'bout me, I'm alive and doing fine", oh..."

[arasina]

Lol, anything you couldn't dance to was on your "stupid" list.

Young man, I'll have you know 'Maggie May' was worth listening to even though it wasn't actually dance-to-able music. I even know the WORDS to it. But then, I know the words to a lot of Rod's songs. LOL

[AmishDude]

It's not clear that they are actually banning women from competing with men, but that's not what they are pushing for. They want a separate competition.

If women are allowed to have separate rules and are allowed to compete in a different pool, then where is short-guy basketball? And marathons by weight class?

It's only fair.

[F16Fighter]

"Young man, I'll have you know 'Maggie May' was worth listening to even though it wasn't actually dance-to-able music. I even know the WORDS to it."

Whoa -- ALL the words? SHOCKING! " :-D

Hmmm, Madam, way back then did you have to "walk miles to school"?? (tee-hee)

And how about, 'You Wear It Well'? That came out only a year later in '72.

[arasina]

Whoa -- ALL the words? SHOCKING! " :-D

Well, I can sing along with it in its entirety. I don't think we'll include it in my portfolio or anything. LOL

[Dashing Dasher]

BASH BASH BASH BASH BASH


PING!!

[Xenalyte]

I hate "Maggie May" almost - but not quite - as much as I hate "Free Bird."

[bannie]

Jump with the men if they qualify.

It's not like they need separate restrooms to jump.