Just in case anybody of you doesn’t know yet: ski jumping is about the coolest sport ever. At least we Austrians think like that. That’s why we are sponsor of four young, talented ski jumpers this year: Florian Schabereiter (19, Junior World Champion with the Austrian team), Andreas Strolz (22), Manuel Poppinger (21) and Björn Koch (17) – a nephew of ski jumping legend Ernst Vettori by the way. The four of them have visited us just before the start of the new season. We seized the opportunity and did an interview: Gerhild was posing the questions, Peter proved to be an experienced video-clip-maker. Here’s the result and a translation of the video:
Hello and welcome to the PEZ blog. We have four very special guests here today – that is four young ski jumpers. PEZ will sponsor these four in this season.
How did it all start? What gave you the idea of starting with ski jumping?
Andreas Strolz: I started with ski racing – that was the first sports career I followed. And then Toni Innauer (former Olympic champion, trainer and ski-jumping manager) did a talent contest.
Florian Schabereiter: I thought that this would suit me, because when skiing as a child I did more of jumping than cruising down the hills regularly.
Manuel Poppinger: Well, that was by coincidence really. I was not very sporty as a child. I tried one sport after the other, sometimes I didn’t do any sports at all. Then, one day, my mother saw this poster, saying “young 'eagles' wanted”.
Björn Koch: Well, you know, all my uncles were ski-jumpers, also on my father’s side. So it was quite natural I chose a similar career.
What’s so fascinating about ski-jumping?
Florian: When jumping, you have no thoughts at all – it’s like a blank in your head: you don’t have any worries, you don’t think about anything – you only float through the air. The feeling is undescribable.
Manuel: When I’m up on the hill, I do the jump and I’m pleased when I’m down because I’m contend with my performance – that’s great, that’s what I love about ski-jumping.
What do you think whilst jumping?
Manuel: Ski jumping is just a movement memorized in the brain. You don’t think anything.
Andreas: I try to do each jump as if it was my first one. That is, without any affliction. And I always try to get the maximum out of a jump.
Björn: As long as you are up, sitting on the bar, you think about whether you have fastened everything correctly, whether you haven’t forgotten anything. Once you start going, you don’t think anything – you try to concentrate on the jump. It’s only when you cross the finish line, you start thinking normally again.
What are your aims for this season?
Florian: The first focus is on the Junior World Championship. And then there will be the Four Hills Tournament (in Germany and Austria). That’s the perfect opportunity to get recommended for the World Championship in Oslo.
Andreas: I would like to get admitted to the World Cup in Engelberg (Switzerland) and then be allowed to start at the Four Hills Tournament as World Cup jumper.
Björn: Well, my focus will be on the Junior World Championship. And then I would absolutely love to be allowed to start at the Four Hills Tournament in the national team.
Manuel: I absolutely want to be on top of the Continental Cup, I would like to get admitted to World Cup competitions – and then – let’s see what’s next.
Do you have any role models?
Florian: I try to adopt things from a lot of top people.
Björn: My grandfather, the father of Ernst Vettori, he really is one of my role models. He is aged 76 now and still very actively involved in ski jumping. He still visits all the competitions. And he still is a great trainer.
Manuel: I have a lot of role models and I adopt one point or the other from each. But I don’t have one concrete role model.
Andreas: When I have a role model and keep to it, I can only get as good as this role model. To get the best one, you have to surpass your idols. That should be my aim.
What does it mean to you, that PEZ is your sponsor?
Manuel: I relate PEZ with my childhood. I grew up with PEZ, had a lot of PEZ at home. You return to childhood – that’s just great!
Florian: PEZ is a cult brand, everybody knows it. It’s great fun to present oneself with this brand!
Andreas: It’s really fantastic. It’s a brand that’s cool, young but nonetheless cult. Children as well as 80 year old people – everybody knows PEZ. You are part of the time – I think it’s brilliant.
Björn: PEZ as sponsor – it’s just so cool.
