April 1, 2020
The Vertical Challenge announced today that tour founder Frank Tansey will try to set a new world record for ski jumping distance next month. Tansey will attempt the feat to raise awareness of the Cynthia’s Challenge charity.
“I’ve always been a lot better ski jumper than people realize,” said the grizzled yet dynamic Tansey. “In my youth, I won gold three years running at the Tansey Springs Bingo Bash and Nordic Skiing Mashup.”
Austrian jumper Stefan Kraft holds the current record of 253.5 meters, set in 2017 at Vikersundbakken in Vikersund, Norway.
The most important part of the whole endeavor, according to Tansey, will not be to break Kraft’s record.
“The main reason I’m doing this is to make people aware of the need for donations to Cynthia’s Challenge,” Tansey said. “We had to cancel our 24-hour ski-a-thon that is the main fundraiser for them. We need the public’s support more than ever in order to help reach our goal of raising $65,000 for a wheelchair accessible van for Evelynn Bunnell.”
Those interested in donating can learn more at cynthiaschallenge.org.
The attempt will be held on a closed course at Mount Looflirpa. No spectators will be permitted at the event, in observance of CDC guidelines. In fact, nobody else will be allowed on the course at all, according to Tansey, in the name of “safety.” Tansey will announce after the jump if he did, in fact, break the record, once he’s had a chance to mark it off with his tape measure.
“I feel like this is the ultimate in social distancing,” said Tansey, employing the everyman sense of humor for which he is known.
Though observing “shelter-in-place” directives have made training more difficult, the longtime Vertical Challenge executive still feels ready for his big moment.
“I’ve been jumping on and off my couch a lot. I’m actually a lot more aerodynamic than I look,” he said. “My diet has consisted solely of Stonyfield yogurt products, Aloha energy bars, and bubly sparkling water. I’ll be in tip-top shape.”
For more information on the Vertical Challenge, and other fun Frank Tansey has created, visit ski-vc.com.
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