GOVERNMENT CAMP — The late afternoon fog was no deterrent for ambitious
skiers on the Mount Hood Skibowl’s jump hill.

Gabe Bertell — a former ski racer and a parent of a Mount Hood Race Team J-
7 racer — soared 72 feet to capture first place in the Feb. 11 event that
commemorated the 80th year of open competition on the Skibowl slopes.

Among the intrepid was Drew Jackson — Fox 12 (KPTV) meteorologist and ski
writer — who had never jumped before.

“I felt like I had to come out because I didn’t know when I’d get another
opportunity to ski jump,” Jackson said.

He carefully watched other jumpers before he journeyed to the top of the hill.
He described his first jump as “terrifying” but said the second and third jumps
were progressively more fun.

Showing steady improvement, Jackson traveled 20 feet on his initial jump,
improved to 40 feet on the second try and finished with a 61-footer that was
good enough for 10th place.

Second-place honors were garnered by Petr Kakes — operator of the Olympic
Ski School at Skibowl and a former Olympic skier — who traveled 69 feet.
One foot behind in third place was Greg Knutson, a father of a J-4 MHRT Mitey
Might racer.

Of the 15 jumpers, the average distance traveled was 60 feet.

Don Murray, an Air Force para-rescue medic, was staying in Government
Camp with other airmen and decided to participate as a walk-up. Despite
limited skiing ability, he was a crowd favorite. Murray managed a 25-foot
leap, followed by a lengthy slide on his backside down the rest of the hill.

The top three jumpers were presented with trophies during a ceremony and
social at Multorpor Lodge, hosted by Kirk Hanna, owner of Skibowl.

“It was a fun event that we look forward to repeating,” Hanna said. “The
jumpers enjoyed it and so did the crowd that gathered to watch.”

All participants received commemorative “Come Fly with Us” awards and
souvenir ski bibs.

The rest of the field included former and current Mitey Mite and Junior racers,
several parents, a ski coach, a member of the ski patrol and a walk-up jumper
who cagily represented himself as a member of the “Central Florida Ski
Team.”

Other finishers included: Ted Robbins, 65 feet; Alex Collison, 64 feet; Steve
Sarich, 63 feet; Jordan Air, 62 feet; Nick Thomas, 62 feet; Johnny Meeks, 61
feet; Drew Jackson, 61 feet; Izzy Raitt, 60 feet; Emily Sarich, 54 feet; Greg
Hamlin, 48 feet; and James Cory, 39 feet.

Proceeds from the competition were presented to the Mount Hood Race Team.
MHRT parent volunteers staffed the jump hill during the two-hour event.