Jon Aaraas
Encyclopedia
Jon Aaraas is a retired Norwegian ski jumper. He debuted in the World Cup
in 2005 in Pragelato
, where he finished 26th. He was on the Norwegian Four Hills Tournament
team in the 2006–07 World Cup. However, he competed mostly in the Continental Cup
.
, he grew up in the neighborhood Holmenkollen
, and was introduced to ski jumping in kindergarten by a father who had seen him jump there. He joined the sports club Ready
, training under the regional ski jumping umbrella team Kollenhopp.
, the second highest level of international ski jumping, with a fourteenth place in Seefeld
on 1 January 2003. Around that time he was considered among the best junior ski jumpers in Norway, However, three days after Seefeld he only managed to finish 50th in Bischofshofen
. He did not return to the Continental Cup until August the same year, and though his talent was lauded by coach Mika Kojonkoski
, a series of mid-level results followed, never reaching the top ten except for a sixth place in Sapporo in January 2004. Nonetheless, he was included as a part of the national B team. In late 2004, he recorded a sixth place in Rovaniemi
in December. This was followed by seven results among the top ten before the end of the 2004–05 season. He also made his debut in the World Cup
with a 26th place in Pragelato
in February, and later recorded a 48th place in Lillehammer
in March. He was considered for a spot in the Norwegian 2005 World Ski Championships squad, but was not actually picked.
The 2005–06 season was not successful, however, with Aaraas not placing among the top ten in the Continental Cup, and not featuring at all in the World Cup. He failed to reach the 2006 Winter Olympics
, which had been a declared goal for many years. In December 2006, though, he reached new lengths as he finished among the top eleven in three out of four Continental Cup races in Rovaniemi. For this, he was drafted onto the Norwegian team to compete in the Four Hills Tournament
around New Year. He only actually qualified for one of the four races, that of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, but returned to the World Cup circuit for various events later that winter, including one ski flying event in Vikersundbakken
.
The 2007–08 season saw Aaraas perform consistently well. He finished among the top four on four occasions in the Continental Cup, with second places from Villach
in September and Kranj
in January as the best result. Following this result, he had a World Cup run where he finished around 20th-30th six times in a row, with a nineteenth place from Zakopane as the best result. The 2008–09 season saw Aaraas mainly competing in the Continental Cup. He recorded four second places and two third places. In the 2008–09 World Cup he competed in five races and managed one 29th place as the best, in March 2009 in Kuopio
. He did not compete in the World Cup anymore. In the 2009–10 Continental Cup he came in the top ten twice, but in the 2010–11 Continental Cup he only participated in two races in December 2010 in Vikersund. In a test race in the new ski flying hill in Vikersund in February 2011, Aaraas improved his personal best from 190 to 219 metres. He subsequently retired.
Ski jumping World Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup is a ski jumping tournament held yearly by the International Ski Federation since 1979–80 season.- World Cup points :...
in 2005 in Pragelato
Pragelato
Pragelato is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km west of Turin, in the upper Val Chisone. The name Pragelato, meaning ‘icy meadow’, has been derived from the harsh climate and the fact that the ground is covered with ice for long periods...
, where he finished 26th. He was on the Norwegian Four Hills Tournament
Four Hills Tournament
The Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
team in the 2006–07 World Cup. However, he competed mostly in the Continental Cup
Ski jumping Continental Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup is arranged yearly by the International Ski Federation . It's the second-highest ski jumping season-long competition, only surpassed by the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. The cup usually consist of juniors, or jumpers who are fighting for a spot on their nation's...
.
Early life
Born in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, he grew up in the neighborhood Holmenkollen
Holmenkollen
Holmenkollen is a neighborhood in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. In addition to being a residential area, the area has been a ski recreation area since the late 19th century, with its famous, eponymous, ski jump arena hosting competitions since 1892...
, and was introduced to ski jumping in kindergarten by a father who had seen him jump there. He joined the sports club Ready
Ready (Sports club)
Idrettsforeningen Ready is a sports club in Vestre Aker, Oslo, Norway. The club was established on June 14, 1907 by Aage Blom Lorentzen.The football club play their home games at Gressbanen in Oslo. Gressbanen was the national arena for the Norwegian national football team before Ullevaal was built...
, training under the regional ski jumping umbrella team Kollenhopp.
Career
Aaraas made his debut in the Continental CupSki jumping Continental Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup is arranged yearly by the International Ski Federation . It's the second-highest ski jumping season-long competition, only surpassed by the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. The cup usually consist of juniors, or jumpers who are fighting for a spot on their nation's...
, the second highest level of international ski jumping, with a fourteenth place in Seefeld
Seefeld, Tirol
Seefeld in Tirol is a municipality of the Innsbruck-Land District in the Austrian state of Tyrol, located about northwest of Innsbruck. With more than one million overnight stays each year, it is one of the most popular Tyrolean tourist destinations especially for skiing in winter, but also for...
on 1 January 2003. Around that time he was considered among the best junior ski jumpers in Norway, However, three days after Seefeld he only managed to finish 50th in Bischofshofen
Bischofshofen
Bischofshofen is a city located in the Salzach valley in the Alps, in the District of Pongau, in Salzburgerland, Austria.The city is an important railway hub and lies at the Tauernautobahn, a highway route through the Alps....
. He did not return to the Continental Cup until August the same year, and though his talent was lauded by coach Mika Kojonkoski
Mika Kojonkoski
Mika Kojonkoski is a Finnish ski jumping coach and politician. Kojonkoski was a ski jumper himself in the 1980s, but he never reached the level of the best Finnish jumpers like Matti Nykänen...
, a series of mid-level results followed, never reaching the top ten except for a sixth place in Sapporo in January 2004. Nonetheless, he was included as a part of the national B team. In late 2004, he recorded a sixth place in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
in December. This was followed by seven results among the top ten before the end of the 2004–05 season. He also made his debut in the World Cup
Ski jumping World Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup is a ski jumping tournament held yearly by the International Ski Federation since 1979–80 season.- World Cup points :...
with a 26th place in Pragelato
Pragelato
Pragelato is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km west of Turin, in the upper Val Chisone. The name Pragelato, meaning ‘icy meadow’, has been derived from the harsh climate and the fact that the ground is covered with ice for long periods...
in February, and later recorded a 48th place in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
in March. He was considered for a spot in the Norwegian 2005 World Ski Championships squad, but was not actually picked.
The 2005–06 season was not successful, however, with Aaraas not placing among the top ten in the Continental Cup, and not featuring at all in the World Cup. He failed to reach the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, which had been a declared goal for many years. In December 2006, though, he reached new lengths as he finished among the top eleven in three out of four Continental Cup races in Rovaniemi. For this, he was drafted onto the Norwegian team to compete in the Four Hills Tournament
Four Hills Tournament
The Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
around New Year. He only actually qualified for one of the four races, that of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, but returned to the World Cup circuit for various events later that winter, including one ski flying event in Vikersundbakken
Vikersundbakken
Vikersundbakken is the only ski flying hill in the Nordic countries. With a hill and world record of 246,5 meters, Vikersundbakken is the world's largest ski jumping hill....
.
The 2007–08 season saw Aaraas perform consistently well. He finished among the top four on four occasions in the Continental Cup, with second places from Villach
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
in September and Kranj
Kranj
' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana...
in January as the best result. Following this result, he had a World Cup run where he finished around 20th-30th six times in a row, with a nineteenth place from Zakopane as the best result. The 2008–09 season saw Aaraas mainly competing in the Continental Cup. He recorded four second places and two third places. In the 2008–09 World Cup he competed in five races and managed one 29th place as the best, in March 2009 in Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
. He did not compete in the World Cup anymore. In the 2009–10 Continental Cup he came in the top ten twice, but in the 2010–11 Continental Cup he only participated in two races in December 2010 in Vikersund. In a test race in the new ski flying hill in Vikersund in February 2011, Aaraas improved his personal best from 190 to 219 metres. He subsequently retired.