March 02, 2003
Namaste Noble Warriors!
i interupt this regularly scheduled new entry into DIRECT LINES
in order to invoke a 48-hour tribute to 22 year-old Johnny Spillane
of Steamboat Springs, CO
who, this month, over in Italy, became the first American
to win an World Championship Nordic Combined Medal
and the first American in 22 years
to win a World Championship Nordic Medal.
So, here is to Johnny Spillane, baby,
on behalf of old Nordic racing farts like myself who struggled to represent
the United States in the worlds most difficult sport - Nordic Ski Racing -
ilg says,
"YEAH,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Johnny won a GOLD FRIGGIN' MEDAL in the Nordic Combined Sprint!
In the morning of the Championships, Johnny jumped on the Large Hill to 4th place,
then,
in the afternoon during the 7.5 kilometer Freestyle (cross country, skate style) event,
it was,
See Johnny cross country ski?
Ski Johnny ski!
See Johnny kick Scandanavian ass?!?!!?!??!?!
Kick it Johnny, you go kick that Norwegian, Austrian, Italian, Finland, Swedish, German, et. al., ASS!!!!!!!
YEAH BABY, YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See that podium?
That is Spillane on the top spot!
okay,
phew.
geez.
wow.
Johnny Spillane...
ilg bows to you.
thank you for the Gold, baby!
wow.
Gold
in
Nordic.
Hell has now officially frozen over in Scandanavia
and the Devil in Charge goes by the name of Spillane
maybe feeble ilg comes out of retirement to
race with Spillane in the 4 x 10 Nordic Relays in the Olympics?
you see Johnny, you see what happens when you are brave enough
to "jump" into your Highest dreams?
you inspire everybody Higher!
poor Europe.
they got Lance winning their bicycle races
now they got Johnny Spillane winning their Nordic races
Bode Miller winning their Alpine races...
Agassi and the Williams sisters taking their tennis competitions
and Tiger feasts upon their treasured golfing titles...
oh well..
guess that leaves Europe with...uh...
rugby,
i guess.
cricket anyone?
you gotta love American athletes,
we are scrappy sonsabitches
if nothing else.
thank you Johnny...
i just wish ALL NATIONS would fight out wars
with skis and bikes
instead of missiles and bombs.
Oh, and thank you NBC for choosing to air
the Nordic World Championships.
anyway, i'm feeling stoked and just wanted to share the moment with you all.
check back in a couple days...my book cover photo shoot was TOTALLY COOL and
photographer Wayne Williams (www.waynewilliamstudio.com)
and his crew did a FANTASTIC JOB! i'll tell you about it next update
along with NEW STUDENT INPUT and much, much more!
enjoy the breath
and train hard to find the Softness,
coach ilg
{note: steve ilg has 2 Nordic Combined National Championships to his list of national class competitions in several outdoor sports}