A Ski Jumper's Life & Legacy - Gus Raaum

For Gustav Raaum, every day was a good day, but March 3, 1946 had to be one of his best. On that day, more than 100,000 spectators, including the Norwegian Royal family, gathered at the Holmenkollen ski jumping competition in Oslo. It was the first competition since the end of the Nazi occupation. All over Norway, people huddled by their radios, listening to the World Series of Ski Jumping.Gus put on his skis and entered the start. Gazing down at the snowy woodlands, the crowds and that steep white run, little did he know he was about to plunge into world skiing history and become a national hero. That flight would land him on the Norwegian Ski team and eventually into a new country and a new life. This is a story about a Scandinavian immigrant who lived the American dream: a star athlete, a world-class education, and a successful business career. But for this humble man, what brought him the greatest pride was his wife, Claire, and the family they built together.