Categories: Sports
Gloversville native Jack Johnston, a three-time world freestyle champion who died tragically in 1990, will be honored Sunday as part of the annual open house at the Royal Mountain Ski Area.
A New York state historical marker commemorating Johnston’s first recognized flip on snow will be unveiled at 2 p.m. The open house will run from 1-4.
“Jumpin’ Jack,” the son of Dick and Peg Johnston, the owners of the Northward Inn on Route 29A in Caroga Lake, became interested in aerials through the encouragement of Walt Lane, his diving coach at the Gloversville YMCA, and he also worked with Walt VanBrocklin Jr., the YMCA’s physical director who supervised Johnston during gymnastic competition.
Johnston was a superb all-around athlete. He swam competitively for the Gloversville YMCA’s travel team, and became a renowned diver, gymnast, trampolinist and skier.
Johnston’s father built a professional ski ramp at the family’s summer home on Lake Algonquin, and Johnston would spend the summer coming off the ramp and landing in the lake, a practice that is common with freestyle skiers today.
Johnston’s first flip on snow took place on Royal Mountain’s “Challenge” trail, which became his home away from home.
“I used to stand next to the ‘Challenge’ and watch him, and just think, ‘Holy cow,’ ” said current Royal Mountain owner Jim Blaise.
During his senior year in high school, Johnston joined the International Freestyle Skiers Association, and, at the age of 17 and with his brother, Michael, as his manager, took part in his first aerial competition at Berkshire East Ski Resort in Massachusetts. He took first place overall, earning $650, and his career was launched.
Competing all over the world, Johnston won his first world freestyle championship in 1976. Early in his career, Johnston had to rely on local Fulton County leather mills and car dealers for financial support, but once he won the worlds, he scored endorsement deals for Rossignol skis, Nordica boots and Solomon bindings, and he relocated to Utah, the epicenter of the skiing world.
Johnston won two more world championships, in 1977 and 1978. He underwent reconstructive knee surgery in 1979, but returned in 1980 to place first overall in the British Columbia World Cup.
With sponsorship opportunities declining in the early 1980s because of insurance issues, Johnston began a successful real estate career. He also represented a number of ski equipment manufacturers and also did some modeling, appearing on the cover of the official U.S. Olympic ski team poster in 1984. His image as a freestyle skier earned him modeling work with a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Minolta Cameras, Midas Muffler and American Express, in addition to many ski ads and magazines. He was also a favorite subject for movies produced by Dick Barrymore and Warren Miller.
Johnston, who was recognized as the first skier to perform a triple flip, suffered paralyzing injuries in May 1990 when, on an outing with friends, he dove into a river in Utah and broke his neck.
One month later, one day before his 34th birthday, Johnston died of a pulmonary embolism.
Event organizer Mike Hauser of the Fulton County Sports Hall of Fame said, “We are proud to be honoring Fulton County’s only native world champion and one of the most accomplished athletes upstate N.Y. has ever produced.”
