Documentary Film: The Jump (2024) with producer Rich Hanley

The Jump Chronicles How a Small Town and Its Local Hero Saved Ski Jumping Tradition

The Jump unveils the heart-warming tale of a remote Connecticut town’s improbable campaign to preserve its cherished ski jumping tradition in the first decade of the 21st century, helped by a local hero named Roy Sherwood who triumphed over polio to compete in the 1956 Winter Olympics.

The story unfolds in Salisbury, Connecticut, a cozy, snow-globe community of 4,000 nestled between New York and Massachusetts where the Appalachian Trail crosses. In the 1920s, Norwegian immigrants arrived, bringing with them a passion for ski jumping and other Nordic sports that quickly caught on in the region. In the 21st century, however, a decaying jump cobbled together decades earlier with telephone poles and lumber in the 1950s threatened to end a tradition that had evolved from flying off a simple hill ramp into a spectacle that drew thousands to the town to marvel at ski jumpers such as Sherwood soar on skis overhead.

The one-hour documentary showcases rare archival footage, photographs and interviews with local residents and Roy Sherwood about his life, career in ski jumping and support to keep the town’s tradition going. Sherwood was interviewed for the documentary in 2012, five years before he died at 85. Narrated by Brian Smith, The Jump was produced, written, and directed by Rich Hanley, who will be in attendance. Hanley is a Professor Emeritus of Journalism at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He served as a journalist for local, national and global media for 23 years in print, television and online before joining Quinnipiac as tenured professor in 2001. He has produced, written and directed several Emmy-nominated documentaries for CPTV and PBS. His documentaries include Remember When, The Flood of ‘55, The 1964 World’s Fair, UCONN Men’s Basketball: An Illustrated History, and Last Days of the Coliseum, among others. 

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