Norm Cummings

From Edward Little High School to the Ed Sullivan Show Norm Cummings excelled as Maine’s premier ski jumper. He started winning ski jump competitions as a member of legendary Zeke Dwelley ski teams that won state ski titles in 1950, 51 and 52, and Eastern titles in 1951 and 52. In his senior year in 1952 he won everything is sight, the Maine Interscholastic crown, the Eastern Interscholastic title and the Maine Class B championship. In 1953 he added the Eastern US Prep School Championship and the Eastern ski jumping Championship.

His ski jumping prowess led him to Middlebury College one of the country’s top schools in NCAA ski competition. Through college he continued to compete at all levels, in 1954 winning the Class B State Open Championship in Rumford with the longest jumps for both class A and B. This and other success gave him a shot at the Olympic Trials in 1955 at Iron Mountain, Michigan. That same winter he made a guest appearance on the John Cameron Swayzey News show with live night jumping also at Iron Mountain. The following year he jumped for the Arthur Godfrey Show on the Olympic Hill at Lake Placid, N.Y.

During his senior year at Middlebury he won the Eastern Intercollegiate jumping crown and in the process set a new hill record at Lyndonville, VT. That year he earned All American honors for his performances in NCAA competition. Through his career he was invited to jumping tryouts for Olympic and World Championship teams five times. Although he never was named to those teams he was ranked among the top jumpers in the United States for from 1954 to 1960. In 1957 the top ten US jumpers were invited to jump live on stage on the Ed Sullivan Show and Cummings was among the group. He continued to compete as a member of the National Special Ski Jumping Squad until 1960 and in 1960 and 61 won the State Class A Open Championship.

When his competitive days ended, Norm’s interest in the sport didn’t end. Because of his ability as a jumper he was valued by high school coaches and assisted in developing many younger jumpers helping them to achieve their full potential. His knowledge of the sport was further utilized as a judge at various events, a position that calls for split second decisions during the short time a jumper is in the air.

In a career that stretched from the late forties to the mid sixties he won more State Open Ski Jumping titles than anyone before or since, making him one of the finest jumpers ever to come out of the state of Maine. His achievements on the jumping hill and contributions to developing young jumpers have earned Norm Cummings a place in the Maine Ski Hall of Fame.