Ray Edlund distinguished himself to the sport of ski jumping with commitment and dedication at the local, national and international levels.

Ray became involved with the St. Paul Ski Club in the early 1970’s. His friendly, outgoing nature earned him respect among skiers of all ages. He participated in club meetings, in an official capacity at ski tournaments, as a coach during training and at work parties.

Ray was voted to the St. Paul Ski Club Board of Directors and served as president for three terms. Ray was very active in the 100th Anniversary Committee in 1984-85.

Ray was “always available” and traveled many miles transporting junior participants to out-of-town tournaments. He was an encouraging individual who instilled confidence in junior ski club members. He was a good listener and a positive influence as he exhorted young jumpers to larger hills and greater challenges.

His involvement in the sport of ski jumping led him to an acquaintance with Minneapolis Ski Club member Ed Brisson. The two became close friends which led to numerous trips throughout Europe. Ray became the video tape photographer of the US National team. He traveled extensively to film local, national and international competitions on all levels.

Though his travels took him to ski jumping capitals throughout the world, Ray never relinquished his roots. He returned often to share his experiences and show his video tapes to the junior ski club members. His abundant experiences proved to be valuable training tools for numerous young competitors.

If not for his untimely death in 1988, it can be intuitively stated that Ray’s dedication to the skiing fraternity would continue to be a positive influence on local, national and international levels.

His sudden passing left a void in the nordi ski community, but especially impacted the members of the junior ski jumping fraternity to which he dedicated so much of his time and efforts.