graduated from high school in 2002

now majoring in business

his cousin Adam was a successfull nordic combiner, is now a coach with the NSF

loves fast cars, golfing, scandinavia and "Zoolander"

going to the Cayman Islands with his girlfriend sounds like a perfect vacation to him

started at the age of 5 with SSWSC

enjoys the jumps in Kuusamo, Planica, Stams and Oberhof most

was named to the U.S. Development Team 4 times

suffered from several concusions, a broken collar bone (Aug. 2000), had arthoscopics on both knees

February 2000: world cup debut in Iron Mountain, MI

2001: competed in the FIS Junior World Championships

January 2002: wins his first COC in Westby, WI

2002: Olympic Team member

2003: personal record of 178 m in Planica/SLO

Summer 2003: best U.S. competitor in FIS Summer Grand Prix

2003/2004: wins U.S. Super Tour overall

2004: attended ski flying world championships in Planica/SLO

Summer 2004: good results in Super Tour events in Chicago, Park City and Lake Placid

December 2004: COC-trip to Finland, top70 and top60 results in Rovaniemi and Lahti

January 2005: 2nd and 4th in Lake Placid, NY, Super Tour, 38th and 44th in COC Sapporo/JPN

February 2005: 22nd and 25th COC Westby, WI, 20th and 27th COC Iron Mountain, MI

March 2005: wins Super Tour Overall Ranking 2004/2005

U.S. ski jumping: "The whole thing with the lack of popularity of ski jumping is really difficult to get motivated. People see us as dare devils, not athletes, and that is very difficult."

SLC '02 (before): "After we show the world who we are at SLC 2002, than we will be getting somewhere."

SLC '02 (afterwards): "Damn it! Actually having the best season of my life, making improvements and getting better and better, getting to the Olympics and then having a couple of good jumps in the training and then drop way, way, way down what I wanted to do. That was really hard... the experience you've been training for, you've been dreaming of and then watch yourself pretty much fail what you wanted to do."

summer training: "I always love getting going again with training because it makes me get excited about jumping and the season to come."

being named to the National Team 02/03: "I am really happy to have performed well enough to be on the national team last season. Not only does it bring a new level to my training and jumping, but it is better for me mentally as well. I couldn't choose two other guys that I would rather travel all season with. So that is good for me, as well as Alan and Clint."

private life, family and being homesick: "For me my really, really close friends are outside of ski jumping. I take any chance to go home to see my friends and to see my family. I definately like what I am doing, I've always done this, I'm used to it and I like it. Sometimes if I wanna go home I can talk to Alan and we fly home... we did that a couple of weeks ago and it was good, only for a night we went home."

motivation: "I guess, it's the fact, that you know you can go better and when you have one better jump you're like "Oh" and you keep climbing up until you're jumping 220m or winning world cups. That's all our goal and that's what we've been thinking about for the last ten years."

Kari Yliantila (in summer '02): "I think Kari is probably the best coach in the world, with his knowledge of the sport, the equipment and stuff."

Riku Äyri: "He's a really nice guy. The only thing that we ever had a problem with relationship-wise, was that we were too close. It was hard for him to give us criticism about our jumping, it was uncomfortable for him and uncomfortable for us to take it."

not making it onto the 03/04 team: "It was a little bit expected just because of how the last season went. I can't expect to be on the team if the results aren't there."

Jimmy Denney: "He's from the mid-west so he got a different kind of lifestyle, a different personality. This guy is fun to be around, he's nice and never negative. I can't really complain..."

Alborn's retirement plans (in '02): "A rising tide lifts all the boats, and he's been rising. It would hurt us more than anyone would know. We can stand and watch him train and see his focus. We don't have a chance to watch the Germans or Finns."