Gary Sparpana - Class of 2026

(Iron Mountain)

A noted ski jumper in the 1960’s, Gary Sparpana won the 1967 Junior Class National Championship in Leavenworth, Washington. Three weeks later, he was a double winner in Junior Class at Pine Mountain. He landed a berth on the 1968-69 U.S. Ski Team, but in the summer of 1969 he was drafted into the Army and was sent to Vietnam, which ended his ski jumping career. Sparpana became a national ski jump judge in 1978 and in 1985, became an international FIS (International Ski Federation) judge. His FIS assignments took him to eight countries to officiate 69 Continental Cup tournaments, seven World Cup tournaments, seven ski-flying competitions, and 10 national championships. The highlights of his 29-year career included judging the prestigious four-hill competitions in Germany and Austria, and being named Chief of Officials for the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City Utah. Sparpana was inducted into the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame in Red Wing, MN in 2012.