An Update - Jim Ross, Husband, Father, Brother, Friend

[RazorRoss3]

Hi Ballers this is an update on Jim, or as many of you know him, the almighty and tireless @Razorskier1

 

He is my Dad, @6balls older brother, and @SlalomSteve uncle

 

The weekend of Halloween Jim had a significant 3 hour seizure event that has led to a significant set back for his health. The following Wednesday we engaged hospice and have been working with them ever since. After the seizure his left sided neuropathy and pain increased significantly and our focus has turned solely to managing that pain. When he is awake he remains lucid and is very much still himself.

 

At the onset of this diagnosis, we were given 15 months, at 20 months he was in the gym with me benching 10s at 225lbs and we are now at 46 months fighting hard and living to our fullest.

 

The below Facebook page has been set up for him for people to post, say what they would like to say, and share their memories with those who knew him from all walks of life.

 

I love you Dad, and I’m so grateful for all of the memories we have together, and for everything you’ve done for me. We’ve had a lot of fun together.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/366709643712167/?ref=share

 

[RichardDoane]

@RazorRoss3 was the very first skier behind my 2012 MC Promo that day at Radar Lake. You and your dad were in town for a college event that weekend at Borderline. Your dad made me a “Deer Slayer” sticker because of the roadkill mess on the boat bottom, running gear and trailer when it arrived from the factory. It was great to meet you and @Razorskier1 thanks to the BOS.

[Horton]

@Razorskier1 made BallOfSpray a better community. Most of you have no idea what an amazing human being he is. I'm getting a little frustrated watching cancer take the very very best of us.

[RazorRoss3]

I remember that weekend @RichardDoane

 

When people ask me about my favorite site I’ve skied my answer is always that day at Radar Lake which without fail leads to the Deer Slayer story.

[Wish]

??

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Thanks for the update Mitch. I know Jim's prognosis has been bleak (to put it mildly) for a long time. The fact that he has stood up to the odds and stayed strong for so long is a testiment to his physical, mental and spiritual strength.

 

Cancer is a bitch. Godspeed my friend @Razorskier1

[klindy]

Godspeed @Razorskier1 Cancer sucks. This literally brings me to my knees to pray for comfort.

[aupatking]

I met your dad at a Ski Watch tournament and talked to him again at the first BOS cash prize tournament in Texas. He helped me with my skiing when I was first skiing tournaments, trying to run my first 15 offs. I still remember, and try use, the tips he told me then. They are still strong fundamentals in my skiing. He is the personification of all that is good in skiing. I pray for him and for you and your family

[skidawg]

Really enjoyed meeting you and your Dad at the first BOS cash in Austin...love competing against him h2h! He is one bad ass who would never give up...sad to lose a major part of this community. ?

[The_MS]

Thinking and praying for all you guys daily. Hang in there and stay strong. We were all talking about @Razorskier1 last night. Good stories.

[Than_Bogan]

I can totally bench 225 -- with a forklift.

 

Clearly a remarkable man and a remarkable family! Keep up the fight and best of luck to all involved!

[6balls]

So many stories, so many memories. For some reason he can be intimidating--perhaps it is all of the muscles on top of muscles, but he is a big softy underneath and wow does he love skiing.

 

We know the skiing (I've pulled him thru 39), we know the endurance--I've pulled him on 30 straight 32 off passes, and also a set o 28, 32, and twelve 35's no missed buoys. That 30 straight 32's was like his third set that day--just working on some technique. He makes me better chasing him.

 

I first hand know about the lifting--I've chased him in they gym my entire life--and I'm no slouch with state and regional records. Each time I'd come back stronger and big brother would bury me. He makes me better chasing him.

 

He and Susan used to host a week-long lake party--aka "Club Ross". It was Jim's family, mine, and some close friends from the college ski team and their families. A few others on the lake who loved all that it was about would take the week off and spend it with us. There were always 3 boats to choose from, and depending on the time of day activity varied. Jim and I would be up at the crack of dawn chasing balls, then pound some eggs, fuel up and get to pulling the rest. Throw some bags, take the kids tubing and swimming in the "big deep", big meals and late night cards over keg beer. Best times of our lives with Jim and Susan in the middle of it.

 

Our friend Amy is a great photog, and she would shoot literally thousands of pics over the week and create a slideshow to music. The kids growing, the adults having a riot, every year more learned to ski almost always with Jim holding them in the water at the start. If they missed he swam his ass off to help them again.

 

We would watch that slide show each year just before everyone left the "Club" for home. Jim and I would cry like babies through that entire thing--tears of hearfelt joy. Thank you Amy for all the pics!

 

My family had the shortest drive, and usually left last having given hugs to all. Jim and I would try to avoid the emotions til it was time for a hug, sunglasses on a and a big crusher of a hug from big Jim...puddles of tears...hard to catch a breath. Two brothers, best friends, ski buddies, lifting buddies, confidants...kindred souls. He still makes me better chasing him.

 

[6balls]

 

[thager]

 

[6balls]

 

[6balls]

 

[6balls]

Some Skiwatch humor. Chad Hunter announcing says: "I see the Ross boys are here, they have a truck movin' contest set up for after the skiing today between 'em. You just feel free to park your trucks behind the pavillion here...and they'll make sure to carry 'em back for ya".

Here is a link for a 2018 event where Jim was honored.

 

https://www.humortofightthetumor.org/event/2018-humor-to-fight-the-tumor-event/#

 

The video package focuses on each of the honorees...Jim included. Good stuff of Jim with his family.

[The_MS]

Fun times at Ski Watch a few years back

 

[thager]

I love mathematics!

[RazorRoss3]

@The_MS I love that picture, Minnesota invades Florida

 

@thager, as it relates to mathematics, it’s good that you can have a love for even without an understanding of ;)

[Wish]

Great times. Prayers your way. ?

 

[lpskier]

Great photo. @Wish. I know the face, but am struggling for a name of the fellow in the white shirt

[thager]

Looks like that damn Marine A-6 snorkel driver O.B. aka George Obser to me!!

[thager]

@RazorRoss3 My dad was a math teacher, I had to understand it! As you recall, we were trying to show how much we loved @Horton digitally!

 

[bananaron]

@6balls @Razorskier1 @RazorRoss3 May the good Lord be with you and your families during this most difficult time.Remember you will always have the beautiful memories and moments that last forever.I lost my dad to cancer and know how difficult it is to watch.GOD BLESS YOU ALL.........

[RazorRoss3]

Yesterday afternoon I read the comments from this post to my Dad. Our entire family appreciates the support from this community and my Dad enjoyed hearing your posts and selling the pictures shared.

[KKelly]

@RazorRoss3 I joined BOS about 6 years ago when I started skiing again. I so much enjoyed reading the posts from @Razorskier1 @6balls and you. You grew up in a family skiing together and that is something I wish I had had. Your dad and your family are in my prayers.

Kevin

[matthewbrown]

I don’t know him but have been motivated by the bits and pieces I hear about him fighting hard. He is a stranger that helped me, I can think of no greater gift.

[Skoot1123]

So many prayers from here. Thanks @RazorRoss3 for posting. I have been thinking about your dad and family this whole time and have been wondering how things were going. Just know that we are pulling for you. Many prayers and thoughts your way.

[Oldkier]

Just to let you know all of us river rats from Kentucky are sending our love and prayers.

Your uncle Joe skied with us when he lived in Cincinnati and would tell us great stories about your dad.

[Kelvin]

Sending prayers from Texas. I remember meeting @RazorRoss3 when he moved to Texas for a brief stint. He had such a passion for skiing. Y'all are all welcome to come down in the spring for some warm weather skiing.

[teammalibu]

Jim you prolly don't know most of the Cedar Ridge ski family but you are in our thoughts and prayers! I personally feel lucky to have had the chance to hang with the Ross boys!

[kurtis500]

Wow, so sorry. Prayers for you all

[mike_mapple]

I really Enjoyed talking with him when he came down to ski with us at the lake, Great guy!! prayers go out to you and your family!

 

 

[RazorRoss3]

Thanks @mike_mapple, I know that those visits were some of his favorite ski trips.

 

His favorite ski of all time was the Mapple 6.0, and subsequently it was my favorite ski after he made the mistake of letting me ride it.

 

The last season he skied was 2017, he found a used 6.0 and skied it the full season running several 35s and a number of 38s after his diagnosis. I still ski on his original 6.0 and have his second on standby as my backup.

[6balls]

He did love that Mapple. Dude ran 38 on lots of skis--was good at ski set-up--great guy to steal skis or settings from! Who runs 38's after having brain surgery--Jim does.

[Wish]

There needs to be a better then “awesome” button.

 

@Horton dont know if you are still doing “Hall of Famers” but here’s one.

[Sasquatch]

I’m Jim’s brother, Joe.

Mitch started this entire post saying that some of you may remember him “as the almighty and tireless @Razorskier1 .”

 

As a testament to his endurance, in November of 2014 he sent me this text:

 

Well, October 31st was my last ski day. Skied 31 passes in two sets, including twenty-eight 35s (I missed one cuz I was daydreaming).

 

For the year, skied a total of 111 days in the slalom course,

218 sets accounting for a total of 1,906 passes (9 pass average set).

Total buoys of 11,436 not including partial passes. (There were an awful lot of 4 and 5 scores at 38 in there, along with a bunch of 2 at 39 scores as well.)

 

By rope length, the counts for the year were:

-28 263

-32 893

-35 488

-38 64

 

At 39.5-off I had 31 attempts but the best score was 3. That will get better next year, I assure you!

 

The next summer he completed his first 39.5 pass in practice!

 

He was a great inspiration, both on and off the water. Here’s to Razorskier1... the man, the myth, the legend... often imitated, never duplicated!

[Nautique99]

It’s been awesome reading these stories, seeing pictures, and gaining some perspective on the impact that Jim had on other people. As his nephew, I know the person he has always been – so, while I’m not “surprised” to see that he has affected others, it has been really cool to see it echo in this forum.

 

As it relates to skiing, I’ll always remember his patience and encouragement in teaching beginners. He spent COUNTLESS hours behind the wheel pulling nieces, nephews, cousins, friends. (@6balls did too for that matter). I remember days when we were out there ALL afternoon – me, as a kid, just trying to get a deep water start on a slalom ski. We’d go, I’d fall, he’d circle around. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Never lost his patience, only offered coaching tips and words of encouragement.

 

Now that I’ve been fortunate enough to own a boat and spend more time on the water, I try to pay that forward. I can proudly say, as of last summer, my wife is now a skier too. (And even though I was her coach, she didn’t even try to kill me once!) I also got my 9 year old and my 7 year old up on skis, and a handful of my nieces and nephews. Meanwhile my brother @slalomsteve and I have joined slalom clubs, achieved personal bests, and are looking forward to the future. I’m looking forward to improving, looking forward to sharing, and looking forward to skiing with my family, my kids, and my friends. Just as Jim did. Another generation of skiers has been created, but I will always remember where it started. I’ll be forever grateful to Jim, Dave, Big Joe, Grandpa Ross, and a slew of others.

[Slalom.Steve]

The "original" Ross family had a long tradition of lake vacations, started when Jim and my mom were just kids. As the family grew and grew (as happens when the 10 kids started having a lot of kids themselves, I have 22 cousins just on that side), the vacations continued, and after doing it at resorts for a while, Jim for many years offered up his own home for the whole family to stay and play. So in addition to the yearly "Club Ross" that Dave described for people at his lake, Jim also hosted a huge week-long family vacation every year. Generous is an egregious understatement.

 

Due to my brother Carl's efforts, the lake tradition now lives on within the smaller Florian family and a new round of children. I wrote the following email to Uncle Jim after a Memorial Day family vacation in 2018, shortly after Carl bought Uncles Joe's old boat and Uncle Dave sold/gifted Carl and me his old Radar Vapors:

 

"The vacation was quite enjoyable, but now being an adult, it also gave me a unique opportunity to reflect on my own lake experiences growing up. I saw perhaps more clearly than ever before the effort, time, and cost it takes to own and operate a boat, and, by being able to begin to teach Carl's kids 'the ways of the ski,' it made me realize just how much effort and time you gave to me and many fellow Ross grandchildren. I am so grateful for your taking countless hours out of your vacation time to pull us skiing, tubing, barefooting, etc; jumping in the water and showing us how to hold our skis; encouraging us and giving us technique advice; and even pulling us by hand across the waterfront on the blue board when we were hardly even three feet tall (something I don't even really remember but have video evidence of : )

 

Thank you for your kindness, your selflessness, and your love. You made vacations for us little ones pretty frikin rad, and instilled in me a love of skiing that I still hold today. You were a role model on how to be brave, try hard, and be a good person. Know that you are appreciated. While I know I said 'thanks' when I was little, I hope my older, just-slightly wiser self can now put even more meaning behind it: thank you."

[Anderson]

We can't take anything with us, but we can leave behind a legacy of all the good we do for others -- the sum total of the positive experiences and memories we create. Most of us live average lives, but there are those among us who seem larger than life itself. I don't know Jim, but I do recognize a life lived well and a man who is loved by many. Lift heavy and ski hard when you get to the other side, brother. My prayers are with you and your family

[MDB1056]

Families like this are the true ambassadors of our sport, for generations . Our prayers are with you . God Bless

[UWSkier]

Thank you for updating. I've never met your family but I've followed along with your dad's story since he first posted the news and updates. Reading this and the other threads, the quote by Lionel Blue when describing the Jewish people comes to mind. Jim Ross is just like everyone else, only more so.

 

God bless you and your family this holiday season.

[Sasquatch]

I inherited Jim’s Mapple Sixam and skied it for as long as my body could take the abuse of skiing the course in my 50s! (If I could ski like him it wouldn’t have been so hard on my body!) I could feel Andy Mapple, and the good habits and settings Jim baked into the ski.

 

My Cincinnati buddies and my Kentucky “River rat” Matt recognized and respected that ski as soon as they saw it. RIP Andy, and thanks for the ski, Jim!

 

I’ve since passed that ski on to my nephew, Sam, who still has it in his boat (that he bought from Dave). And the beat goes on.

 

Cheers to the so many of you that have shared so many memories of my brother...

Live long and ski well!

[Stevie Boy]

The more I read, the more it breaks my heart, "One Hell Of A Guy"

[6balls]

Jim's wife Susan sent me a vid of Jim looking like he was pretty cashed out on the couch under a blanket. Then without moving his head at all he uncovers his weakened, neuropathic leg and starts doing leg lifts--his daughter saying "C'mon Dad!" in the background as he keeps working!

I sent him clips of inspirational song lyrics 65 days in a row during treatment. He particularly liked:

 

I am the ripper man, a locomotion mind love american style

Yeah, I am the nexus one I want more life

F&$#er I ain't done yet!

 

From Rob Zombie More Human than Human

 

[Cam]

Around 4 years ago I was in England at a ski lake and met with a guy who is a farmer and he told me a story about the Ross family.

We were talking about skiing (obviously) and BOS and he said he had to go on a training course in America so he posted a message on BOS asking if there were any ski sites in the area he was going to, straight away he got a reply from the Ross family saying to visit them and he would be looked after.

He told me that he had been treated like a long lost brother and couldn’t believe their hospitality to a total stranger but a skier and this is what I have also found if not to this extent in most of the skiing community.

His final comment was “they are all BIG and could rip a ski pole out of a boat”

Stay strong Jim

 

[6balls]

@cam that was @andyb. He was looking for a ski experience but also to tour some dairy farms and saddle shops related to his work...and liked to ride motorcycles. My ski buddy was a dairy cow hoof trimmer who worked at some very large dairies...and had some "in's" at some saddle shops, and had multiple Harleys.

Andy and his wife Lorna came out from England and rented a B and B, we got in lots of skiing, some Harley rides, some saddles shops, tours of big dairy farms, a few drinks and a lot of good socializing.

We hit a tour by boat of Lake Minnetonka...and one of the classic lines from Andy walking into Jim's place was "Crickey...would you look at the size of that TV!"

Good stuff...that is a great memory thanks for bringing it up!

[andyb]

@cam @6balls It was an amazing trip and I still bring up the stories today! I felt very honored to ski with you all, yep that was a massive TV Jim, first experience of playing that game of throwing bean bags into a hole.... Great memories...

 

 

 

 

[6balls]

@andyb great shot on Jim's dock. From left myself, Bob Olson, Andy Brisbourne, Big Jim Ross, and Jim's son Mitch. Thanks Andy for standing next to Jim shirtless...I always tried to avoid it!