Jumpin Joe Banner

1984 Olympic Bronze Medalist
World Professional Champion
2x European Champion
6x National Champion
US Open Champion


"Joe's fans know that they see something special every time he skates. There is always a sense of danger whenever he lifts off the ice into one of his death-defying jumps... what he brings to the ice is unique."
--Scott Hamilton


Fan Blog




2012
  • 09/02/2012 20 Years of Skating in Sun Valley
  • 08/05/2012 Jozef Jaden's Favorite Skater

  • 2008
  • 07/29/2008 11pm Fan Club President, deb
  • 07/29/2008 Fan Club President, deb

  • 2011
  • 12/04/2011 Jozef's Birthday
  • 07/30/2011 Sun Valley Weekend
  • 07/17/2011 Sun Valley Update
  • 07/11/2011 Knee Update

  • 2007
  • 12/24/2007 Fan Club President, deb
  • 09/29/2007 Fan Review of Jozef's Performance in Kristi Yamaguchi's Friends and Family
  • 09/09/2007 Fan Club President, deb
  • 08/05/2007 Fan Club President, deb
  • 07/09/2007 Fan Club Member, Elaine


  • 2012 September 2nd
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    09/02/2012 20 Years of Skating in Sun Valley
    9/3/2012 9:00 p.m. EST

    Many fans of Jumpin' Joe may still remember his ice show back in year 1993 at Sun Valley. This summer is the 20th years for Jozef skating at Sun Valley ice show! Here is a celebration cake to Jozef from Sun Valley: Congrats on 20 years of skating in Sunvalley!

    Jessica


    2012 August 5th
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    08/05/2012 Jozef Jaden's Favorite Skater
    8/5/2012 9:00 p.m. EST

    Jozef, Jozef Jaden (aka Jozko), and me were talking about the ice shows and all great skaters at Sun Valley. Jozef asked Jozko who's his favorite skater? Jozko looked at his dad and answered without any hesitation:"You! You are my favorite skater!"

    Jessica


    2011 December 4th
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    12/4/2011 ...... Jozef's Birthday
    12/4/2011 8:30 p.m. EST

    It's amazing to me that it's been 14 1/2 years since that very first time I met Jozef...and it's been an amazing journey... and one I will never forget and we are still going strong!!!!...he is not only an incredible skater but he is an awesome person with a heart of gold..and I enjoy working with him and his fans... I know the rest of the crew does too..

    We are going strictly online on December 15th, 2011. Taking everything into consideration, this is best for us. We have a great web site and we can be contacted by email. If there is a problem and you still don't have access to email, please have someone email me, and we will figure something out. We want everyone to have access to our beloved Jumpin' Joe!

    www.jumpinjoe.com

    deb@jumpinjoe.com---President
    Sharon@jumpinjoe.com----Photographer
    Cindy@jumpinjoe.com----Web Designer
    Jessica@jumpinjoe.com----Web Designer
    Elaine@jumpinjoe.com---Special Events Co-ordinator

    If you have pictures or stories that you would like to share with everyone, please feel free to send them to me...and we will post them on our web site to share...

    We are hoping to go back to Bountiful, Utah in the Spring of 2012. As we get more info, Elaine will be sure to pass it along!

    That's it for now..We wish everyone a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

    Jozef, deb, Sharon, Cindy, Jessica and Elaine


    2011 July 30th
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    7/30/2011 Sun Valley Weekend
    8/2/2011 9:00 p.m. EST

    It was a great ice show again last weekend on July 30th! This year is the 75th anniversary of the Sun Valley ice show. Jozef's knee seemed had recovered well. Jozef skated awesome in both numbers of The Mary's Place by Bruce Springsteen and Rock On by Def Leppard. I was so glad to be at Sun Valley again seeing Jozef skating in the show! Audiences cheered up when he jumped up into the air with high elevation. It started raining before Jozef's second number when closed to the end of the show, which is very rare in Sun Valley. Some audiences started leaving at the very end of the show, but most of them stayed. The rain made the ice surface a lot harder to skate on, but all stars skated till the end of the show in the rain.

    Jozko skated with his father Jozef, mother Jenn, his cousin on the outdoor ice rink in Saturday afternoon. Jozko is so gifted and he learned the bunny hop jump and spin right way just from a demo and coaching from his dad!

    Jessica


    2011 July 17th
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    7/17/2011 Sun Valley Update

    7/17/2011 9:45 p.m. EST

    The show went great. Jozef skated two clean programs, including a triple Toeloop in Mary’s Place. His knee is not quite 100% yet, but much better.

    Jessica


    2011 July 11th
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    7/11/2011 Knee Update
    7/11/2011 11:00 p.m. EST

    As you all know, Jozef twisted his knee, while performing Mary’s Place last Saturday in Sun Valley. He finished the number, but had to miss the rest of the show.
    Today he went to see his doctor and the knee seems to be doing well, with only a little bit of fluid in the joint. He is supposed to stay off the ice until Wednesday, but Saturday show does not seem to be in jeopardy.

    Jessica


    2008 July 29th 11pm
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    7/29/2008 11pm - Fan Club President, deb
    8/29/2008 11:00 p.m. EST

    I spoke to Jenn this evening. They had just gotten back from Sun Valley. Jozef had two shows this past weekend. Jenn said he is skating beautifully, doing double axels, split jumps, etc.! Jozef is now doing every jump but triple loop and his backflip. He will have a cat scan this week. If the scan shows everything has healed, he could be cleared as early as this weekend to skate any program he has ever skated to without taking anything out. Also, Jozef is back to skating two numbers every weekend in Sun Valley! Cindy will be away for a few days. When she gets back, we will post another update about Jozef. For now, here’s hoping his cat scan comes out perfect and he goes back to doing what he loves to do, exactly how he loves to do it!!

    deb


    2008 July 29th
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    7/29/2008 - Fan Club President, deb

    To all of Jozef’s fans,

    On Tuesday, June 4th, Jozef was skating in Sun Valley at a private show and he skated beautifully! BUT..apparently on the landing of his backflip, he broke his ankle. It was a clean break, but Jozef needed surgery. He had the surgery in Salt Lake City on June 10th. Jozef has done amazingly well. Jozef is back in Sun Valley skating in their show, which he has done every summer for many years now. The first show he skated in after his surgery was July 4th! He did great! He put together a new number and he did a double loop and a walley or two and Blade and Jozko skated out to him at the end of his number. So, if you plan on seeing Jozef in Sun Valley this summer, he will be there. He won’t be jumping like he normally does, but he’ll give you the best he’s got for now. I just know you will be happy you went to see him. When Scotty Hamilton was commentating and Jozef was skating, Scotty would say, “In a word, Jozef is special.” With or without jumping, Jozef IS “special." Jozef, we all wish you a continued recovery.

    If anyone wants to send him an email to wish him well, please send it to: debann@jumpinjoe.com
    and it will be forwarded to him.

    deb
    7/29/08


    2007 December 24th
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    12/24/2007 Fan Club President, deb

    Happy Holidays Everyone!

    It’s hard to believe another year has gone by! I am soo happy to finally say that Cindy, Sharon and I, sat down with Jozef in Connecticut and talked to him about our special 10 year, yes, 10 year, can you believe it? fan club gathering. In May, we are going back to Salt Lake City!

    Ten years ago, I got to meet my favorite skater and over the years, I have not only gotten to know him as a skater but as a person and as a friend. It’s been an amazing journey! We haven’t had a fan club gathering in Bountiful in a few years as Jozef has not been involved with ‘The Bountiful Figure Skating Club’ as he once was. BUT.. Jozef will be skating in ‘The Salt Lake City Figure Skating Club’ benefit. That is where he trains, teaches and coaches!

    As soon as I get the exact dates I will pass on the information. We will stay in Bountiful and have planned activities with Jozef and his family as well as attend the benefit ! I am soo looking forward to going home in May. Hope to see you there!

    We hope you all have a very safe, healthy, Happy New Year!

    deb, Jozef, Cindy, Sharon and everyone else here behind the scenes!
    12/24/2007


    2007 September 29th
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    9/29/2007 Fan Review of Jozef's Performance in Kristi Yamaguchi's Friends and Family

    "Jumping Joe was rockin' as usual. Does the man ever age? He did his tribute to Bruce Springsteen with both his sons, Blade and Josef (I think that's his name). Too friggin cute with matching jeans, white t and red bandana hanging out the back pocket. I hate to say it again, but it was just really, really great to see these skaters with their kids out there on the ice. Not cheesy at all, just really fun and upbeat."

    9/29/07


    2007 September 9th
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    9/9/2007 Fan Club President, deb

    Happy Fall Everyone!

    Hope this finds you happy and healthy! And all of us here hope you had a wonderful summer! Summer is such a special time to spend time with family, children and grandchildren and vacations. We are working on our fan club get together. We want it to be special and meaningful. At this time, it appears, we are looking at late spring 2008. We had hoped to go to Sun Valley this year but we got many emails and letters, telling us that the trip to Sun Valley was really impossible for many of you. So, we went back to the drawing board and we are trying to work it out so as many folks as possibly can, will be able to attend. As the plans unfold, we will keep you updated!

    Jozef has been busy, busy, busy! He skated in Sun Valley as much as possible this summer with the exception of the three weeks he spent skating every night in Italy! After Italy and between 2 weekends in Sun Valley, he squeezed a trip to Germany in!!! WHEW!! I sure don’t know how he does it! In addition, he is also coaching and teaching. I think we all agree, his star pupil is his son, Jozef Jaden, who at 4, just loves skating! Maybe one day, we will be saying here comes “Mini Jumpin’ Joe”..hahahaha..Jozef Jaden is such a little charmer just like his dad! He is now in Pre K; that time went fast! Blade has grown up sooo very much. He started high school this year and is the spitting image of his dad. I remember the first time I met Blade; he was 5. Wow, the years sure have flown by! Blade spent the summer working and really had a great summer! Jenn also has been busy, busy, busy! She is always on the go, either on the road to Sun Valley, or doing what needed to be done with Jozef Jaden and Blade and getting them ready for school. But…she is doing awesome..The Sabovcik’s are very special to me! I didn’t get the chance to get out there this summer due to medical reasons and I miss them very much. Even with their lives soooo busy and sooo hectic, they always take time for others!!!

    At this point, I know Jozef is skating in two Disson Events.

    Kristi Yamaguchi Friends and Family
    Live Show Date: Saturday, September 29, 2007
    Live Show Location: US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona
    NBC Airdate: Sunday, November 25, 2007 (4:00pm - 6:00pm EST)
    Style Network Airdates: December 16, 2007 (10am - Noon) & December 21, 2007 (5pm - 7pm)
    Jozef Sabovcik
    Olympic Bronze Medalist

    Sharon, Cindy, Elaine, Ann and I, are flying into Phoenix on Thursday for this show.

    Mrs. Dash Skate for the Heart
    Live Show Date: Saturday, October 27, 2007
    Live Show Location: Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut
    NBC Airdate: Sunday, January 13, 2008 (4:00pm - 6:00pm EST)
    Style Network Airdates: January 20, 2008 (10am - Noon) & January 25, 2008 (5pm - 7pm)
    Jozef Sabovcik
    Olympic Bronze Medalist

    Sharon, Cindy and I will be attending this show.

    We hope to see you at one of the shows..Jozef is soooooooo awesome, he just keeps getting better and better!! And it is such a pleasure to see him each and everytime! If you would like to meet up with us for a drink or a chance to meet and chat, please feel free to email us... debann@jumpinjoe.com

    Until next time, take care and stay healthy,

    deb
    9/9/2007


    2007 August 5th
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    8/5/2007 Fan Club President, deb

    Wow...

    It doesn't seem like it has been 10 years since I met Jozef the very first time! I met him in Binghamton, New York. We were staying at the same hotel and I met him when he came back after the show. It was a night I will NEVER forget! It was a very magical evening.

    I had an accident on March 30, 1995 which resulted in a head injury which left me with post traumatic stress, short term memory problems, headaches and a seizure disorder. I was unable to drive and unable to work. So, I found myself becoming depressed. The previous fall, fortunately, when I could begin watching TV again, it was figure skating season, which I had always loved and never had much time to devote to watching it. But, Lo and Behold, the fall of 1996, there was Jumpin' Joe Sabovcik on my TV screen in various professional competitions and shows. My husband said, "If he ever comes close to where we live, I will make sure you get to see him skate in person."

    Jozef had become such an inspiration to me. I watched him win his Olympic Bronze Medal in 1984 and I knew he had seriously hurt his knee and it was like he fell off the face of the earth. Sooo, imagine my surprise, when I saw him and his beautiful long hair and his gorgeous jumps, fantastic choice of music to skate to and the all around thrill to watch him skate, back on TV! I was soo excited to see him back and I watched and recorded everything he was in! I was like if he can come back from such horrible knee problems to a sport like figure skating and do the powerful jumps that he is well known for, I can work harder in my rehab program and try to be a better person myself.

    On April 26, 1997, "The Skate The Nation Tour" came to Binghamton, New York, which is about 3 1/2 hours from where I live. My husband arranged for tickets, hotel, folks to take me, including my mother-in-law, who loves skating as much as I do, and he even got me my very first "Jumpin' Joe" T-shirt and a Jumpin' Joe sweatshirt! ( I have such a wonderful, supportive husband!! ) I was sooo excited.

    Imagine my surprise as we were checking into the hotel, when I saw Jozef coming off the elevator. I didn't talk to him then; he was on his way over to the arena. We got settled in, got some dinner and then went over for the show.

    AWESOME! Jozef skated to "Secret Garden" by Bruce Springsteen, for the first time on the "Skate The Nation Tour" and I was blown away! During the show, he noticed, my "Jumpin' Joe" shirt and he waved to me and everyone around me thought that was awesome; so do did I!!

    After the show, we walked back over to the hotel and Jozef walked in behind us with a couple of other skaters, which I can't remember who they are now, I only remember Jozef! He spent time with my group and signed some autographs and we got some pictures and then he went upstairs. Later in the evening, my group was going out to eat and I was going upstairs for the evening. As I was going to get in the elevator, Jozef was coming off. I said, "Jozef, I would just like to tell you one thing." He said, 'What?" I said, "Do you remember what you said about the night you met Bruce Springsteen, it being the best night of your life?" and he said, "yes." I said "Well, that's how I felt meeting you tonight. It was THAT special and THAT magical. Thank you soo much!!!!!" He hugged me and thanked ME and we both went on our way. The 26th of April will always be special to me and I owe Jozef sooo much. My family said he was just the medicine I needed! I was on a very special cloud for what seemed like a very long time!! That night made a big impact on my life and I treasure everything that came out of it: Jozef's fan club, the new friends I have made through Jozef, all of the fans I have met, all of the shows I have been to, the traveling, etc. I felt like I had been given a new lease on life. I will always be grateful to Jozef and his wonderful family, whom I have gotten to be close to over the years--his wife Jennifer, and sons Blade and Jozef Jaden--as well as my Jozef family--Cindy, Elaine, Kim, Donna, Gina, Rose and Sharon. They have all been here from the beginning. And I'm grateful to my own family, as without their love and support, the past 10 years would never have been possible. I love you!

    We will be celebrating 10 years by getting together for a Fan Club Reunion, and whether you are a fan club member or not, I hope you come and meet Jozef, an extraordinary person who gives soo much back to his fans. He always makes time for a picture, an autograph or just to say hello. It will be a very special time. As soon as we know what location and weekend it will be, we will post it here on our site but it looks like it will be later in the season. Some fans have asked for more time to save as it's a big trip for most of us and we all understand that!

    Thank you for 10 wonderful years, Jozef!

    Take care, everyone and I will write again soon,

    deb
    8/5/07


    2007 July 9th
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    7/9/2007 Fan Club Member, Elaine


    Message from Fan Club member, Elaine

    Well here it is 2007.…seems hard to believe that 10 years ago in 1997 I got to see Jozef skate for the first time! I had just started watching figure skating on TV more and I just couldn’t get enough of this long blonde haired skater that was skating to Bruce Springsteen and rock star’s music when everyone else was much more laid back. It was the music that I liked and he was doing a great job at adapting the music to the jumps and spins that you see in skating.

    I got to searching around and found out that he was going to be in the Skate the Nation tour and I knew then I had to be there to see him skate. We got tickets and headed to the show….roses in hand….hoping to get a chance to give them to him at the end of the show. Our seats were not down by the ice but when the show was about over I made my way down to the ice. I was lucky and after the show all the skaters skated around the edge of the ice and shook hands with the fans. I did get to give Jozef the roses that night and from then on I have been a die hard Jumpin Joe Fan!!!

    I got involved with his fan club shortly after that and have made some really great friends. Deb (the fan club president) and I started talking and soon I was making plans to go to Salt Lake City to meet her. Deb, Cindy, Sharon and I have become very good friends through the years. We talk on the phone and e-mail on the computer and try to once a year meet some place to see Jozef skate and catch up on what is going on with each of us. Some times we have not been able to for either work related reasons or financial reasons…..and I miss it a lot when I don’t get to see them. They are truly some of my best friends. We have such a good time getting to spend some time with Jozef and of course getting to see what songs he will be skating to for the year.

    Jozef is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He doesn’t take his fans for granted and each fan is as important to him as the next. I have always been sort of on the shy side when it comes to spending time with Jozef. When we get together at a show he tries to make it a point to go to lunch or dinner with us…knowing that we have all traveled a distance to see him skate. I am very content to sit back and listen to everyone’s conversations with Jozef and occasionally I sneak a comment or sentence in when I get up the nerve!! So to tell you about one of my favorite times is even surprising to me that this is the one that I chose to tell about.

    Several years ago in 2002 I found out that Jozef was going to be in Findlay Ohio….which is less than an hour from my house. He was going to be skating for the Silver Blades Figure Skating Club. It is a club for the skating students in the area. Since he was going to be so close I HAD to get tickets for all three shows. The first night I went to the show with my sister who also has made several trips to Salt Lake City with me. I was so nervous and excited all at the same time. I was excited to get to see Jozef skate but at the same time I was really nervous because I was going to be the only one from the fan club there. Jozef knew I was going to be there and he had told Deb to let me know that he would look for me in the lobby after each show. There was not going to be any standing back and listening to everyone else’s conversations. I was going to have to do more talking!

    When the show was over I made my way down to the ice to say hi . He said he would be right out to the lobby. He came out to the lobby and started to talk and suddenly I wasn’t nervous anymore. Fans came up and asked for his autograph and to get pictures of him standing by them and he was happy to get his picture taken as many times as necessary to fulfill every fan’s dream come true.

    I can say that is a weekend that I will always remember. He spent time talking to me one on one and to the people that came with me each night to the show. Jozef is one of the nicest most appreciative people I have ever met. And what a great thrill it is for me to get to know him better each year. We all hope you have many more years of skating ahead of you Jozef!! You will always be our number one figure skater!!! Keep up the great work!!

    Elaine
    7/9/07



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