Mirosław Graf

He began his career in 1969 in Szklarska Poręba,[3] from 1974 he performed in Karpacz and latterly in Zakopane from 1980-82.

In 1969 he suffered an injury fracturing his ribs and suffering ankle sprain. After this he began to use his skis in a V shape. [2][3] His coaches tried to help him unlearn this style, recommending he ski with his feet inward and placed special "jaws" on his ski binding.[2] However, Graf found that he performed longer distances and safer jumps with his V style but the judges only awarded him 15-16 points.[3] The V style was also used by the Swede Jan Boklöv in the late 1980s. In a competition in Karpacz, Graf performed the longest jump but took only 4th place. He set hill records in Miłków, Kottmar, Lubawka and Szklarska Poręba.[3] In 1980 he took part in the World Cup in Zakopane where he landed a jump of 108 metres.[2] He ended his career in 1982, when he graduated from the Wrocław University of Physical Education. In 1989, the last time he jumped in Szklarska Poręba, he won the competition, setting a new hill record. After his retirement he worked as a physical education teacher and coach. He is a member of the nordic combined commission in the Polish Ski Federation.[4] For nine years he managed a ski jumping club, the UKS GRAF-ski.[3] In November 2014 he was elected mayor of Szklarska Poręba.[5][6]