Hip injury forces Jesper Cassoe to retire This year skiers, organisers and fans might have been asking themselves “where is Jesper Cassoe?”. The 2003 Moomba Masters winner and the current European champion and jump record holder has been kept of the water because of a serious hip injury. Now the 27-year-old Danish jumper has pulled the breaks and made up his mind: Cassoe retires because of the injury! “I have been fighting since last October to get back on the water. Physically I am back to full strength after the surgery in the beginning of May. However, the pain that I had prior to the operation is still there and the long term risks by continuing to jump are simply too high. Therefore I have decided to make the biggest decision of my life and let go. Right now, of course, it feels strange but I am looking forward to moving on into the world outside skiing”, says Jesper Cassoe. “I am working on a few projects back home and hopefully they will pull through. I am trying hard to build a cable park for wakeboarding and skiing just outside Copenhagen and things are looking great as of now. Also, I have signed up for school again and will begin studying economics and psychology in September”. Jesper Cassoe was hoping to follow up on a great 2003-season by trying to defend the Moomba Masters and European jump titles. But the seriousness of the hip injury has forced Cassoe to look further down the road and think of his future wellness. Career highlights of Jesper Cassoe 1988 Began skiing 1994 Junior European jump champion 1995 3rd at the junior US Masters 1996 First national jump record 1996 First national jump title 1996 4th at the European Championships 1998 U21 European jump champion 2000 First European jump record 2001 2nd at the European Championships 2002 2nd at the European Championships 2002 European jump record and first European to jump over 70 meters (70,7/232) 2003 European Ski Flying record 2003 Winner of Moomba Masters 2003 European Champion 2003 3rd on the Elite Skiers Ranking list Jesper Cassøe has won several national and Scandinavian titles as junior, U21 and open skier. Click here for the Jesper Cassoe web site.