Eddie the Eagle soars again! Hapless ski jumper recreates the moment that made him a star as he returns to Calgary nearly 30 years after finding fame at the Olympics there 

  • Eddie the Eagle won hearts with his 'heroic failure' in the Calgary 1988 Olympics
  • Returned to Canadian slopes again nearly 30 years later, to 1,000-strong crowd
  • Landed twice from 70m jump, making of 24 metres - less than half 1988 score
  • Said jumping was 'like riding a bike' and thanked crowd, which chanted his name 

By JAMES DUNN FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

It was one of the most memorable moments of the Winter Olympics, when Eddie the Eagle soared through the air from the 90m ski-jump after defying the odds to become an Olympian.

Now, the British ski-jumper has returned to Canada to recreate the inspirational moment nearly 30 years after the heroic jump that earned him an honourable last-place finish at the Calgary games

The athlete, whose efforts to become Britain's first ever ski-jumper inspired a movie released last year, drew a crowd of 1,000 people as he took to the slopes to soar again. 

Eddie the Eagle soared again on the slopes of Calgary, returning to the destination nearly 30 years after his momentous performance at the 1988 Olympic Games

Eddie the Eagle soared again on the slopes of Calgary, returning to the destination nearly 30 years after his momentous performance at the 1988 Olympic Games

Strapping on his helmet at the age of 53, Michael Edwards, Britain's first Olympic ski jumper, prepared to brave the jump again on Sunday

Strapping on his helmet at the age of 53, Michael Edwards, Britain's first Olympic ski jumper, prepared to brave the jump again on Sunday

Unlike the Olympics in 1988, he decided to 'quit while I'm ahead' after landing two jumps on the 70m, avoiding the 90m slope

Unlike the Olympics in 1988, he decided to 'quit while I'm ahead' after landing two jumps on the 70m, avoiding the 90m slope

Edwards, pictured at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, which made him an international star

Edwards, pictured at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, which made him an international star

His Olympic story has since been told again in a movie released last year, starring Hugh Jackman as his unorthodox trainer 

His Olympic story has since been told again in a movie released last year, starring Hugh Jackman as his unorthodox trainer 

Eddie the Eagle - real name Michael Edwards = who didn't qualify for the next Winter Olympics, managed two landings on the 18-metre jump, two more on the 38m and two on the massive 70m.

But unlike in the 1988 Olympics, when he bravely decided to tackle the terrifying 90m jump for the first time competitively in the face of media criticism, he chose to 'quit while I'm ahead' during yesterday's publicity stunt.

Speaking to CBC News, he said:  'It's a little bit like riding a bike, some of it stays and some of it goes. When you're going down that jump everything starts coming back, it's like survival mode and your body just knows what to do and it does it whether I think about it or not.'

He added: 'There was such a crowd, and they were all shouting "Eddie, Eddie," and it took me right back to Calgary 29 years ago, and they gave me the confidence and the courage to go down there and jump and it was great. That inspired me to go down and do my best and my last jump was actually not bad.'

The athlete drew a crowd of 1,000 people after last year's movie won him a whole new generation of fans

The athlete drew a crowd of 1,000 people after last year's movie won him a whole new generation of fans

Ski jumping is not for the faint-hearted but after speeding down the WinSport Olympic Park slopes, he said it was like riding a bike

Ski jumping is not for the faint-hearted but after speeding down the WinSport Olympic Park slopes, he said it was like riding a bike

Edwards posted a longest jump of 24 metres, less than half of the 57 metres he made at the 1988 games, at which Matti Nykänen from Finland took the gold medal with a 229-metre jump

Edwards posted a longest jump of 24 metres, less than half of the 57 metres he made at the 1988 games, at which Matti Nykänen from Finland took the gold medal with a 229-metre jump

Edwards, now 53, won the hearts and minds of the British public when he became the first person from the UK to compete in an Olympic ski jumping event.

Edwards finished last in the 70m and 90m events during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics and became a symbol of 'heroic failure'.

Edwards was a good downhill skier but failed to make the British team for the 1984 Winter Olympics so decided to switch to ski jumping in order to realise his dream.

Last year, the story of the plasterer from Gloucestershire with an Olympic dream was told again through a movie starring Hugh Jackman as his trainer.

After his Olympic story was told in a smash-hit movie starring Hugh Jackman as his trainer, released last year, he attracted a whole new generation of fans
1,000 people were in Calgary to watch him and members of the Altius Nordic Ski Club jump

After his Olympic story was told in a smash-hit movie starring Hugh Jackman as his trainer, released last year, he attracted a whole new generation of fans

Edwards managed two landings on the 18-metre jump, two more on the 38m and even two on the massive 70m

Edwards managed two landings on the 18-metre jump, two more on the 38m and even two on the massive 70m

The famous ski-jumper was there with British ski tour provider Kicking Horse Powder to promote the sport
He jumped in Calgary, a location now being considered for another Olympic Games in 2026

The famous ski-jumper was there with British ski tour provider Kicking Horse Powder to promote the sport in a location now being considered for another Olympic Games in 2026

As he jumped again in Canada, one of the spectators was six-year-old superfan Logan Avey, who's seen the movie 'at least 40 times,' his mother Angela Steele said.

After jumping on the WinSport slopes, along with members of the Altius Nordic Ski Club, he stayed behind to talk to Logan for a few minutes and presented him with an autographed photo.

The famous ski-jumper was there with British ski tour provider Kicking Horse Powder to promote the sport in a location now being considered for another Olympic Games in 2026. 

On Sunday he posted a longest jump of 24 metres, less than half of the 57 metres he made at the 1988 games, when winner Matti Nykänen from Finland took the gold medal with a 229-metre jump.

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