Longer,
Don't know who the 'geezer' was, but sounds a bit less informed than others.
One of the many surprises in my engineering career was learning that bits of metal bend first, and then break. The fact that an undercarriage leg bends is not a problem, as long as it doesn't bend too much. The F-35 nose leg is a long travel telescopic design, mainly driven by weight considerations - it's the lightest possible design. However, it is definitely strong enough.
Trust me on this, loads are not the problem for ski jump, it's the load profile and whether the leg closes, as John Farley has already pointed out. One of the many insanely great features of the ski jump launch is that is a fairly gentle manoeuvre, both aerodynamically and structurally. It's the closest thing I have ever encountered to 'something for nothing'.
And it's another British invention - and a Royal Navy invention to boot. A nice thought for Jubilee Sunday.
Best Regards
Engines