Casper Oimoen
Encyclopedia
Casper Oimoen was an American ski jumping champion. Born in Norway
, Casper Oimoen immigrated to the United States in 1923 and settled near Minot, North Dakota
. Unable to compete in the 1928 Olympics because he was not an American citizen, he entered the Olympics in 1932 and again as captain of the U.S. team in 1936, placing 5th and 13th respectively.
Casper Oimoen won over 400 medals and trophies during his skiing career. He won the Northwestern Ski Jumping Championship nine times in nine entries, the Montana State Jumping Championship six times in six entries, the Central United States Championship ten times, six of them in consecutive years (1925-1931), and the United States National Ski Jumping Championship three times. In 1930, he won the Eastern, Central and National Championships, plus eight other firsts, a feat which has never been equaled.
Oimoen was inducted into the U.S. Skiing Hall of Fame in 1963. Casper Oimoen was granted the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award by the Governor of the State of North Dakota in 1973. Today his portrait, by North Dakota artist Vern Skaug, is on display in the Hall of Fame at the North Dakota State Capital Building in Bismarck
. He was introduced into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame in 1984. A bronze statue of Casper Oimoen stands in the Scandinavian Heritage Park
in Minot, North Dakota.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Casper Oimoen immigrated to the United States in 1923 and settled near Minot, North Dakota
Minot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
. Unable to compete in the 1928 Olympics because he was not an American citizen, he entered the Olympics in 1932 and again as captain of the U.S. team in 1936, placing 5th and 13th respectively.
Casper Oimoen won over 400 medals and trophies during his skiing career. He won the Northwestern Ski Jumping Championship nine times in nine entries, the Montana State Jumping Championship six times in six entries, the Central United States Championship ten times, six of them in consecutive years (1925-1931), and the United States National Ski Jumping Championship three times. In 1930, he won the Eastern, Central and National Championships, plus eight other firsts, a feat which has never been equaled.
Oimoen was inducted into the U.S. Skiing Hall of Fame in 1963. Casper Oimoen was granted the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award by the Governor of the State of North Dakota in 1973. Today his portrait, by North Dakota artist Vern Skaug, is on display in the Hall of Fame at the North Dakota State Capital Building in Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. He was introduced into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame in 1984. A bronze statue of Casper Oimoen stands in the Scandinavian Heritage Park
Scandinavian Heritage Park
Scandinavian Heritage Park is located in Minot, North Dakota. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as Finland and Iceland....
in Minot, North Dakota.
Further reading
- Stalions, Sonja Oimoen A Rough Way to Ride Between Earth and Sky: Memoir of Ski Jumper Casper Oimoen (North American Heritage Press. 2003)
- Engen, Alan K. For the Love of Skiing: A Visual History of Skiing (Gibbs Smith Publishers. 1998)