Hjalmar Hvam
Encyclopedia
Hjalmar P. Hvam was a competitive Norwegian
-American
Nordic skier
and inventor of the first safety ski binding
.
where he excelled at skiing as a youth, winning a ski jumping
contest at the age of 12. He emigrated to Canada
in 1923 before moving to Portland, Oregon
, U.S.
in 1927.
, became the first to descend on skis from the summit of Mount Hood
. In 1932, he won the first U.S. nordic combined
championship held at Lake Tahoe, California, taking first in jumping and cross-country racing
.
Though originally a Nordic skier, Hvam soon became a competitive alpine skier as well, winning both runs of his very first slalom
race at the 1933 Oregon state championships on borrowed skis. He continued to race competitively throughout the Pacific Northwest
in the early 1930s, winning event at Mount Rainier
and all four disciplines (ski jumping, cross-country, slalom, and downhill) on Mount Baker
in 1936. He qualified for the 1936 U.S. Olympic team
, but as a Norwegian citizen, could not compete, and did not want to compete in Hitler
's Germany
. In 1936, Hvam was the first winner of the nation's oldest ski race, the Golden Rose Ski Classic at Timberline Lodge ski area
, and repeated his victory in 1937.
While celebrating his 1937 repeat victory in the Golden Rose, Hvam, like many skiers of his era, broke his leg. Hvam, who had been trained as a mechanical draftsman, had been working for years on a design that would reliably release a ski boot in a fall, but remain in place for normal skiing maneuvers. While laid up in the hospital, he had an inspiration for a new design, which became the Saf-Ski, the world's first ski safety bindings. The bindings made it to Europe for use by the 10th Mountain Division
in World War II
.
After the war, the design caught on and became popular around the world into the 1960s. Hvam sold and rented thousands of pairs until the early 1970s, when insurance premiums for sale of the bindings became too expensive and the Saf-Ski disappeared from the market.
in his native Norway, where he found he could still outjump the athletes he coached. He continued to operate ski shops in Portland and on Mount Hood until he retired in 1962. He continued to ski recreationally into his mid-80s. He was inducted into the United States National Ski Hall of Fame in 1967, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1992, and is a member of the Northwest Ski Hall of Fame and the U.S. Ski Business Hall of Fame.
Hvam suffered a heart attack at his Beaverton
home and died on March 30, 1996.
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...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Nordic skier
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
and inventor of the first safety ski binding
Ski binding
A ski binding is an attachment which anchors a ski boot to the ski. There are different types of bindings for different types of skiing.-Universal designs:...
.
Early life
Hvam was born in Kongsberg, NorwayKongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
where he excelled at skiing as a youth, winning a ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
contest at the age of 12. He emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1923 before moving to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1927.
Early Career and Competition
In Oregon, Hvam co-founded the Cascade Ski Club in 1928 and soon established himself as a strong skiing competitor. On April 26, 1931, Hvam and two fellow members of the Cascade Ski Club, Arne Stene and André RochAndré Roch
André Roch, , was a mountaineer, avalanche expert, skier, resort developer, engineer, and author...
, became the first to descend on skis from the summit of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
. In 1932, he won the first U.S. nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
championship held at Lake Tahoe, California, taking first in jumping and cross-country racing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
.
Though originally a Nordic skier, Hvam soon became a competitive alpine skier as well, winning both runs of his very first slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
race at the 1933 Oregon state championships on borrowed skis. He continued to race competitively throughout the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
in the early 1930s, winning event at Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
and all four disciplines (ski jumping, cross-country, slalom, and downhill) on Mount Baker
Mount Baker
Mount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
in 1936. He qualified for the 1936 U.S. Olympic team
United States at the 1936 Winter Olympics
The United States competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.- Medalists :- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relay- Figure skating:MenWomen...
, but as a Norwegian citizen, could not compete, and did not want to compete in Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1936, Hvam was the first winner of the nation's oldest ski race, the Golden Rose Ski Classic at Timberline Lodge ski area
Timberline Lodge ski area
Timberline Lodge ski area is the ski and snowboarding area of Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark in the U.S state of Oregon. It is one of a few ski lodges in the United States with most of the skiable terrain below the main lodge...
, and repeated his victory in 1937.
Saf-Ski bindings
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the war, the design caught on and became popular around the world into the 1960s. Hvam sold and rented thousands of pairs until the early 1970s, when insurance premiums for sale of the bindings became too expensive and the Saf-Ski disappeared from the market.
Later years
Hvam coached the U.S. Nordic combined teams at the 1952 Winter Olympics1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
in his native Norway, where he found he could still outjump the athletes he coached. He continued to operate ski shops in Portland and on Mount Hood until he retired in 1962. He continued to ski recreationally into his mid-80s. He was inducted into the United States National Ski Hall of Fame in 1967, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1992, and is a member of the Northwest Ski Hall of Fame and the U.S. Ski Business Hall of Fame.
Hvam suffered a heart attack at his Beaverton
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
home and died on March 30, 1996.