Holmenkollen ski jump
Encyclopedia
Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jumping hill
located at Holmenkollen
in Oslo
, Norway
. It has a hill size
of HS134, a construction point
of K-120, and a capacity for 30,000 spectators. Holmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival
since 1892, which since 1980 have been part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup and 1983 the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup. It has also hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics
and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
in 1930
, 1966
, 1982
and 2011
.
The hill has been rebuilt 19 times; important upgrades include a stone take-off in 1910, an in-run superstructure in 1914, and a new superstructure in 1928. During the Second World War, the venue was used as a military installation, but upgraded in the late 1940s. Further expansions were made ahead of the 1966 and 1982 World Championships, as well as in 1991. From 2008 to 2010, the entire structure was demolished and rebuilt. As of 8 February 2011, the hill record is unofficially held by Anders Jacobsen
at 142.5 meters. The official hill record was set at 5 of March 2011 by Andreas Kofler
at 141 meters. The hill is part of Holmenkollen National Arena
, which in addition to cross-country
and biathlon
venues has the normal hill Midtstubakken
.
in Ullern
from 1879 through 1891. In 1887, the road to Holmenkollen was opened, although it was at the time only used for recreation, as there was no housing in the area. I. C. L. Holm saw the potential to develop the area into a recreational center, and established Peisestuen in 1886, Holmenkollen Sportsstue in 1891, Holmenkollen Sanatorium og Turisthotell in 1894
, and Voksenkollen Sanatorium in 1900. In 1890, Husebyrennet had to be canceled due to lack of snow, and instead the tournament was held at Ullbakken at Frognerseteren
. Because of the distance, the tournament was held on a Sunday; this caused some criticism, and to compensate it was decided not to collect entrance fees. The following year, the final event was held in Husebybakken.
Following the 1891 season, the lease with the land owner for Husebybakken needed to be renegotiated. The venues had several times had too little snow, and Fritz Huitfeldt
and Hans Krag proposed building a new hill at Besserudmyra. After half a year of planning, the general assembly of the Association for the Promotion of Skiing approved the move in late 1891. To create sufficient water supply for the hotels, a dam had been built and created Besserudkjernet, a small lake, at the bottom of the hill. It would cover with ice during the winter. Construction was simple: a few trees had to be chopped down and when the snow came, branches were laid where the jump was to be. The first competition was held on 30 January 1892, and was spectated by between fifteen and twenty thousand people, who saw jumpers reach 15 to 21.5 meters.
The original hill had a knoll just after the take-off, which gave the psychological feeling of falling and made landing more difficult. It was therefore decided to change the profile slightly to make the hill safer and allow more jumpers to land properly. No standard profiles existed at the time, so the Association for the Promotion of Skiing had to do guesswork to create a better profile. The new profile was taken into use from 1894 and had cost NOK 2000. For the first decade, the take-off was rebuilt for every year, and its position would therefore vary. In 1904, the take-off was rebuilt with rocks, giving it a specific location on the hill. Prior to the 1907 season, landing slope was built down slightly into the terrain down from the 25 meter mark, as it would give easier landing. The take-off was moved in 1910 and built as a 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall stone structure. To keep the lake with a hard layer of ice, the snow was removed as it fell; if the ice was not thick enough it could create problems with flooding the spectator areas during the events. From 1913, the lake was opened as a skating rink
and marketed by the hotels as part of their services. However, it was never a success, and was abandoned within a few years.
During the 1910s it had become common in the United States to build jumps with a scaffold superstructure
for the in-run, and this had been described as an abomination in the Norwegian press. Prior to the 1914 season, a 10 metres (32.8 ft) tall steel superstructure was built. This resulted in massive negative reactions in the press, and it was the public's opinion that ski jumping was to be done in natural hills. The same year, two other major Norwegian hills received similar structures, Nydalsbakken and Solbergbakken
. The first trials were made on 15 January, giving jumps 34 meters. This was regarded as the furthest anyone would jump. The hill was subsequently expanded slightly a few times afterwards, including blasting it steeper, chopping it wider, and covering the landing slope with earth and sowing grass to improve the profile.
s in Norway. By then, Holmenkollbakken was lagging behind internationally, and the world record at the time had exceeded 60 meters. It was therefore decided that a new superstructure would be 19 metres (62.3 ft) tall and moved 9 metres (29.5 ft) further back. Besserudkjernet was partially drained in 1928, but the hotels, which received their water from the lake, would not allow draining the following years. In 1931, the lake was fully drained, which allowed the out-run to be longer. In the 1930s, talk of an 80-meter hill started, which would potentially be built in Rødkleiva
, further out in Nordmarka. The Association for the Promotion of Skiing made a formal investigation into the matter in 1937. There was agreement that the venue was becoming too small for international competitions.
Following the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1940 being awarded to Oslo, the Association for the Promotion of Skiing decided to build a larger in-run. Construction started in 1938 and consisted of a 40 metres (131.2 ft) tall in-run tower. The take-off was moved 12 metres (39.4 ft) further back and 6 metres (19.7 ft) higher. The new structure was inaugurated in 1940, although the World Championships were canceled due to the Second World War. The venue was subsequently left unused for five years during the German occupation of Norway. German forced used the hill as a site for anti-aircraft artillery and the in-run was painted green. In 1945, the venue received a new upgrade, this time with new grandstands and a larger profile.
In 1948, Oslo was awarded to host the 1952 Winter Olympics
. This caused a bonanza of plans, one superseding the other. Until then, the grandstand on the sides of the hill had been temporary; prior to the Olympics these were rebuilt as permanent. A new grandstand was built, a jury tower was constructed, as was facilities for the delegates, the royal family and radio broadcasting. The in-run was rebuilt; while it previously had been a mess of open, wooden structures, it was shelled in, painted white and received an elevator. The hill had to be expanded, and to allow this, the landing slope needed to be lifted by being built as an artificial structure. Below the lifted part of the hill was built a three-story building, with the ski museum in the lower two floors and a restaurant in the top floor. The lake was dug 6 metres (19.7 ft) deep and made a swimming pool during the summer. The upgrades cost NOK 1.5 million, paid for by Oslo Municipality. These upgrades resulted in an artificial lake being constructed in the off-run, which became a recreational and swimming venue for the city's residents. The lake was at the time 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep and had a typical temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). Oslo had a failed bid for the 1968 Winter Olympics
.
Following Oslo's decision to bid for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1966, it became evident that more upgrades would be needed to meet the International Ski Federation
's requirements. To allow for longer jumps, the take-off needed to be moved 10 metres (32.8 ft) back, and the lake dug deeper, with new concrete stands being built into the sides. Combined with the tower being built taller, this gave a 56 metres (183.7 ft) height difference between the start and the off-run, allowing for the desired lengths. The championships were the first to use computer to calculate the scores, but communication still used wired telephones, as had been used during the Olympics. The public announcement
and scoreboard
systems remained manual.
By 1971, the Association for the Promotion of Skiing was no longer making much money off the Ski Festival, and they started discussing rebuilding the entire complex. Rolf Ramm Østgaard made a proposal which would include a twin hill, with both a normal and large hill. Again the proposal of building the large hill at Rødkleiva was launched. The arguments for keeping the hill at Holmenkollen was that it would allow for a close connection between the ski jumping and cross-country skiing events. However, Holmenkollen, because it was built with a superstructure, was plagued with wind. Experience from among other things Salpausselkä
in Lahti
, Finland, showed that this could be partially combated by building the jump into the hill. No immediate solution was found, and maintenance of the old structure continued. Lighting which allowed the venue to be seen from the city during night was installed in 1977. The main problem was the elevator, which was eventually replaced in 1978. During the 1970s, a stage was built in the lake, which allowed concerts, plays and other entertainment events to take place. Oslo City Council considered bidding for the 1980 Winter Olympics
during the 1970s, but it was found that it would not be a suitable investment.
In 1979, Oslo was awarded the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1982, and further upgrades to the hill were necessary. The costs of the upgrades were NOK 50 million, of which the Norwegian Ski Federation paid NOK 5 million, and Oslo Municipality and the state split the rest. The large expenditures resulted in a public debate. The upgrades saw the introduction of electronics into most parts of the venue. The old system of manual distance measurement by people standing beside the hill was abolished, and replaced by the video-based system Robotron. Other new installations was an electronic result and scoreboard system, a new time-keeping and speed system, and a new central system to calculate scores. The in-run was expanded, and a mobile start platform was installed, but later removed and replaced by a bar. The knoll and landing slope were adjusted, and the straight section was moved 10 metres (32.8 ft) further down. In the transition to the out-run, 130000 cubic metres (4,590,906.6 cu ft) of earthwork was blasted away, and Besserudkjernet was sunk another 7 metres (23 ft). This allowed for additional grandstands to be built and the last wooden grandstands were removed. New structures were built for delegates, broadcasting and the jury.
The Robotron system was found to be unreliable, and was taken out of use in 1986. In 1990, a porcelain
track was laid in the in-run. An aluminum stage was also built across the off-run, which could be used for concerts during the summer. In 1992, the hill was further expanded by digging down another 3.5 metres (11.5 ft). This increased the K-point from 105 to 110. From 1992, the venue used a system of video still images to determine the length. Following the decision to upgrade the hill in 1991, Kollenhopp was established. A cooperation between the ski jumping clubs in Eastern Norway, it was to create more jumping activity in Holmenkollbakken, similar to the success of Trønderhopp. From 1992, the hill received flood lighting, allowing events to be scheduled to the evening, and the delegates to optionally move events to the evening, if wind conditions were not good.
(FIS) against Liberec
, Czech Republic, on 4 June 2004. The Norwegian Ski Federation subsequently stated that they would apply for the 2011 World Championships. The Association for the Promotion of Skiing stated that they wanted a new hill in Rødkleiva instead of expanding the existing ski flying hill in Vikersund
, Vikersundbakken
. Holmenkollbakken would then be used for the last time during as a large hill during the 2011 World Championships, and would then converted to a normal hill. In May 2005, the general assembly of the Norwegian Ski Federation voted to build a new ski flying and normal hill in Rødkleiva ahead of the 2011 World Championships. Following Vikersundbakken being awarded the FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2012
in 2008, the general assembly of the Norwegian Ski Federation that year decided to terminate the plans for a ski flying hill in Rødkleiva.
On 22 September 2005, FIS stated that an all-new Holmenkollbakken would have to be built if Oslo was to host the World Championships and World Cup tournaments. FIS stated that similar reconstructions had been done with Schattenbergschanze
in Oberstdorf
, Germany, and Bergiselschanze
in Innsbrück
, Austria. In December 2005, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
gave permission for the tower to be demolished, on the condition it was replaced by a new in-run with a similar architectural quality and retain its function as a landmark. They stated that it was the activity itself that is worthy of preservation, not the structure itself. The city council made the final decision to apply for the World Championships and build a new hill on 1 March 2006. A new hill was at the time estimated to cost NOK 310 million, and the state was willing to finance NOK 70 million of those. Oslo was awarded the 2011 World Championships in May 2006.
The municipality issued a architectural design competition
to rebuild the hill; Julien De Smedt
's proposal was selected among 104 entrants. At the time, it was estimated that the new national arena would cost NOK 653 million. Demolition
of Holmenkollbakken started on 16 October 2008. The World Cup tournament in 2009 was held at Vikersundbakken instead of Holmenkollen because of the reconstruction. When the decision to reconstruct the national arena was made by the city council in 2007, it was estimated to cost NOK 653 million. By 2008, the cost had accelerated to NOK 1.2 billion, and by the following year it had reached NOK 1.8 billion. City Commissioner For Business and Culture, Anette Wiig Bryn
of the Progress Party
, had to leave her position because of the cost overrun
s. A consultant report ordered by the municipality concluded that the pressure to find cost savings to stay within the budget, which was underestimated to start with, resulted in slower progress, which again resulted in higher costs.
The costs of the new large hill were NOK 715 million, while total costs for the upgrade of the national arena and infrastructure ended at NOK 2,426 million. This included the construction of a new ski stadium next to Holmenkollbakken, and Midtstubakken, and upgrades to the Holmenkollen Line. It was originally decided that the first jump would be taken by Anette Sagen
, Norway's leading female jumper, on 3 March 2010. However, the organizers decided that Bjørn Einar Romøren
would be allowed to test-jump the venue the evening before. in the first ever jump in the new venue, Romøren jumped 110.0 meters. The organizers stated that Sagen's jump the following day, which reached 106.5 meters, was to be considered the official first jump. Romøren was subsequently suspended from the following World Cup round.
The hill is part of Holmenkollen National Arena
, which also consists of a combined cross-country skiing and biathlon stadium, the normal hill Midtstubakken. Along with Granåsen
in Trondheim
and Lysgårdsbakken in Lillehammer
, Holmenkollen is one of three normal and large hill national arenas for ski jumping and Nordic skiing. The hill is the most popular tourist attraction in Norway, and has roughly one million visitors each year. Holmenkollbakken is co-located with Holmenkollen Ski Museum
, which presents the history of skiing. It has a simulator which allows the public to visualize a ski jump in the hill. The hill records is 139.5 meters, set by Anders Jacobsen
in 2011, while the women's record is 131.0 meters, set by Anette Sagen
in 2006.
After the 1992 upgrades, the Olympic hill had a K-spot of 110 meters. The top of the in-run was 417 metres (1,368.1 ft) above mean sea level
. The tower was 42 metres (137.8 ft) tall; the top of the in-run was located behind the tower and was 60 metres (196.9 ft) above the ground. The in-run was 94 metres (308.4 ft) long. The landing slope was 37 degrees at the steepest and 115 meters long. The vertical height difference between the top of the in-run and the off-run was 121 metres (397 ft).
The new hill has a hill size of 134 meteres and K-spot of 120 meteres. The steepest part of the landings slope is 35.7 degrees, which is 105.6 metres (346.5 ft) from the take-off. The angle at the hill size point is 30.8 degrees, while the width of the landing slope is 25.2 metres (82.7 ft). The in-run, built of steel, is 96.95 metres (318.1 ft) long, which is 36 degrees at the steepest. The take-off is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall. The height distance from take-off to the K-point is 59.1 metres (193.9 ft). The grandstands are made of steel and concrete, and include VIP facilities. It is the only hill in the world with a permanent wind screen built as part of the designed construction, and the only steel jump in the world. The hill is 375 metres (1,230.3 ft) above mean sea level. The venue is owned by Oslo Municipality and operated by the Association for the Promotion of Skiing.
Transport is based on that no spectators will use private cars to the venue. Instead, all spectators must use the Holmenkollen Line of the Oslo Metro. Holmenkollen Station
is located within walking distance of the large hill and cross-country stadium. Holmenkollen Station is the only one the line with platforms long enough for six cars, which allows a capacity of 9,000 people per hour.
is an annual Nordic skiing event which takes places at Holmenkollen. Until 1932, jumping was part of Nordic combined, and the events were completely dominated by Norwegians. In 1903, Oslo hosted its only version of the Nordic Games
, dubbed the Winter Sports Week. Regarded as the precursor of the Winter Olympics, the event featured among other things ski jumping in Holmenkollbakken. The Ski Festival was first held on a Sunday in 1926. Starting in 1933, there was a pure ski jumping competition, which made it easier for foreign jumping specialists to compete for the top positions. Originally, the style scores were secret, creating public discussions about the fairness of judges in even races. This was changed in 1951, when the style scores started being announced over the PA system.
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival has been regarded as the de facto
World Championships prior to the 1924 Winter Olympics
. The Norwegian Ski Federation had been an opponent of establishing World Championships and Winter Olympics because they felt it would take away the prestige of the Ski Festival. Oslo was awarded the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1930; with exception of Sweden's Erik Rylandet who finished fifth, Norway had the top ten positions.
Holmenkollen was the venue of the Nordic skiing during the 1952 Winter Olympics
. Two events were held at Holmenkollbakken: ski jumping
and the jumping part of Nordic combined
. The exact number of people attending the ski jumping event on 24 February is not known, but it somewhere between 120,000 and 150,000, with the official report stating 143,000. The event was won by Arnfinn Bergmann
ahead of Torbjørn Falkanger
, both from Norway, and Karl Holmström
of Sweden.
The next World Championship was held in 1966. By then both normal and large hill competitions had been introduced, and the normal hill competition would be held at Midtstubakken, as they would later also be done in 1982 and 2011. The 1966 large hill competition was won by Norway's Bjørn Wirkola
, while the 1982 event was won by Matti Nykänen
of Finland.
From the 1979–80 season
, FIS introduced the Ski Jumping World Cup. The FIS Nordic Combined World Cup was first held in the 1983–84 season. By 1990, a conflict had arisen between the ski jumpers and the International Ski Federation. On the day of the Ski Festival, the jumpers collectively demanded NOK 150,000 in increased prize money, or threatened to not jump. It was stated that the money would be used for charity, such as resurrecting Romanian ski jumping. The demand was rejected by the organizers, who stated that they would have to disqualify the jumpers, as they would be regarded as professionals
, rather than amateurs
. Since 1997, the World Cup jumps in Holmenkollen have been part of the Nordic Tournament
, which includes four successive jumps in four Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish ski jumps, inspired by the Four Hills Tournament
.
During summer, the old hill had a lake, which made it possible to use the amphitheater for concerts, plays and entertainment. The venue was then often referred to as Sommerkollen. From 1963, a temporary, small in-run was built down the southern grandstand, which allowed skiers and divers to make a jump and land in the water. Between 1963 and 1983, a competition was held nine times. Starting in 1983 was Ta sjansen, which was televised annually by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and became Sommerkollen's most popular show. It was an informal competition with two main events: one where a home-made craft was to first slide down a short in-run and then slide along the water surface to hit a mounted bell in the shortest possible time. The other was a cycling competition where the cyclist had to complete a track on a wobbly floating wharf.
Ski jumping hill
A ski jumping hill is a sports venue used for ski jumping. They vary in size from temporary hand-made snow structures to permanent competition venues. At the top is an in-run where the jumper runs down to generate sufficient speed, before reaching the jump. The skier is then airborne until landing...
located at Holmenkollen
Holmenkollen
Holmenkollen is a neighborhood in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. In addition to being a residential area, the area has been a ski recreation area since the late 19th century, with its famous, eponymous, ski jump arena hosting competitions since 1892...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
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...
. It has a hill size
Hill size
Hill size is a measurement for the size of a ski jumping hill. It is calculated based on the technical data of a hill based on radius, angle of inclination and record distance...
of HS134, a construction point
Construction point
The construction point, also known as the critical point, calculation point, K-point and K-spot, is a line across a ski jumping hill which indicates the hill's steepest point in meters. It was formerly used to classify the size of a ski jumping hill, and to calculate the number of points granted by...
of K-120, and a capacity for 30,000 spectators. Holmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
since 1892, which since 1980 have been part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup and 1983 the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup. It has also hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics
1952 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...
and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
in 1930
1930 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1930 took place between February 27 and March 1, 1930 in Oslo, Norway at the Holmenkollen.- 17 km :February 28, 1930- 50 km :March 1, 1930- Individual :February 27, 1930- Individual large hill :...
, 1966
1966 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1966 took place February 17–26, 1966 in Oslo, Norway at the Holmenkollen ski arena. This was the third time the Norwegian capital hosted this event having done so in 1930 and at the 1952 Winter Olympics...
, 1982
1982 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1982 took place 19-28 February 1982 in Oslo, Norway at the Holmenkollen ski arena. This was Oslo's record-tying fourth time hosting the event after previously doing so in 1930, the 1952 Winter Olympics, and 1966. The Nordic combined 3 × 10 km team event and...
and 2011
2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 took place from 23 February to 6 March 2011 in Oslo, Norway, at the Holmenkollen National Arena. It was the fifth time these championships had been hosted in Holmenkollen, having been done previously in 1930, the 1952 Winter Olympics, 1966, and 1982...
.
The hill has been rebuilt 19 times; important upgrades include a stone take-off in 1910, an in-run superstructure in 1914, and a new superstructure in 1928. During the Second World War, the venue was used as a military installation, but upgraded in the late 1940s. Further expansions were made ahead of the 1966 and 1982 World Championships, as well as in 1991. From 2008 to 2010, the entire structure was demolished and rebuilt. As of 8 February 2011, the hill record is unofficially held by Anders Jacobsen
Anders Jacobsen (ski jumper)
Anders Jacobsen is a Norwegian ski jumper, representing Ringkollen Skiklubb, and the youngest Norwegian to have won the Four Hills Tournament. He has competed since 2003.-Early career:...
at 142.5 meters. The official hill record was set at 5 of March 2011 by Andreas Kofler
Andreas Kofler
Andreas "Kofi" Kofler is an Austrian ski jumper, and member of the Austrian National team .The first Ski jumping World Cup competition he won was in Willingen, Germany on 4 February 2006. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy he won gold in the team competition, together with Andreas...
at 141 meters. The hill is part of Holmenkollen National Arena
Holmenkollen National Arena
Holmenkollen National Arena is a Nordic skiing and biathlon venue located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It consists of the large ski jumping hill Holmenkollbakken, the normal hill Midtstubakken and a stadium for cross-country skiing and a shooting range for biathlon...
, which in addition to cross-country
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
venues has the normal hill Midtstubakken
Midtstubakken
Midtstubakken is a ski jumping hill which is part of the Holmenkollen National Arena in Oslo, Norway. It has a hill size of 106 metres, and a K-spot of 95 metres. The current hill dates from 2010, although the first hill at the area was built in 1927. The venue has a capacity for 15,000 spectators...
.
History
Original hill
The first major skiing competition in Oslo was Husebyrennet, which was held in HusebybakkenHusebybakken
Husebyrennet was a ski jumping competition which was held in Ullern, Oslo, Norway. These yearly competitions, held from 1879 to 1891, were a precursor to the Holmenkollen event...
in Ullern
Ullern
Ullern is an affluent borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.- History :The borough has its name from an old farm, Norse Ullarin. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the Norse god Ullr. The last element is vin, meaning pasture or meadow. In Medieval times, the farm belonged to the...
from 1879 through 1891. In 1887, the road to Holmenkollen was opened, although it was at the time only used for recreation, as there was no housing in the area. I. C. L. Holm saw the potential to develop the area into a recreational center, and established Peisestuen in 1886, Holmenkollen Sportsstue in 1891, Holmenkollen Sanatorium og Turisthotell in 1894
Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica
Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica is a hotel located in Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. Opened as a sanatorium in 1894, it was designed by Balthazar Lange and is regarded as one of the prime examples of dragestil in Norway.-Facilities:...
, and Voksenkollen Sanatorium in 1900. In 1890, Husebyrennet had to be canceled due to lack of snow, and instead the tournament was held at Ullbakken at Frognerseteren
Frognerseteren
Frognerseteren is a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway, located within Nordmarka. It is a popular starting point for recreational hiking and skiing in Oslo. Frognerseteren Station is the terminal station of the Holmenkollen Line of the Oslo Metro....
. Because of the distance, the tournament was held on a Sunday; this caused some criticism, and to compensate it was decided not to collect entrance fees. The following year, the final event was held in Husebybakken.
Following the 1891 season, the lease with the land owner for Husebybakken needed to be renegotiated. The venues had several times had too little snow, and Fritz Huitfeldt
Fritz Huitfeldt
Fritz Huitfeldt is a Norwegian lawyer and politician for the Conservative Party.He holds the cand.jur. degree. He worked in the Foundation for Student Life in Oslo from 1975 to 1987, and in Oslo Bolig- og Sparelag from 1992. He was elected to Oslo city council following the 1979 local elections,...
and Hans Krag proposed building a new hill at Besserudmyra. After half a year of planning, the general assembly of the Association for the Promotion of Skiing approved the move in late 1891. To create sufficient water supply for the hotels, a dam had been built and created Besserudkjernet, a small lake, at the bottom of the hill. It would cover with ice during the winter. Construction was simple: a few trees had to be chopped down and when the snow came, branches were laid where the jump was to be. The first competition was held on 30 January 1892, and was spectated by between fifteen and twenty thousand people, who saw jumpers reach 15 to 21.5 meters.
The original hill had a knoll just after the take-off, which gave the psychological feeling of falling and made landing more difficult. It was therefore decided to change the profile slightly to make the hill safer and allow more jumpers to land properly. No standard profiles existed at the time, so the Association for the Promotion of Skiing had to do guesswork to create a better profile. The new profile was taken into use from 1894 and had cost NOK 2000. For the first decade, the take-off was rebuilt for every year, and its position would therefore vary. In 1904, the take-off was rebuilt with rocks, giving it a specific location on the hill. Prior to the 1907 season, landing slope was built down slightly into the terrain down from the 25 meter mark, as it would give easier landing. The take-off was moved in 1910 and built as a 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall stone structure. To keep the lake with a hard layer of ice, the snow was removed as it fell; if the ice was not thick enough it could create problems with flooding the spectator areas during the events. From 1913, the lake was opened as a skating rink
Skating rink
A skating rink may refer to:* an ice rink used for ice skating* a roller rink used for roller skating...
and marketed by the hotels as part of their services. However, it was never a success, and was abandoned within a few years.
During the 1910s it had become common in the United States to build jumps with a scaffold superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
for the in-run, and this had been described as an abomination in the Norwegian press. Prior to the 1914 season, a 10 metres (32.8 ft) tall steel superstructure was built. This resulted in massive negative reactions in the press, and it was the public's opinion that ski jumping was to be done in natural hills. The same year, two other major Norwegian hills received similar structures, Nydalsbakken and Solbergbakken
Solbergbakken
Solbergbakken was a ski jumping hill located at Valler in Bærum, Norway. Owned by Bærums SK, it remained in use until 1990. It had a K-point at 59 meters....
. The first trials were made on 15 January, giving jumps 34 meters. This was regarded as the furthest anyone would jump. The hill was subsequently expanded slightly a few times afterwards, including blasting it steeper, chopping it wider, and covering the landing slope with earth and sowing grass to improve the profile.
Olympic hill
The day after the race in 1927, the superstructure collapsed, caused by rot in combination with a heavy snowfall. This caused the introduction of public control with scaffolding and bleacherBleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
s in Norway. By then, Holmenkollbakken was lagging behind internationally, and the world record at the time had exceeded 60 meters. It was therefore decided that a new superstructure would be 19 metres (62.3 ft) tall and moved 9 metres (29.5 ft) further back. Besserudkjernet was partially drained in 1928, but the hotels, which received their water from the lake, would not allow draining the following years. In 1931, the lake was fully drained, which allowed the out-run to be longer. In the 1930s, talk of an 80-meter hill started, which would potentially be built in Rødkleiva
Rødkleiva
Rødkleiva is a hill located on Frognerseter Hill in Oslo, Norway.During the 1952 Winter Olympics, it hosted the slalom alpine skiing events. The course was 1400 ft long with a 560 foot drop from start to finish....
, further out in Nordmarka. The Association for the Promotion of Skiing made a formal investigation into the matter in 1937. There was agreement that the venue was becoming too small for international competitions.
Following the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1940 being awarded to Oslo, the Association for the Promotion of Skiing decided to build a larger in-run. Construction started in 1938 and consisted of a 40 metres (131.2 ft) tall in-run tower. The take-off was moved 12 metres (39.4 ft) further back and 6 metres (19.7 ft) higher. The new structure was inaugurated in 1940, although the World Championships were canceled due to the Second World War. The venue was subsequently left unused for five years during the German occupation of Norway. German forced used the hill as a site for anti-aircraft artillery and the in-run was painted green. In 1945, the venue received a new upgrade, this time with new grandstands and a larger profile.
In 1948, Oslo was awarded to host the 1952 Winter Olympics
1952 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...
. This caused a bonanza of plans, one superseding the other. Until then, the grandstand on the sides of the hill had been temporary; prior to the Olympics these were rebuilt as permanent. A new grandstand was built, a jury tower was constructed, as was facilities for the delegates, the royal family and radio broadcasting. The in-run was rebuilt; while it previously had been a mess of open, wooden structures, it was shelled in, painted white and received an elevator. The hill had to be expanded, and to allow this, the landing slope needed to be lifted by being built as an artificial structure. Below the lifted part of the hill was built a three-story building, with the ski museum in the lower two floors and a restaurant in the top floor. The lake was dug 6 metres (19.7 ft) deep and made a swimming pool during the summer. The upgrades cost NOK 1.5 million, paid for by Oslo Municipality. These upgrades resulted in an artificial lake being constructed in the off-run, which became a recreational and swimming venue for the city's residents. The lake was at the time 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep and had a typical temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). Oslo had a failed bid for the 1968 Winter Olympics
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
.
Following Oslo's decision to bid for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1966, it became evident that more upgrades would be needed to meet the International Ski Federation
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
's requirements. To allow for longer jumps, the take-off needed to be moved 10 metres (32.8 ft) back, and the lake dug deeper, with new concrete stands being built into the sides. Combined with the tower being built taller, this gave a 56 metres (183.7 ft) height difference between the start and the off-run, allowing for the desired lengths. The championships were the first to use computer to calculate the scores, but communication still used wired telephones, as had been used during the Olympics. The public announcement
Public Announcement
Public Announcement is an R&B and hip hop group, which was formed in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois, originally backing singer R. Kelly on his first album.-1990-1994: Born Into The 90's:...
and scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
systems remained manual.
By 1971, the Association for the Promotion of Skiing was no longer making much money off the Ski Festival, and they started discussing rebuilding the entire complex. Rolf Ramm Østgaard made a proposal which would include a twin hill, with both a normal and large hill. Again the proposal of building the large hill at Rødkleiva was launched. The arguments for keeping the hill at Holmenkollen was that it would allow for a close connection between the ski jumping and cross-country skiing events. However, Holmenkollen, because it was built with a superstructure, was plagued with wind. Experience from among other things Salpausselkä
Salpausselkä skiing stadium
Salpausselkä skiing stadium is a ski jumping venue in Lahti, Finland. The hills are K116, K90, K64, K38, K25, K15, K8 and K6.- References :...
in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, Finland, showed that this could be partially combated by building the jump into the hill. No immediate solution was found, and maintenance of the old structure continued. Lighting which allowed the venue to be seen from the city during night was installed in 1977. The main problem was the elevator, which was eventually replaced in 1978. During the 1970s, a stage was built in the lake, which allowed concerts, plays and other entertainment events to take place. Oslo City Council considered bidding for the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
during the 1970s, but it was found that it would not be a suitable investment.
In 1979, Oslo was awarded the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1982, and further upgrades to the hill were necessary. The costs of the upgrades were NOK 50 million, of which the Norwegian Ski Federation paid NOK 5 million, and Oslo Municipality and the state split the rest. The large expenditures resulted in a public debate. The upgrades saw the introduction of electronics into most parts of the venue. The old system of manual distance measurement by people standing beside the hill was abolished, and replaced by the video-based system Robotron. Other new installations was an electronic result and scoreboard system, a new time-keeping and speed system, and a new central system to calculate scores. The in-run was expanded, and a mobile start platform was installed, but later removed and replaced by a bar. The knoll and landing slope were adjusted, and the straight section was moved 10 metres (32.8 ft) further down. In the transition to the out-run, 130000 cubic metres (4,590,906.6 cu ft) of earthwork was blasted away, and Besserudkjernet was sunk another 7 metres (23 ft). This allowed for additional grandstands to be built and the last wooden grandstands were removed. New structures were built for delegates, broadcasting and the jury.
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
track was laid in the in-run. An aluminum stage was also built across the off-run, which could be used for concerts during the summer. In 1992, the hill was further expanded by digging down another 3.5 metres (11.5 ft). This increased the K-point from 105 to 110. From 1992, the venue used a system of video still images to determine the length. Following the decision to upgrade the hill in 1991, Kollenhopp was established. A cooperation between the ski jumping clubs in Eastern Norway, it was to create more jumping activity in Holmenkollbakken, similar to the success of Trønderhopp. From 1992, the hill received flood lighting, allowing events to be scheduled to the evening, and the delegates to optionally move events to the evening, if wind conditions were not good.
New hill
In 2002, the Association for the Promotion of Skiing and the city started the process of applying for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009. The city council decided to grant NOK 52.8 million to upgrade Holmenkollen, including Holmenkollbakken, for the 2009 World Championships. Oslo lost the vote in the International Ski FederationInternational Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
(FIS) against Liberec
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
, Czech Republic, on 4 June 2004. The Norwegian Ski Federation subsequently stated that they would apply for the 2011 World Championships. The Association for the Promotion of Skiing stated that they wanted a new hill in Rødkleiva instead of expanding the existing ski flying hill in Vikersund
Vikersund
Vikersund is a town of 2,448 inhabitants in the municipality capital of Modum, in the county of Buskerud, Norway.Vikersund is located 30 kilometers south of Hønefoss and 40 kilometers northwest of Drammen. The village is located at the southwestern arm of Tyrifjorden. The Drammen river enters...
, Vikersundbakken
Vikersundbakken
Vikersundbakken is the only ski flying hill in the Nordic countries. With a hill and world record of 246,5 meters, Vikersundbakken is the world's largest ski jumping hill....
. Holmenkollbakken would then be used for the last time during as a large hill during the 2011 World Championships, and would then converted to a normal hill. In May 2005, the general assembly of the Norwegian Ski Federation voted to build a new ski flying and normal hill in Rødkleiva ahead of the 2011 World Championships. Following Vikersundbakken being awarded the FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2012
FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2012
The FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 2012 will be held 23. - 26. February 2012 in Vikersund, Norway for the fourth time. Vikersund hosted the event previously in 1977, 1990, and 2000.-Events leading up to the championships:...
in 2008, the general assembly of the Norwegian Ski Federation that year decided to terminate the plans for a ski flying hill in Rødkleiva.
On 22 September 2005, FIS stated that an all-new Holmenkollbakken would have to be built if Oslo was to host the World Championships and World Cup tournaments. FIS stated that similar reconstructions had been done with Schattenbergschanze
Schattenbergschanze
Schattenbergschanze is a ski jumping hill located in Oberstdorf, Germany. The hill has held two FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and has kicked-off the Four Hills Tournament on 30 December every year since 1952....
in Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
, Germany, and Bergiselschanze
Bergiselschanze
Bergiselschanze is a ski jumping hill located in Bergisel in Innsbruck, Austria. It is one of the more important venues in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, annually hosting the third competition of the prestigious Four Hills Tournament....
in Innsbrück
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria. In December 2005, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, it manages the Cultural Heritage Act of June 9, 1978....
gave permission for the tower to be demolished, on the condition it was replaced by a new in-run with a similar architectural quality and retain its function as a landmark. They stated that it was the activity itself that is worthy of preservation, not the structure itself. The city council made the final decision to apply for the World Championships and build a new hill on 1 March 2006. A new hill was at the time estimated to cost NOK 310 million, and the state was willing to finance NOK 70 million of those. Oslo was awarded the 2011 World Championships in May 2006.
The municipality issued a architectural design competition
Architectural design competition
An architectural design competition is a special type of competition in which an organization or government body that plans to build a new building asks for architects to submit a proposed design for a building. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals...
to rebuild the hill; Julien De Smedt
Julien De Smedt
Julien De Smedt is a Belgian-Danish architect based in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2006 he founded the architectural practice Julien De Smedt Architects Julien De Smedt (born 3 December 1975 in Brussels) is a Belgian-Danish architect based in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2006 he founded the architectural...
's proposal was selected among 104 entrants. At the time, it was estimated that the new national arena would cost NOK 653 million. Demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
of Holmenkollbakken started on 16 October 2008. The World Cup tournament in 2009 was held at Vikersundbakken instead of Holmenkollen because of the reconstruction. When the decision to reconstruct the national arena was made by the city council in 2007, it was estimated to cost NOK 653 million. By 2008, the cost had accelerated to NOK 1.2 billion, and by the following year it had reached NOK 1.8 billion. City Commissioner For Business and Culture, Anette Wiig Bryn
Anette Wiig Bryn
Anette Wiig Bryn is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party.In her younger days she was a member of the Young Conservatives.In 2004 she became city commissioner of business and culture in the city government of Oslo....
of the Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
, had to leave her position because of the cost overrun
Cost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, is an unexpected cost incurred in excess of a budgeted amount due to an under-estimation of the actual cost during budgeting...
s. A consultant report ordered by the municipality concluded that the pressure to find cost savings to stay within the budget, which was underestimated to start with, resulted in slower progress, which again resulted in higher costs.
The costs of the new large hill were NOK 715 million, while total costs for the upgrade of the national arena and infrastructure ended at NOK 2,426 million. This included the construction of a new ski stadium next to Holmenkollbakken, and Midtstubakken, and upgrades to the Holmenkollen Line. It was originally decided that the first jump would be taken by Anette Sagen
Anette Sagen
Anette Sagen is a Norwegian ski jumper from Mosjøen, and one of the best female jumpers of all time. She received a lot of media attention in 2004, when she was denied the opportunity to jump K185 in Vikersund, in spite of her good results...
, Norway's leading female jumper, on 3 March 2010. However, the organizers decided that Bjørn Einar Romøren
Bjørn Einar Romøren
Bjørn Einar Romøren is a Norwegian ski jumper representing Øvrevoll Hosle IL in Bærum.His first World Cup victory came in Bischofshofen, Austria during the Four Hills Tournament in January 2003. He has later won several World Cup competitions as well as two FIS Nordic World Ski Championships...
would be allowed to test-jump the venue the evening before. in the first ever jump in the new venue, Romøren jumped 110.0 meters. The organizers stated that Sagen's jump the following day, which reached 106.5 meters, was to be considered the official first jump. Romøren was subsequently suspended from the following World Cup round.
Facilities
Holmenkollen National Arena
Holmenkollen National Arena is a Nordic skiing and biathlon venue located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It consists of the large ski jumping hill Holmenkollbakken, the normal hill Midtstubakken and a stadium for cross-country skiing and a shooting range for biathlon...
, which also consists of a combined cross-country skiing and biathlon stadium, the normal hill Midtstubakken. Along with Granåsen
Granåsen
Granåsen is a ski jumping hill, located in Granåsen skicenter in Trondheim, Norway. The hill frequently hosts World Cup and Continental Cup competitions arranged by FIS. The hill sports one K-90 hill and one K-124 hill....
in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and Lysgårdsbakken in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Holmenkollen is one of three normal and large hill national arenas for ski jumping and Nordic skiing. The hill is the most popular tourist attraction in Norway, and has roughly one million visitors each year. Holmenkollbakken is co-located with Holmenkollen Ski Museum
Holmenkollen Ski Museum
Holmenkollen Ski Museum , located at the base of the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo, Norway, is the world's oldest ski museum, being founded in 1923....
, which presents the history of skiing. It has a simulator which allows the public to visualize a ski jump in the hill. The hill records is 139.5 meters, set by Anders Jacobsen
Anders Jacobsen (ski jumper)
Anders Jacobsen is a Norwegian ski jumper, representing Ringkollen Skiklubb, and the youngest Norwegian to have won the Four Hills Tournament. He has competed since 2003.-Early career:...
in 2011, while the women's record is 131.0 meters, set by Anette Sagen
Anette Sagen
Anette Sagen is a Norwegian ski jumper from Mosjøen, and one of the best female jumpers of all time. She received a lot of media attention in 2004, when she was denied the opportunity to jump K185 in Vikersund, in spite of her good results...
in 2006.
After the 1992 upgrades, the Olympic hill had a K-spot of 110 meters. The top of the in-run was 417 metres (1,368.1 ft) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The tower was 42 metres (137.8 ft) tall; the top of the in-run was located behind the tower and was 60 metres (196.9 ft) above the ground. The in-run was 94 metres (308.4 ft) long. The landing slope was 37 degrees at the steepest and 115 meters long. The vertical height difference between the top of the in-run and the off-run was 121 metres (397 ft).
The new hill has a hill size of 134 meteres and K-spot of 120 meteres. The steepest part of the landings slope is 35.7 degrees, which is 105.6 metres (346.5 ft) from the take-off. The angle at the hill size point is 30.8 degrees, while the width of the landing slope is 25.2 metres (82.7 ft). The in-run, built of steel, is 96.95 metres (318.1 ft) long, which is 36 degrees at the steepest. The take-off is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall. The height distance from take-off to the K-point is 59.1 metres (193.9 ft). The grandstands are made of steel and concrete, and include VIP facilities. It is the only hill in the world with a permanent wind screen built as part of the designed construction, and the only steel jump in the world. The hill is 375 metres (1,230.3 ft) above mean sea level. The venue is owned by Oslo Municipality and operated by the Association for the Promotion of Skiing.
Transport is based on that no spectators will use private cars to the venue. Instead, all spectators must use the Holmenkollen Line of the Oslo Metro. Holmenkollen Station
Holmenkollen (station)
Holmenkollen is a station on the Holmenkollen Line on the Oslo Metro, located in the Holmenkollen area, between Besserud and Voksenlia. Until 1916 when Holmenkollbanen was completed, the terminus station was Besserud and was called Holmenkollen. The station is at an elevation of above mean sea...
is located within walking distance of the large hill and cross-country stadium. Holmenkollen Station is the only one the line with platforms long enough for six cars, which allows a capacity of 9,000 people per hour.
Events
The Holmenkollen Ski FestivalHolmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
is an annual Nordic skiing event which takes places at Holmenkollen. Until 1932, jumping was part of Nordic combined, and the events were completely dominated by Norwegians. In 1903, Oslo hosted its only version of the Nordic Games
Nordic Games
The Nordic Games was the first international multi-sport event that focused primarily on winter sports, and was held at varying intervals between 1901 and 1926. It was organized by Sweden’s Central Association for the Promotion of Sports, and more specifically by Viktor Balck, a member of that...
, dubbed the Winter Sports Week. Regarded as the precursor of the Winter Olympics, the event featured among other things ski jumping in Holmenkollbakken. The Ski Festival was first held on a Sunday in 1926. Starting in 1933, there was a pure ski jumping competition, which made it easier for foreign jumping specialists to compete for the top positions. Originally, the style scores were secret, creating public discussions about the fairness of judges in even races. This was changed in 1951, when the style scores started being announced over the PA system.
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival has been regarded as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
World Championships prior to the 1924 Winter Olympics
1924 Winter Olympics
The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France...
. The Norwegian Ski Federation had been an opponent of establishing World Championships and Winter Olympics because they felt it would take away the prestige of the Ski Festival. Oslo was awarded the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1930; with exception of Sweden's Erik Rylandet who finished fifth, Norway had the top ten positions.
Holmenkollen was the venue of the Nordic skiing during the 1952 Winter Olympics
1952 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...
. Two events were held at Holmenkollbakken: ski jumping
Ski jumping at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, one ski jumping event was contested.The competition took place at the Holmenkollen ski jump with a K-Point of 72m.-Medalists:-Results:-External references:*...
and the jumping part of Nordic combined
Nordic combined at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, one Nordic combined event was contested.This marked the first time in Olympic history that the ski jumping portion of the competition was held before the 18 km cross-country skiing segment.-Medalists:...
. The exact number of people attending the ski jumping event on 24 February is not known, but it somewhere between 120,000 and 150,000, with the official report stating 143,000. The event was won by Arnfinn Bergmann
Arnfinn Bergmann
Arnfinn Bergmann was a ski jumper from Norway.He was born in Trondheim and represented the clubs SK Freidig and SFK Lyn. He won a gold medal in the normal hill event at the 1952 Winter Olympics, accompanied on the podium by Torbjørn Falkanger who won the silver medal...
ahead of Torbjørn Falkanger
Torbjørn Falkanger
Torbjørn Falkanger is a retired Norwegian ski jumper who was active in the late 1940s and early 1950s.Falkanger earned a silver medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics in ski jumping and also won the Holmenkollen ski festival ski jumping competition twice...
, both from Norway, and Karl Holmström
Karl Holmström
Karl "Bratt-Kalle" Holmström was a Swedish ski jumper who competed in the 1950s. He won a Bronze medal in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.-External links:...
of Sweden.
The next World Championship was held in 1966. By then both normal and large hill competitions had been introduced, and the normal hill competition would be held at Midtstubakken, as they would later also be done in 1982 and 2011. The 1966 large hill competition was won by Norway's Bjørn Wirkola
Bjørn Wirkola
Bjørn Wirkola is former ski jumper and footballer from Norway.He became World Champion in Oslo in 1966, winning both the large and normal hill competitions...
, while the 1982 event was won by Matti Nykänen
Matti Nykänen
Matti Ensio Nykänen is a Finnish former ski jumper who won five Olympic medals , nine World Championships medals and 22 Finnish Championships medals . Most notably, Nykänen won three gold medals at the 1988 Winter Olympics, becoming, along with Yvonne van Gennip of the Netherlands, the most...
of Finland.
From the 1979–80 season
1979–80 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
The 1979-80 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup began in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on 27 December 1979 and finished in Štrbské Pleso, Czechoslovakia on 25 March 1980...
, FIS introduced the Ski Jumping World Cup. The FIS Nordic Combined World Cup was first held in the 1983–84 season. By 1990, a conflict had arisen between the ski jumpers and the International Ski Federation. On the day of the Ski Festival, the jumpers collectively demanded NOK 150,000 in increased prize money, or threatened to not jump. It was stated that the money would be used for charity, such as resurrecting Romanian ski jumping. The demand was rejected by the organizers, who stated that they would have to disqualify the jumpers, as they would be regarded as professionals
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
, rather than amateurs
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
. Since 1997, the World Cup jumps in Holmenkollen have been part of the Nordic Tournament
Nordic Tournament
The Nordic Tournament is an annual ski jumping tournament that is a part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. The tournament started in 1997 as a counterpart to the widely successful Four Hills Tournament in Germany and Austria...
, which includes four successive jumps in four Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish ski jumps, inspired by the Four Hills Tournament
Four Hills Tournament
The Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
.
During summer, the old hill had a lake, which made it possible to use the amphitheater for concerts, plays and entertainment. The venue was then often referred to as Sommerkollen. From 1963, a temporary, small in-run was built down the southern grandstand, which allowed skiers and divers to make a jump and land in the water. Between 1963 and 1983, a competition was held nine times. Starting in 1983 was Ta sjansen, which was televised annually by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and became Sommerkollen's most popular show. It was an informal competition with two main events: one where a home-made craft was to first slide down a short in-run and then slide along the water surface to hit a mounted bell in the shortest possible time. The other was a cycling competition where the cyclist had to complete a track on a wobbly floating wharf.