Nels Nelsen Hill
Encyclopedia
Nels Nelsen Hill, originally Big Hill, is an abandoned ski jumping hill
complex located in Mount Revelstoke National Park
near Revelstoke, British Columbia
, Canada
. Originally built in 1916, it was the first ski jumping venue in Canada and saw four world records set until 1933. Between 1939 and 1948 the hill was disused, but was rebuilt as a K-80
hill from then, when it took the new name in honor of Nels Nelsen
, a local ski jumper who had among other things set a world record in the hill. From 1949, it was the venue of the Tournament of Champions, as well as many other events, including the 1949 edition of the Western Canada Western Canada Ski Championships. There was also a small K-60 hill, and other hills even smaller, in the vicinity. The last major tournament was held in 1974, and the last use was in 1975. It has since fallen into disrepair.
competitions, ski jumping competitions for boys under 16 and the title of Champion of British Columbia. The inaugurate tournament was won by Nels Nelson.
One of the jury members for the jumping competition, Ambassador Iverson of Norway, helped find a suitable location for a new, permanent ski jumping hill. The site would allow for world-record jumps, and the natural inclination of the hill allowed this to be done without an artificial tower. Located within the national park, a lease was obtained and it was financed through a $1,200 grant from the chamber of commerce and the municipality. Revelstoke was at the time the largest interior town in British Columbia, and being located right on the Canadian Pacific Railway
mainline, was easily accessible. The venue was first used for the 1916 Winter Carnival, in which Nelsen set a hill record at 183'. He would beat his own record several times, and keep the hill record until 1932. The tournament gradually developed, and by 1921 it was costing $5,800 to hold. Three thousand spectators watched the games, which saw large portions of the world elite compete. To accommodate the extra spectators, Canadian Pacific Railway stationed sleeping cars at Revelstoke to supplement the hotels. In 1922, Isabel Coursier made a debut as the first women to jump solo in the hill. In 1923, the tournament peaked with 99 participating ski jumpers and with Nelsen setting a new hill record at 202'. In 1925, while sick with the flu, Nelsen set a world record of 73 meters (240 ft), which remained until 1930.
In 1928, the hill was expanded to allow for jumps to 260'. A car was offered to anyone able to beat Nelsen's record jump at the Big Hill, provided that at least three outside jumpers participated in the competition. The prize was offered by local fur dealer J. H. Munro, who hoped to attract the world elite to Revelstoke. Many of the worlds best attended that years tournament, such as Henry Hall, Henry Lien, Ivan Knudsen and Alf Engen
. Again, Nelsen won the race, but failed to break his own record. The record was broken by Adolph Badrut at Tremplin de Bretaye
in Swtizerland in 1930, who jumped 75 metres (246.1 ft). However, Bob Lymburne was able to again claim the world record for the Big Hill, when he jumped 82 metres (269 ft) in 1932.
On 15 January 1939, the Big Bend Ski Jump replaced Big Hill. It was located just north of town, allowing for easy walking to the venue, and easier maintenance. It had been built to allow Revelstoke to host the Western Canada Ski Championships. It was a success for Revelstoke, with "ski trains" being set up from Vancouver
to bring people in from the city to watch the events. The championships were broadcast on radio and received unprecedented newspaper attention for a Revelstoke skiing event. During World War II
there were no major tournaments, although junior tournaments remained. In 1946, the Big Bend was renamed Hans Gunnarsen Ski Jump in honor of local jumper Hans Gunnarsen, who died in action. In 1947, Revelstoke again hosted the Western Canadian Ski Championships.
In April 1948, the Big Hill was rebuilt and renamed Nels Nelsen Hill. With grants from the National Parks Department
, Revelstoke Ski Club rebuilt the hill to meet the profile criteria set by the International Ski Federation
, giving the hill a construction point
of 80 metres (262.5 ft). The first tournament was the International Invitational Ski Jumping Tournament, which was held in March 1949 and spectated by 2,500 people. It was inaugurated by Art Johnson and the tournament was won by Petter Hugsted
of Norway, who jumped 75 meters (247 ft). In 1950, the first Tournament of Champions was held, which hosted seven invited Norwegian jumpers. Art Johnson re-mortgaged his home for $8000 to pay for the expenses of the Norwegians. The event was won by Arnfinn Bergmann
. The tournament was held throughout the 1950s and started attracting jumpers from Sweden, Finland, Germany and Japan. The 1958 edition was the first to be televised, although this brought fewer spectators. That year's event saw a new hill record of 270' be made by Norway's Odd Brevik. The following year, Finland's Kalevi Kärkinen
broke the record, reaching 85 m (278 ft).
In 1961, the wooden judge's tower was replaced by a new one in steel. Tournaments were held every year except in 1963, when it had to be canceled due to lack of snow. The 1960s also saw the construction of a smaller hill with a construction point of 60 metres (196.9 ft), which was used for Olympic trials. The town even considered placing a bid for the 1968 Winter Olympics
. However, throughout the 1960s, the interest for ski jumping was declining, with subsequent consequences for the number of spectators. The North American Nordic Championships was held in 1962, and two years later the venue hosted the Canadian Nordic Championships, attracting crowds of up to 3,000 spectators. In 1967, Kjell Sjöberg
set a Canadian jumping record of 94.5 meters (310 ft). The Tournament of Champions continued into the early in 1970s. The last major tournament in Nels Nelson Hill was the Western Canadian Ski Jumping Tournament in February 1974, and Canadian Junior and Senior Ski Jumping Championship, and International Cross Country Championship in March. The last tournament was a junior event held in 1975.
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...
complex located in Mount Revelstoke National Park
Mount Revelstoke National Park
Mount Revelstoke National Park is located adjacent to the city of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. The park is relatively small for a national park, covering 260 square kilometres. It is located in the Selkirk Mountains and was founded in 1914...
near Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River...
, 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...
. Originally built in 1916, it was the first ski jumping venue in Canada and saw four world records set until 1933. Between 1939 and 1948 the hill was disused, but was rebuilt as a K-80
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...
hill from then, when it took the new name in honor of Nels Nelsen
Nels Nelsen
Nels Nelsen , born Nils Johan Nilsen and sometimes incorrectly referred to as Nels Nelson, was a Norwegian-born Canadian ski jumper and later ski jumping organizer. He was among the world's best ski jumpers during the 1920s, and held the world record of 73 meters from 1925 to 1930...
, a local ski jumper who had among other things set a world record in the hill. From 1949, it was the venue of the Tournament of Champions, as well as many other events, including the 1949 edition of the Western Canada Western Canada Ski Championships. There was also a small K-60 hill, and other hills even smaller, in the vicinity. The last major tournament was held in 1974, and the last use was in 1975. It has since fallen into disrepair.
History
Skiing in Revelstoke started in 1890 with the influx of Norwegian immigrants, who took their tradition of home-made skies to the area. Small ski jumps were by the early 1910s being built all around town and it was a major pastime during the winter. Revelstoke Ski Club was founded in 1914, and by the following year had reached 102 members. The pinnacle of the club was the annual Winter Carnival Tournament. The first tournament was held in 1915, and had, in addition to cross-country skiingCross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
competitions, ski jumping competitions for boys under 16 and the title of Champion of British Columbia. The inaugurate tournament was won by Nels Nelson.
One of the jury members for the jumping competition, Ambassador Iverson of Norway, helped find a suitable location for a new, permanent ski jumping hill. The site would allow for world-record jumps, and the natural inclination of the hill allowed this to be done without an artificial tower. Located within the national park, a lease was obtained and it was financed through a $1,200 grant from the chamber of commerce and the municipality. Revelstoke was at the time the largest interior town in British Columbia, and being located right on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
mainline, was easily accessible. The venue was first used for the 1916 Winter Carnival, in which Nelsen set a hill record at 183'. He would beat his own record several times, and keep the hill record until 1932. The tournament gradually developed, and by 1921 it was costing $5,800 to hold. Three thousand spectators watched the games, which saw large portions of the world elite compete. To accommodate the extra spectators, Canadian Pacific Railway stationed sleeping cars at Revelstoke to supplement the hotels. In 1922, Isabel Coursier made a debut as the first women to jump solo in the hill. In 1923, the tournament peaked with 99 participating ski jumpers and with Nelsen setting a new hill record at 202'. In 1925, while sick with the flu, Nelsen set a world record of 73 meters (240 ft), which remained until 1930.
In 1928, the hill was expanded to allow for jumps to 260'. A car was offered to anyone able to beat Nelsen's record jump at the Big Hill, provided that at least three outside jumpers participated in the competition. The prize was offered by local fur dealer J. H. Munro, who hoped to attract the world elite to Revelstoke. Many of the worlds best attended that years tournament, such as Henry Hall, Henry Lien, Ivan Knudsen and Alf Engen
Alf Engen
Alf Engen was a Norwegian-American skier and skiing school owner/teacher. Alf Engen set several ski jumping world records during the 1930s.-Background:...
. Again, Nelsen won the race, but failed to break his own record. The record was broken by Adolph Badrut at Tremplin de Bretaye
Tremplin de Bretaye
Tremplin de Bretaye was a ski jumping hill located at Villars in Switzerland. Owned by SC Villars, it had a K-point at 80 meters.Three world records in the ski jumping has been set at Tremplin de Bretaye.-World records:-External links:...
in Swtizerland in 1930, who jumped 75 metres (246.1 ft). However, Bob Lymburne was able to again claim the world record for the Big Hill, when he jumped 82 metres (269 ft) in 1932.
On 15 January 1939, the Big Bend Ski Jump replaced Big Hill. It was located just north of town, allowing for easy walking to the venue, and easier maintenance. It had been built to allow Revelstoke to host the Western Canada Ski Championships. It was a success for Revelstoke, with "ski trains" being set up from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
to bring people in from the city to watch the events. The championships were broadcast on radio and received unprecedented newspaper attention for a Revelstoke skiing event. During 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...
there were no major tournaments, although junior tournaments remained. In 1946, the Big Bend was renamed Hans Gunnarsen Ski Jump in honor of local jumper Hans Gunnarsen, who died in action. In 1947, Revelstoke again hosted the Western Canadian Ski Championships.
In April 1948, the Big Hill was rebuilt and renamed Nels Nelsen Hill. With grants from the National Parks Department
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
, Revelstoke Ski Club rebuilt the hill to meet the profile criteria set by 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...
, giving the hill 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 80 metres (262.5 ft). The first tournament was the International Invitational Ski Jumping Tournament, which was held in March 1949 and spectated by 2,500 people. It was inaugurated by Art Johnson and the tournament was won by Petter Hugsted
Petter Hugsted
Petter Hugsted was a champion Norwegian ski jumper. Born in Kongsberg, he won the Olympic gold medal in Ski Jumping in 1948 Winter Olympics at St. Moritz. This was impressive, especially after being held in the Grini concentration camp during the German occupation of Norway...
of Norway, who jumped 75 meters (247 ft). In 1950, the first Tournament of Champions was held, which hosted seven invited Norwegian jumpers. Art Johnson re-mortgaged his home for $8000 to pay for the expenses of the Norwegians. 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...
. The tournament was held throughout the 1950s and started attracting jumpers from Sweden, Finland, Germany and Japan. The 1958 edition was the first to be televised, although this brought fewer spectators. That year's event saw a new hill record of 270' be made by Norway's Odd Brevik. The following year, Finland's Kalevi Kärkinen
Kalevi Kärkinen
Kalevi Kärkinen is a Finnish ski jumper who competed in the early 1960s. He won the Four Hills Tournament event at Innsbruck in the 1960-61 season.-References:...
broke the record, reaching 85 m (278 ft).
In 1961, the wooden judge's tower was replaced by a new one in steel. Tournaments were held every year except in 1963, when it had to be canceled due to lack of snow. The 1960s also saw the construction of a smaller hill with a construction point of 60 metres (196.9 ft), which was used for Olympic trials. The town even considered placing a 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...
. However, throughout the 1960s, the interest for ski jumping was declining, with subsequent consequences for the number of spectators. The North American Nordic Championships was held in 1962, and two years later the venue hosted the Canadian Nordic Championships, attracting crowds of up to 3,000 spectators. In 1967, Kjell Sjöberg
Kjell Sjöberg
Kjell Sjöberg is a Swedish ski jumper who competed during the 1960s. He won a bronze medal in the individual large hill competition at the 1966 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo....
set a Canadian jumping record of 94.5 meters (310 ft). The Tournament of Champions continued into the early in 1970s. The last major tournament in Nels Nelson Hill was the Western Canadian Ski Jumping Tournament in February 1974, and Canadian Junior and Senior Ski Jumping Championship, and International Cross Country Championship in March. The last tournament was a junior event held in 1975.