Tag Archives: Ski Jumping

NCAA Skiing Championships

The 2014 NCAA Skiing Championships begin today and run through Saturday. Hosted by the University of Utah Utes, alpine events will be held at Park City Mountain Resort and nordic races at Soldier Hollow Resort.  Will the University of Colorado Buffaloes defend their 2013 championship?  Will the University of Vermont Catamounts extend their undefeated streak?

To follow, found vintage photos of a collegiate theme, from a tough-as-nails coach to winter carnival races.

willy schaeffler ski coach university denverDENVER’S DRILLMASTER  The menacing figure above, glowering in a perfectionist’s displeasure at the nation’s finest college ski team, is Willy Schaeffler, who is probably more things to more people than anyone else in the ski world.  To the racers on his University of Denver ski teams, which long ago captured dominance of intercollegiate skiing from Dartmouth, he is a driving tutor and a merciless conditioner.  From The Book of American Skiing by Ezra Bowen, 1963

pete kirby dartmouth ski team captain 1956 quebec canada1956 Press Photo:  Pete Kirby, senior from Quebec, Canada, will captain Dartmouth’s ski team which will bid for the National Collegiate championship at Winter Park this weekend.  Kirby and his Indian mates have rolled up a 4-0 record this year to lead eastern teams.  He competes in the downhill and slalom events.

peggy johnson mcgill university montreal ski race winner lake placid new york son birds12/29/1938:  Miss Peggy Johanssen, of McGill University, and of Montreal, who won both the downhill and slalom races in the 13th annual college week invitation ski tournament sponsored by the Sno Birds of Lake Placid Club.  Slalom race was held today and the downhill race yesterday at Scotts Cobble, a few miles from here.  Photo by Odie Monahan for Lake Placid Club

elizabeth durrance skidmore college winter carnival ski racer win1/9/1938 AP Photo:  OF AN OLD SKI FAMILY  Miss Elizabeth Durrance is a member of the famous skiing family.  A freshman at Skidmore College at Saratoga, N.Y. she won the women’s slalom event at the school’s winter carnival Jan. 8.  Pretty, too.

vintage photo ski jump jumper new hampshireSki jumping for New Hampshire, date unknown.

vintage photo ski jump jumper new hampshire trophy win winnerWinner!

university new hampshire ski sweater 1933 vintage University of New Hampshire sweater, 1933.

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Sochi 2014: Jumping into History

johanne kolstad hilda braskeruds ski jump vintage norway womenJohanne Kolstad and Hilda “Nusse” Braskeruds of Norway, pioneers of women’s ski jumping in the 1930s.

johanne kolstad hilda braskeruds ski jump vintage norway womenKolstad (left) toured the U.S. for five years in the mid-1930’s jumping at exhibitions. She was popular with fans and known as The Queen of Skis (or Skies) or The Wonder Girl.  Her 1938 world record jump of 72 meters at Berlin, New Hampshire remained unbroken until 1972.

johanne kolstad hilda braskeruds ski jump vintage norway womenAll vintage photos from the book Hopp, Jenter- Hopp! (Jump, Girls, Jump!) by Karin Berg.

sochi 2014 ski jump women japan sara takanashi Sara Takanshi of Japan in flight off the normal hill at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.  Photo:  AP/ Matthias Schrader

carina vogt germany sochi 2014 women ski jump champion gold medalFebruary 11, 2014 – Carina Vogt of Germany earned the first-ever Olympic gold medal awarded for women’s ski jumping.  Photo:  AP/ Matthias Schrader

sochi 2014 women ski jump daniela irashchko stolz austriaDaniela Iraschko-Stolz of Austria flies over the Olympic rings.  Photo:  AP/ Matthias Schrader

Finally!  It seems crazy that this is a landmark in 2014 – but given that gender inequality has plagued ski jumping at the Olympic level – there is reason for celebration with the Sochi Winter Games.  The U.S. Women’s team — lead by World Champion Lindsey Van, Sarah Hendrickson and Jessica Jerome – has tirelessly fought for the inclusion of women’s ski jumping in the Olympics.  Tuesday, that became a reality.

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Ski Legend: Alf Engen

alf engen ski jump jumper 1936 norge norway1/19/1936 Press Photo:  Alf Engen, winner of the thirtieth annual ski meet of the Norge Ski Club held at Fox River Grove, Ill.  He set a new hill record of one hundred and ninety four feet, 11 ft. over the existing hill mark which was made by Kaare Walberg, member of the Olympic team in 1932.

Alf Engen came from Norway to the United States in 1929.  He dominated ski jumping competition in the 1930’s and 1940’s and was a pioneer of alpine skiing as well, focusing on powder skiing technique.  The ski champion went on to become instrumental in the design and development of the quintessential American ski resorts of Alta, Utah, Sun Valley, Idaho and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  He ran the ski school at Alf Engen Ski School Alta until 1989 and passed away in 1997.  Engen is a true ski legend and his enormous contribution to skiing in this country is commemorated by the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City, Utah.

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