Nansen Ski Jump, also known as The Big Nansen and The Sleeping Giant, is a

ski jump Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...

located along Route 16 in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. Built in 1936, it was the largest ski jump of its time. It is now within the Nansen Ski Jump State Historic Site, a New Hampshire state park, which also features a picnic area and boat launch on the

Androscoggin River The Androscoggin River ( Abenaki: ''Aləssíkαntekʷ'') is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ...

. Named for Norwegian explorer and humanitarian

Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 186113 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. He led the team t ...

, the ski jump has been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Description

The Nansen Ski Jump is just north of the

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

city line. It was constructed in 1936 by the city of Berlin and the

National Youth Administration The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a New Deal agency sponsored by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidency. It focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 25. It operated from June 26, 1935 to ...

and was once the largest of its time. The ski jump has a steel frame and is in length. It has a tower, a vertical drop, and a descent angle of approximately 37.5 degrees. The jump is approximately a K-80 jump. However, the trestle and outrun hill do not conform to modern specifications.

History

For almost fifty years this was the largest ski jump in the eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and the foremost jump in the country. The architect of the ski jump was John Barnard Nichol, a resident of neighboring Berlin. The Nansen Ski Jump was the site of major championship ski jumping competitions. In 1938, the first Olympic trials were held at the Nansen Ski Jump. The jump was closed in 1988. In November 2011, a

New Hampshire historical marker The U.S. state of New Hampshire has, since 1958, placed historical markers at locations that are deemed significant to New Hampshire history. The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources (DHR) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are j ...

( number 227) was placed to commemorate the ski jump. Over time the ski jump devolved into a state of disrepair. In 2015, brush clearing work was started as Phase 1 toward a goal of restoring the site so visitors can view it as it once was. The state of New Hampshire owns and manages the jumping facility as a state park. In 2016 and 2017, repairs to the ski jump's decking were made by Knollstone Contracting of

Bow, New Hampshire Bow is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,229 at the 2020 census, up from 7,519 at the 2010 census, an increase of 9.4%. History The town was granted by the authorities of New Hampshire to Jonathan W ...

, in preparation for a celebratory jump by Olympian

Sarah Hendrickson Sarah Catherine Hendrickson (born August 1, 1994) is an American retired ski jumper. She won the inaugural women's World Cup season in 2012, finished runner-up in 2013, and won an individual gold medal at the 2013 World Championships. Career ...

, which occurred early in the morning of March 4, 2017. In January 2019, the state agreed to allow the Friends of Big Nansen to continue renovations of the jump and to hold ski jumping and other events at the site. In February 2019, it was announced that plans were underway to return competition ski jumping to the jump.

References

Northern White Mountain Chamber of Commerce

New Hampshire History and Heritage Guide

External links

Nansen Ski Jump State Historic Site
New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Photo set:
Nansen Ski Jump as seen in the summer of 1999
Berlin New Hampshire History
at Weebly.com {{authority control Buildings and structures in Coös County, New Hampshire Ski jumping venues in the United States Tourist attractions in Coös County, New Hampshire State parks of New Hampshire 1936 establishments in New Hampshire 1988 disestablishments in New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places in Coös County, New Hampshire National Youth Administration