Trampolino Gigante Corno d'Aola ( it, Trampolino del Littorio) is an abandoned K90

ski jumping hill A ski jumping hill is a sports venue used for ski jumping. They vary in size from temporary handmade snow structures to permanent competition venues. At the top is an in-run where the jumper runs down to generate sufficient speed, before reaching ...

Ponte di Legno Ponte di Legno ( Camunian: ) is an Italian ''comune'' of 1,729 inhabitants in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, in Lombardy. Geography Situated at the confluence of the two source rivers of the Oglio, Ponte di Legno is the uppermost comune of V ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

opened in 1929.

History

In 1928, hill located at 1258 meters above sea and designed by Adolf Badrutt, a Swiss ski jumper and world record holder, in the last town of the

Val Camonica Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard: ''Al Camònega'') is one of the largest valleys of the central Alps, in eastern Lombardy, Italy. It extends about from the Tonale Pass to Corna Trentapassi, in the ...

valley was completed. On 24 February 1929, hill was officially opened in front of 20,000 spectators by

Edda Mussolini Edda Ciano, Countess of Cortellazzo and Buccari (''née'' Mussolini; 1 September 1910 – 9 April 1995) was the daughter of Benito Mussolini, Italy's fascist dictator from 1922 to 1943. Her husband, the fascist propagandist and Foreign Minister ...

, mother of Italian prime minister

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

. The participants had exceptional prizes, given the period, this was possible thanks to the sponsors of that time: large companies and paramilitary organizations. On 16 February 1930, Ernesto Zardini from

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

fell at world record distance at 76 metres (249 feet). In 1931, late January or early February, Polish ski jumper

Bronisław Czech Bronisław "Bronek" Czech (; 25 July 1908 – 4 June 1944) was a Polish sportsman and artist. A gifted skier, he won championships of Poland 24 times in various skiing disciplines, including Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and ski jumping. A m ...

fell at 79.5 metres (261 ft) world record distance, although some judges recognized it as official, never internationally recognized. On 17 March 1935, Swiss Fritz Kainersdörfer jumped 99.5 meters (326 ft) and set the only official

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

on this hill. Later that day history was made, when

Olav Ulland Olav Ulland (23 November 1910 – 7 June 2003) was a Norwegian-American ski jumper who competed during the 1930s and 1940s. Career He took 5th place at World Championships 1930 in Oslo. He coached the Italian ski jumping team at Winter Oly ...

from Norway fell at 103.5 metres (340 ft) and became first man ever to beat one hundred meter mark in ski jumping, although it was invalid and didn't count as he should be standing for record to be officially recognized. In March 1936, shortly after Bradl's historic WR jump,

Bruno Da Col Bruno Da Col (25 February 1913 – 29 July 1995) was an Italian ski jumper. He competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics and the 1948 Winter Olympics. In the town of Ponte di Legno Ponte di Legno ( Camunian: ) is an Italian ''comune'' of 1,729 ...

jumped 100.5 metres and set first ever jump in Italy over hundred meters for which he received a golden medal of honour by Benito Mussolini. The hill attracted many visitors each year from all over Europe. After the war, when it was enlarged and renamed as Gigante (Giant), interest for this sport in Italy rapidly diminished. On 16 February 1949, at the Italian National Championships, Bruno Da Col set the all-time official hill record at 110.5 metres (363 feet), tied years later at the last hill competition. On 14 February 1966 hill hosted the last competition, famous Kongsberg Cup, where an official hill record was set and tied by West German Henrik Ohlmeyer who jumped 110.5 meters (363 ft). Italian ski jumper Giacomo Aimoni claimed that he jumped 114 meters (374 ft) at training, but this jump was never officially recognized as hill record.

Ski jumping world records

Trampolino di Ponte di Legno - coppa Konsberg 1966

The first jump in history over 100 meters (although with fall) was set by

here in 1935. Not recognized! Fall at world record distance.

References

External links

Trampolino Gigante Corno d'Aola (Trampolino del Littorio)
skisprungschanzen.com {{coord missing, Italy Ski jumping venues in Italy