The Côte Feuillée stadium is a venue with

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 ...

s, located in

Chaux-Neuve Chaux-Neuve () is a Communes of France, commune in the Doubs Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Doubs department References

...

in the

French department In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...

Doubs Doubs (, ; ; ) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. Built with the in mind, the site has hosted

Nordic Combined World Cup The FIS Nordic Combined World Cup is a Nordic combined competition organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS), representing the highest level of international competition for men and women in the sport. It was first introduced in the 198 ...

events since 1996. Over time, the Chaux-Neuve stage has become a key stop in this competition. The stadium also hosts summer competitions and, in 2018, served as the finish line for the Transjurassienne race. The Côte Feuillée stadium has five ski jumping hills constructed in 1989 and 1995. The largest hill has been progressively improved and was upgraded to HS 118 status in 2010.HS: hill size, an English term used for "size of the ski jump." The associated number corresponds to the longest jump that can be made safely. The hill record is held by Swiss jumper Sandro Hauswirth, with a distance of 121.5 meters.

Geography

The ski jumps are located in

...

, in Franche-Comté. This small commune in the

Doubs Doubs (, ; ; ) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.Jura Mountain Range, 6 km south of

Mouthe Mouthe () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. The town is known for having the coldest recorded temperature in France. Geography The town is located south of Pontarlier in the Jura ...

, a village nicknamed "The Little Siberia of France" due to its record low temperature of −36.7 °C, the coldest ever recorded in France. Mouthe traditionally hosts the finish line for the Transjurassienne race.

History

Ski jumping competitions have been held in

...

since the early 20th century. The Ski Club du Risoux was established in 1909. In 1965, the municipality of Chaux-Neuve initiated a project to construct an Olympic-sized ski jump, which was supported by a grant from the Directorate of Youth and Sports. However, difficulties encountered concerning earthworks and funding led to the project being terminated. Two decades later, neighboring communes collaborated to construct the stadium, primarily in preparation for the . The ski jump was constructed between 1989 and 1990 under the direction of architect Gérard Boucton, at an approximate cost of 15 million francs. The ski jump was inaugurated in January 1990; however, the Junior World Championships were relocated due to insufficient snow in Chaux-Neuve. In December 1990, the stadium hosted a round of the . Since 1996, it has been the site of an annual Nordic Combined World Cup event. In 2005, the hill was reclassified as HS 100. In 2010, the largest hill underwent renovations costing 6 million euros. These renovations included an extension and refrigeration of the track, which enabled the hill to be upgraded to HS 118. In 2012, the hills were equipped with plastic landing areas, allowing for year-round use. At one juncture, Chaux-Neuve was under consideration as a prospective venue for the ski jumping events of the

2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games The 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games (; ; ; ), officially known as the III Winter Youth Olympic Games and commonly known as Lausanne 2020 (Italian language, Italian and Romansh language, Romansh: ''Losanna 2020''), were the third edition of the ...

. However, it was ultimately not selected to host the ski jumping and Nordic combined events. Instead, the organizing committee chose the site. In 2018, the finish line of the Transjurassienne race was set at the base of the hill for the first time due to insufficient snowfall in

Description of the stadium

The Côte Feuillée stadium features five ski jumps built in 1989 and 1995. Three jumps were constructed in 1989: the K 90, the K 57, and the K 28. The two beginner jumps, the K 10 and the K 8, were added in 1995. The most significant increase has been observed in the K 90, which has been progressively upgraded to a K 106 ( HS 118). In addition, the facility has included a refrigerated inrun track measuring 98 meters since 2010. As of 2016, the K 57 jump has a comparable system. Since 2012, the landing areas of the jumps have been covered in plastic, allowing for year-round use. Over time, the stadium has been equipped with additional facilities, including bleachers, a control tower, a rotunda serving as a locker room, a press room, a referee's room, a chairlift, and snow cannons. These upgrades were necessary to maintain the stadium's status as part of the international circuit. The three largest jumps are certified by the , while the two largest are also certified by the

International Ski Federation The International Ski and Snowboard Federation, also known as FIS (), is the highest international governing body for skiing and snowboarding. It was previously known as the International Ski Federation () until 26 May 2022 when the name was cha ...

. Many cross-country ski trails, with lengths ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers, are situated close to the jump. In 2015, a footbridge was constructed, and the trail system underwent modifications in 2016. The course was shortened from 2.5 km to 2 km, enabling athletes to traverse the stadium five times, facilitating snow maintenance, and enhancing spectator engagement along the course. The cross-country race finish line is situated at the landing jump area. File:Samse Summer Tour 2019 - Chaux-Neuve - 16.jpg, The building at the top of the ski jump File:Samse Summer Tour 2019 - Chaux-Neuve - 12.jpg, The starting area of the Grand tremplin File:Samse Summer Tour 2019 - Chaux-Neuve - 11.jpg, The springboard File:Samse Summer Tour 2019 - Chaux-Neuve - 14.jpg, What a jumper sees when seated File:Samse Summer Tour 2019 - Chaux-Neuve - 08.jpg, The judges' tower File:La Côte Feuillée Chaux Neuve - 08.jpg, The footbridge used for cross-country events

Events hosted at the stadium

Nordic combined World Cup

The

event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...

, originally scheduled for December 1993, was ultimately relocated to Saint-Moritz due to inclement weather conditions. Two years later, volunteers from three clubs (AS Mouthe, the Ski Club of Mont Noir, and the Risoux Club) established the Association for an International Nordic Stadium intending to manage international events at the ski jumping hill. In 1996, the stadium hosted its inaugural Nordic Combined World Cup event, which paid tribute to local athletes Fabrice Guy and Sylvain Guillaume. In 1999 and 2000, the events were co-organized with Switzerland, as the stages were still held over a weekend. The ski jumping took place in Chaux-Neuve on Saturday, and the cross-country skiing event was held in

Le Brassus Le Brassus is a village in the Vallée de Joux in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is part of the Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality Le Chenit.Canton of Vaud Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms bears the motto "Liberté et patrie" on a white-green bicolou ...

) on Sunday. However, due to a broadcasting rights’ issue, the competitions could not be aired live. In 2003, the event exhibited a deficit of €45,000. In 2009, the competition returned, having been revitalized by the participation of

Jason Lamy-Chappuis Jason Lamy-Chappuis (born September 9, 1986) is a Franco-American former ski jumper and cross-country skier who has represented France in Nordic combined ski events between 2002 and 2015, then in the 2017-18 season. Born in the United States, w ...

. The event attracted approximately 30,000 international spectators over a weekend, with a budget of around €400,000 and the involvement of 400 volunteers. In 2012, three races were held.

Alessandro Pittin Alessandro Pittin, (born 11 February 1990 in Tolmezzo) is an Italian nordic combined athlete from Ski club Aldo Moro Paluzza. Career In the World Cup at Schonach in 2009, Pittin came in 9th place. He had previously won the Junior World Champio ...

achieved a triple victory in front of 15,000 spectators. In 2019, the "Triple" was hosted in Chaux-Neuve, replacing

Seefeld in Tirol Seefeld in Tirol is an old farming village, now a major tourist resort, in Innsbruck-Land District in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol with a local population of 3,312 (as of 1 January 2013). The village is located about northwest of Inn ...

. For fifteen years, this event has become a significant and integral component of the Nordic Combined World Cup. The event is held in high regard by numerous athletes, including

Felix Gottwald Felix Gottwald (born 13 January 1976 in Zell am See, Austria, now resides in Salzburg, Austria) is an Austrian Nordic combined athlete who competed from 1994 to 2007 and then returned to compete in 2009. He is , weighing . Gottwald made his Ol ...

Mario Stecher Mario Stecher (born 17 July 1977, in Eisenerz) is an Austrian former Nordic combined skier. Competing in six Winter Olympics, he won three medals in the 4 x 5 km team event with two golds (2006, 2010) and a bronze (2002). Stecher's best indi ...

, and

, who compares it to the "Alpe d'Huez of Nordic Combined." In the 2020 season, no World Cup events were held due to the scheduling of the

Winter Youth Olympic Games Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event for athletes aged 15 to 18 years old. Organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with ...

. The 2021 edition was similarly cancelled as a consequence of the global

pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...

caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The organizers were required to attract a significant number of spectators to balance the event's budget and were concerned about the potential impact of a closed-door edition. The World Cup resumed its place on the calendar in 2023. In 2022, it was announced that the associations responsible for the World Cups in Chaux-Neuve and the Station des Rousses (cross-country skiing) would merge into Nordic Événements. However, the 2023 edition was ultimately canceled due to a lack of snow, and the 2024 competition was also called off due to insufficient financial resources.

Summer Grand Prix of Nordic combined

In the wake of the 2024 World Cup's cancellation, the organizing committee has pivoted its focus to hosting races for the 2024 Summer Grand Prix.

Other competitions

The ski jump was originally constructed with the in mind, scheduled to take place in late January 1990. However, due to the rapid melting of the snow, the junior championships could not be held on the ski jump as planned. Instead, the inaugural event was held on January 14, 1990, with an OPA Cup. After the conclusion of construction, the stadium served as the venue for a event in December 1990. The race was won by Fabrice Guy, a local athlete. The ski jump has also been used for the French national championships, notably in 2015, and the Swiss championships in ski jumping and Nordic combined. In March 2018, the finals of the and the Alpen Cup in ski jumping were held at the site. During these events, , a Swiss athlete, set the hill record with a jump of 121.5 meters. Summer competitions, including ski jumping and Nordic combined (on rollerskis), have been organized at the hill since its creation.

Results and records

Results of World Cup competitions

Results of Summer Grand Prix competitions

Women

Men

Hill records

Men

Women

Personalities linked to the stadium

* Fabrice Guy: Originally from

, he became the Olympic champion in Nordic combined at

Albertville Albertville (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is best k ...

in 1992 and won the World Cup in the same year. * Sylvain Guillaume: Originally from Foncine-le-Haut, he won two Olympic medals. *

: Originally from

Bois-d'Amont Bois-d'Amont () is a commune in the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Jura department The following is a list of the 492 communes of the Jura department of France. Th ...

, he is the Olympic champion in 2010 at the

Vancouver Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

, a four-time World Champion (individual in 2011 on the large hill in Holmenkollen and in 2013 on the small hill in

Val di Fiemme 300px, Location of the Fiemme Valley in Trentino. 300px, The Passo_Lusia.html" ;"title="Lagorai seen from Passo Lusia">Lagorai seen from Passo Lusia. Fiemme Valley (, ) is a valley in the Trentino Provinces of Italy, province, i.e. the southern ...

, team events, and sprint relay), and a three-time Nordic combined World Cup winner (2010, 2011, and 2012).

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* Sports resource: * {{Portal, Architecture Ski jumping venues in France Sports venues completed in 1990 Ski jumping Olympic medalists in Nordic combined