Ski Jump In Leavenworth?

[Jens]

Anybody try the ski jumping at Leavenworth?

I'd love to try it.

If I stayed way forward on my monster DH boards would I be OK, (anotherwards is the jump not that big)?

 

Anybody check it out?

[ski_photomatt]

My brother and I checked it out a couple years ago. He jumped; I didn't. As I remember, they required you to wear a helmet and possibly sign a waver, though I'm not sure about the waver. There are at least two different size jumps, one large, one small and you were only allowed to jump off the small one (which wasn't that large). My bro didn't have any trouble on his tele gear. This tiny ski hill is quite interesting. It's strange to think the US National ski jumping championships were held there as late as 1978.

[Freeman]

Here's the beta

 

http://www.skileavenworth.com/programs/jumping.htm

[adventuregal]

On a 20m jump you will have no problem on your alpine gear. I coach jumping, and we have kids here who are training full time on alpine gear because jump skis are so expensive. The main things are to keep your weight forward, and if you really want to impress some people, jump hard, straighten your legs in the air and flex your ankles as hard as you can. Have fun!!

[David_Parker]

Jens, in the eighties when I wasn't too high on drugs, or maybe I was, I used to participate in Galande' jumping in Utah. We used 222 DH skis and buckled our boots a little looser at the top. The technique was still similar to regular jumping in that you HAD to get out over the skis while in flight for maximum distance. So instead of laying flat over your skis as on regular jumping skis, you were piked at the waist. Warren Miller featured our Snowbird event in one of his films. I went over 215 feet on that one! Sadly Galande jumping came to an end at it's peak when in Colorado an ex-schoolmate of mine from Holderness School (he was on the jumping team) out jumped the hill and landed on the flats and was killed. He probably won the Subaru, but didn't get to drive it. I still have my K2 910's and would love to fly again. Maybe with the newer Tele boots I should put tele bindings on them though. I think that would be better. Let's hit it!

[Jake]

What about that big old wood jump. Somebody ought to try that baby out.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Ron Judd wrote a nice article about the "D" hill at Leavenworth last week, including quotes from Kjell Bakke and my brother Gordy:

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestweekend/2001845763_nwwskijump29.html

[Lowell_Skoog]

This tiny ski hill is quite interesting. It's strange to think the US National ski jumping championships were held there as late as 1978.

 

I'm guessing it was the "D" hill that you saw. Back in the old days, there were also the "C", "B" and [yikes] the "A" hill. The big hill supported jumps of almost 300 feet. I remember watching jumping meets there when I was a kid. My dad and uncle jumped in the vets class, but never on the "A" hill.

 

What's even more interesting to me is that there was at one time an even bigger ski jump at Hyak. The national record was set there in 1941. I'm not sure where that jump was located. There's very little sign of it anymore.

[ski_photomatt]

That article is a great read. Thanks for the link Lowell. It sounds like there has been a bit of work on the jump since we were there as I don't remember lights or a second rope tow for the jump. The remains of the "A" hill are still there, above the main ski area.