Nansen Ski Jump video

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peakbagger

In Rembrance , July 2024
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Many folks probably havent driven by the Nansen Ski Jump in Berlin as its not on the way to a 4K but it is still an interesting piece of history. I ran into this link to a short video about it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeCifrsS6Jo

The Nansen ski club handed it off to the state at one point as the liability for owing it was too high. If the state didnt take it, it would have been torn down by now. The last attempts made to use if didnt go well as the technology has improved so muhc that skiers were landing too far out away from the slope.

Deifnitely not worth a entire day but if folks are in the area it may be worth stopping by.
 
The landing hill is one of the best (depending on your preference) toboggan or sled rides to be had. You can get some great speed.
 
My now almost 91 year old father tells me stories of competing in ski jump competitions with the nansen ski club with his norwegian buddies on wooden skis. I bet that was a sight to see!

When I was growing up kids would party up there and after getting impaired would hike up the rickety ladder to the top.

When I drive by nowadays I am amazed at how much it has grown in and deteriorated, it is such a great piece of history! Makes me sad.
 
Agreed, so grown in the only way to see it somewhat clearly is from a canoe, boat or kayak from the Androscoggin River...at one time the view from the top of the ski jump (yes you could get up there) was really good but not as good as the fire tower on Milan Hill...the Nansen Wayside is on the right side of Rt. 16 near the jump (jump is on left side northbound) which is a nice picnic stop with a boat landing...good fishing in this area too for both trout and bass...
 
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Great link thanks. This was quite the jump in it's time and still at it's proportions would be a formidable leap today. Sherpa Kroto whom use to post here a lot and a Berlin,NH native I believe told me the one time I met him that he had been off this jump in a High School competition. Serious Kahunas in anyone's book especially considering the gear that was available.
 
Fridtjof Nansen led the first party to cross Greenland, on skis in 1888. Later he and Hjalmar Johansen reached 86°13.6′N and then had to spend nearly nine months of Arctic winter in a stone hut too short for Nansen to stretch his legs fully out, with a ceiling too low to sit under properly, lit by blubber lamps. They were glad when polar bears came by to claw at the roof because it meant a chance to shoot some fresh meat. He went on to become a world-renowned oceanographer, helped inspire and lead the diplomatic effort to sever Norway from its compelled dynastic union with Sweden, persuaded a Danish prince to become Norway's first king in 400 years ... and then he got busy.

He organized the repatriation of 500,000 POWs to their home countries after WWI, served as the League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, tried but failed to save millions from starving in Russia (through no fault of his own), devised the "Nansen Passport" that enabled stateless persons to cross borders after the chaos following WWI, arranged for the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of Greeks stuck in Turkey and Turks stuck in Greece after a war, and tried to help the Armenian victims of genocide carried out by Turkey. In 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

So now you have some small idea why a bunch of Norwegian immigrants might have named a ski jump in Berlin, NH after him ...
 
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Hi, We're Chuck and Cheryl, we are brand new members to VFTT. We were thrilled to see our video featured here. It is definitely a different place to visit with a bit of history, including some we learned just reading this thread.
 
WeRmudfun said:
Hi, We're Chuck and Cheryl, we are brand new members to VFTT. We were thrilled to see our video featured here. It is definitely a different place to visit with a bit of history, including some we learned just reading this thread.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the board!Enjoyed your video,I have not skied in 22 years but might have to take a stab at that jump!:D j/k.Was your video narrated by Matt Damon?:p
 
sardog1 said:
So now you have some small idea why a bunch of Norwegian immigrants might have named a ski jump in Berlin, NH after him ...
Click to expand...

Sardog1 ----- You do know your Nansen. Thanks for the interesting information. As a boy I remember going to watch ski jumping at the Nansen and Dartmouth jumps, and being awed by it. Jumping was an important sporting, entertainment and social event "back then."
 
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peakbagger said:
Many folks probably havent driven by the Nansen Ski Jump in Berlin as its not on the way to a 4K but it is still an interesting piece of history. I ran into this link to a short video about it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeCifrsS6Jo

The Nansen ski club handed it off to the state at one point as the liability for owing it was too high. If the state didnt take it, it would have been torn down by now. The last attempts made to use if didnt go well as the technology has improved so muhc that skiers were landing too far out away from the slope.

Deifnitely not worth a entire day but if folks are in the area it may be worth stopping by.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for sharing this video! I remember driving by here as a kid and seeing skiers jumping off of that ski jump. Really interesting to see there is access to see it up close and personal and glad to know the State of NH decided to make it a historical landmark in 2011.
 
An update, Red Bull is sponsoring restoration of the ski jump http://www.berlindailysun.com/newsx...-hendrickson-to-jump-off-nansen-this-winter#/

Prior reports was that modern equipment had exceeded the available run out area at the base making it dangerous for skiers. Unfortunately the base of the jump is located next to RT 16 so reconfiguring the base is not possible. It nice that the jump is getting some repairs and recognition.
 
I think there is still a club jump in Brattleboro, VT. Jumped there and some other places. Would be great to see it come back. Best toboggan run ever is when you feel the Bernoulli effect under your skis. Same as sledding, hike up to go down.

Thanks for the thread. Ski jumping used to be a big part of Winter Carnivals.
 
peakbagger said:
An update, Red Bull is sponsoring restoration of the ski jump http://www.berlindailysun.com/newsx...-hendrickson-to-jump-off-nansen-this-winter#/

Prior reports was that modern equipment had exceeded the available run out area at the base making it dangerous for skiers. Unfortunately the base of the jump is located next to RT 16 so reconfiguring the base is not possible. It nice that the jump is getting some repairs and recognition.
Click to expand...

This is very cool. I'm surprised that this is happening just for a few jumps. We've been wondering what was going on after seeing the clear cut.
 
Anyone know the FIS hill size of the Nanson Jump. The big jump at Gunstock was once classified as 60 meters when built, and then at some point upgraded to 65/70 meters. It was given the name of "Torger Tokle" http://archive.skijumpeast.com/torger.htm

My grandfather George Wheeler was the blasting engineer during Gunstock jump(s) construction by the WPA in the mid 30s.
 
I have no use for Red Bull but if they are willing to throw some of their profits to get the ski jump rehabbed more power to them.

It is in a unusual location, most ski jumps usually have a mountain as backdrop. This jump just rises up along the Androscoggin River north of Berlin. Its built over a low hill. Berlins winter carnivals used to be a regional event drawing folks from all over northern New England and the ski jump was a major attraction. There was train service to Berlin from Montreal, Portland and Boston. The original Nansen cross country ski system got wiped out by the Federal Prison construction but the club has built a new trail system at Milan Hill State Park
 
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