Praha

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Žižkov:

K-Point:

ca. 15 m

Further jumps:	no
Plastic matting:	no
Year of construction:	1929
Status:	destroyed
Ski club:	LZK Praha
Coordinates:	50.088320, 14.455372

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History:

The ski jump in Žižkov was built in 1929 on the northern slope of the Žižkov district of Prague, in the area of today’s television tower. It was a small hill with a K-point of about 20 metres, constructed on the initiative of the Lyžařský závodní klub Praha (LZK Praha). The inrun began at the edge of the Sokol training ground on Vítkov Hill, and the landing slope led onto a terrace situated above the northern railway line running at the foot of the hill.
In the same season, the LZK Praha club organised a showcase competition in classical Nordic skiing disciplines in the capital. The cross-country races were held at the Sokol summer training ground at Mrázovka, while the ski jumping event took place on the new hill in Žižkov. Two competitions were held there in February 1929: on 10 February and — due to strong spectator interest — again on 24 February. A total of 29 jumpers representing three clubs took part.
The importance of the Prague event is highlighted by the fact that the club brought in the Norwegian ski jumper Sigmund Ruud, newly crowned world champion from Zakopane, to serve as coach and advisor during the organisation of the event. The strong position of LZK Praha, led by Dr Južík Scheiner — at the time also chairman of the Czech Ski Association and head of the Czech Sokol Community — greatly facilitated the undertaking. Thanks to this, an impressive Nordic skiing event was organised in the centre of Prague, attracting many spectators despite the urban setting.
Among the competitors was also the well-known and versatile athlete Emerich Rath, who at the age of 46 was still actively competing in ski jumping. According to reports, Ruud advised him to strap his legs together above the ankles with a rubber band during the inrun, but the band snapped at take-off. On the short landing slope leading over the railway tracks, this could have ended very dangerously, illustrating both the characteristics of the small Prague ski jump and the pioneering spirit of ski jumping in that era.
The Žižkov ski jump was one of several unusual ski jumping facilities built in the interwar period outside mountainous regions. Czech historical accounts mention it alongside the hill in Senohraby. In later years, however, it no longer appeared in listings of active ski jumps and is today regarded as a destroyed facility. The terrain on which it stood has been heavily transformed by the development of railway and urban infrastructure.

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