Rumford

Black Mountain

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Aurele Legere Ski Jump:

K-Point:

60 m

Further jumps:	K35, K25, K15
Plastic matting:	no
Status:	destroyed
Ski club:	Chisholm Ski Club
Coordinates:	44.575181, -70.616509 ✔

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History:

The ski jumping complex on Black Mountain of Maine in Rumford is one of the most historically significant ski jumping sites in the northeastern United States. It was established around 1961 as a modern skiing center developed by the Chisholm Ski Club, which had previously operated facilities on Spruce Street and Scottie’s Mountain. The new location made it possible to create a full-scale sports venue serving ski jumping, cross-country skiing, and alpine skiing.
The main hill of the complex was a K60 jump, named the “Aurele Legere Jump” – in honor of a local boy who, at the age of 10, became famous for a daring 98-foot (about 30 m) jump during one of the winter carnivals. Aurele Legere not only lent his name to the hill but also went on to be an active organizer and sports official for many years, serving as Chief of Hill during top-level competitions.
In addition to the K60, there were also smaller jumps – K35, K25, and K15 – allowing for the training of younger athletes and the organization of junior events. The hill was regularly featured in the Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Circuit calendar and hosted important national competitions.
The most notable event held at Black Mountain was the U.S. Eastern Ski Jumping Competition on March 4, 1979. The competition took place as part of the Chisholm Winter Park program and brought together the region’s top jumpers. The Division A winner was Robert “Bob” Zinck Jr., representing Dartmouth College, NCAA champion in 1976, and later an inductee into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame (2019).
Black Mountain also hosted the U.S./North American Women’s Ski Jumping Championships (1996) – one of the first major events promoting women’s ski jumping in the U.S. – as well as the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Championships (1993, 1999, 2003, 2004), thanks to its extensive infrastructure designed by Wendall “Chummy” Broomhall. Numerous junior, collegiate, and regional competitions in both jumping and cross-country skiing were also held here, including the Broomhall Cup, FIS Nordic (1950 – XC trails), and Olympic and NCAA qualifiers (1976).
The complex was also modernized: between 2003 and 2005, chairlifts and a new base lodge were installed, and in 2022, Black Mountain joined the Indy Pass program, making it accessible to a broad range of skiers from across the country. Although the ski jumps at Black Mountain are no longer in use today, their history – like the stories of the people connected with them – remains exceptionally rich. Aurele Legere, Bob Zinck, officials such as Ray Hamann and Robert Rollins, and countless young athletes who learned the art of ski flying here have left a lasting mark on the heritage of American Nordic skiing.

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Black Mountain

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