Childhood Memories

I used to live in the lodge as a child. I remember watching and hearing the ice sliced as the skiers landed right outside the kitchen windows. I remember lots of fun sled & snowmobile riding and lots of coal shoveling! Wonderful memories of the beautiful city of Leavenworth and have been back to visit a few times.

My grand father is Sigurd Hansen and his son my dad was Harold Hanson who once held the record on the B hill. I was at the 1962 trials for the winter games. I remember a chinook came in and most of the snow melted. My dad took me to the top of the hill to the take off that day and it was then i decided these guys are crazy and told my dad that was not interested in learning to ski jump!

@John W. Lundin

Thanks for your request!
You can always look up the copyright for the certain photos by clicking on them and then the right owner is displayed below the photo. Most of the historic photos come from:
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/bakke-hill-ski-jump-leavenworth-wa.74881/
Maybe this is going to help you.

Book on Ski Jumping in Washington

I am working on a joint exhibit on ski jumping with the National Nordic Museum and Washington State Ski & Snowboard Museum, that will open at the Nordic Museum January 2021. I am also writing a book, History of Ski Jumping in Washington, the Influence of Norwegians on Northwest Skiing, that will be a centerpiece of the exhibit. I would like to use some of these historic photos. Please contact me if these are yours or you have other pictures. Thanks.

I am scanning the Gehring slide/pic archives to digitize and save some history, and have some good ski jumping pics. Will post more soon, but am wondering if anyone can clarify the timeline of hill construction. When was the big elevated run-out built up, and when were the B and C jumps moved from the south side of the A hill to the north side?
Also would love to have some copies of the pics that you have, Barb Knapp.

Packed the outrun

I grew up in Leavenworth and learned how to ski there and at Stevens pass when I could shovel enough roofs in the winter time to make the lift ticket price. I remember watching many competitions in the 70's including some of my 1978 classmates. I "packed" the outrun several times during my high school (back when it was the Grizzly's) to early 20's years. Competition had stopped but there were still young men that wanted to be able to jump who took the "ride". The D hill, the one behind the "lodge", was the place most young guys started out. Clarence Ostella was one of the instructors for a time while his son Chris jumped. They would travel to Revelstoke, iron mountain, and several other locations for competition. They transitioned from the D hill to the C hill and would attempt the A hill if they got bold enough to try it. Unfortunately it was closed due to becoming unsafe over the years of neglect. Great memories, great fun, great childhood county!

traveler/ downhill racer

Grew up 50 miles from Iron Mt. Michigan, the spot of the world's largest manmade ski jump.Wakefield has the largest ski flying jump in the world, but Ishpeming, MI just 20 miles from Marquette on Lake Superior, has Suicide Hill, which is still hosting world comps as well as Iron Mt. Check out the NATIONAL SKI HALL OF FAME in Ishpeming.cu6/19.

Jumped in 1959-1961

I was on the Wenatchee High Ski Team and jumped on the "C" jump between 1959-1961. I still have my old wooden 96 inch Kongsberg jumping skis with bear-trap bindings.

Original photographs from ski hill

I have inherited film negatives that my grandfather or uncle shot at the ski hill. Most appear to be taken between 1930 - 1945. I am considering how to make the most of these and other Leavenworth area photos.

old pics needed

I am writing a book about Leavenworth and the Cascades and would LOVE to include some never seen before photos of Leavenworth and the old ski jumps! Barb Knapp you state you G Pa left you some and wanted to know if anyone was interested. Yes, me! Can I use a few in my book? Proper credit to you and your Grandpa of course! Thanks-Deborah Cuyle

Leavenworth ski hill.

My dad jumped on those runs in the early 50's. Any pictures would be greatly appreciated. I also learned how to ski on those hills. My dad was on the jumping team at the high school in Levenworth.

Going through some old photo's and found a program from Sunday, February 8th 1953 with the distances filled in.

I have photos my Grandfather Lin R. Hart took of the early ski jumping events. I would like to know if anyone would have interest in obtaining these. Lots of old pictures of Leavenworth, the big hill and jumpers.

As a kid living in Leavenworth during the 1940s I saw some great ski jumping. I could only jump the "D" hill. I remember the Bakke family. I remember the "A" hill jumpers with hands out over the front of the skis. Later on the jumpers streamlined with hands behind. I know the modern jumpers soar with skis apart, but the streamlined soaring was more beautiful to watch. I saw the great American skier, Art Devlin, out jump the hill, landing in the "dip", crashed and I believe he broke his leg.