More than 100 people came out to recognize the historical significance of ski jumping and the official opening of the Nels Knickers attraction in Mount Revelstoke National Park on Saturday.
Parks Canada unveiled a plaque at the base of the Nels Nelsen ski jump that recognizes the historic role ski jumping in the park played in Canadian history.
Attendees included former jumpers such as Olympian John McInnes, and Jean Evans (nee Nelsen), the daughter of legendary local jumper Nels Nelsen.
The first ski jump in Mount Revelstoke National Park was build in 1916 by the Revelstoke Ski Club. It became a focal point of the city’s winter sports scene, with athletes from town and abroad competing on the hill until 1975.
Originally known as the Big Hill, it was one of the most intimidating jumps in the world. That didn’t stop Nelsen, who in 1925 set a world record by jumping 73.2 metres. The Big Hill was named after Nelsen in 1948, after his death.
Other notable early jumpers from Revelstoke included Isabel Coursier, who set the world women’s record in 1922 with a 25.6 metre jump; and Bob Lymbune, who set a world record in 1933 with an 87.5 metre jump.
The jump hosted major tournaments from 1916 to 1931 and again from 1950 to 1971, when the international Tournament of Champions was held there.
The Nels Knickers attraction includes a viewpoint and several plaques commemorating the history of ski jumping in Revelstoke. The centrepiece is a metal sculpture at the top that allows people to lean out over the jump and imagine what it would be like to leap into the air many years ago.