Address Milan, NH 03588, USA | ||
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Location 83 Milan Road, Milan,
Coos County, New Hampshire Operated by New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation Website Nansen Ski Jump State Historic Site Similar Milan Hill State Park, Androscoggin Wayside Park, Moose Brook State Park, Lake Francis State Park, Dixville Notch State Park | ||
Nansen ski jump restored 2017
Nansen Ski Jump is a ski jump located along Route 16 in Milan, New Hampshire. Built in 1936, it was the largest ski jump of its time. It is now within Nansen Ski Jump State Historic Site, a New Hampshire state park, which also features a picnic area and boat launch on the Androscoggin River.
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Nansen ski jump grooming
Description
The Nansen Ski Jump is just north of the Berlin city line. It was constructed in 1936 by the city of Berlin and the National Youth Administration and was once the largest of its time. The ski jump has a 175.3-foot (53.4 m) steel frame and is 260 ft (79 m) in length. It has a 171.5-foot (52.3 m) tower, a 225-foot (69 m) vertical drop, and a descent angle of approximately 37.5 degrees.
History
For almost fifty years this was the largest ski jump in the eastern United States and the foremost jump in the country. The architect of this ski jump was John Barnard Nichol, a resident of neighboring Berlin. The Nansen Ski Jump was the site of major championship ski jumping competitions. In 1938, the first Olympic trials were held at the Nansen Ski Jump.
The jump was closed in 1988. In November 2011, a historical marker was placed to commemorate this ski jump. Over time the ski jump evolved into a state of disrepair. In 2015, brush clearing work was started as Phase 1 torward a goal of restoring the site so visitors can view it as it once was.
In 2016 and 2017, repairs to the ski jump's decking were made by Knollstone Contracting of Bow, New Hampshire, in preparation for a celebratory jump by Olympian Sarah Hendrickson, which occurred early in the morning of March 4, 2017.