Source link : https://london-news.net/headline-from-hampstead-heath-to-olympic-dreams-the-forgotten-legacy-of-british-ski-jumping/
In February, athletes from across the globe will converge in northern Italy for the Winter Olympics, where ski jumping is anticipated to be one of the headline events.
Typically, British participation in this sport has been characterized by underdog stories, most notably exemplified by Eddie the Eagle.
However, rewind to the early 1950s, and one would find ski jumpers gracefully gliding through the air over Hampstead Heath in London, attracting an audience of 100,000 locals eager to witness the spectacle.
The inaugural competition, collaboratively organized by the Ski Club of Great Britain and the Oslo Ski Association, occurred during the weekend of March 24-25, 1950.
Event planners erected an 18-meter (59-foot) high jump using scaffolding in the northern section of the heath.
As is true today, snow in London was hard to come by.
To tackle this challenge, 45 tons of snow had to be transported from Norway, securely packed in wooden crates and insulated with dry ice, then moved to the heath via refrigerated barges and trucks.
Norwegian skiers traveled to the UK to participate and brought the snow along with them.
Ingrid Christophersen, a former British alpine skier who grew up in Norway, recalls her father’s trip to the UK as he provided commentary for the Hampstead Heath event.
She reflected on how challenging the post-war years were for the Norwegian people.
“It astonishes me that Norway had not just the funds but also the resources to send massive amounts of snow…
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Publish date : 2026-01-03 14:43:00
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