The Holmenkollen ski jump has been at the heart of Norwegian skiing for over 100 years. The first ski jumping competition at Holmenkollen took place in 1892 in front of over 10 000 spectators. The jump was built of branches and covered with snow. The longest jump was 21.5 metres. Since then the jump has been upgraded 18 times.
The most recent upgrade was completed in March 2010, when the world’s most modern ski jump was officially opened.
The Holmenkollen ski jump was designed by the Danish architectural firm Julien de Smedt Architects. Foto: JDS/Julien de Smedt Architects
The first ski jump in the world with a permanent windscreen integrated into the design of the structure. Foto: Ski-VM 2011 / Christian RuscettaPeople’s favourite
Prior to the opening, the municipality of Oslo invited the people of Norway to submit suggestions as to whom they thought should open the new national arena. Following both a popular vote and a decision by Oslo City Council, it was clear to all that Norway’s best female ski jumper should be given the honour of taking the first official jump.
“It is fantastic, and really rather a given that Anette should jump first. She is a pioneer and a role model for young female ski jumpers,” says Clas Brede Bråten, who is in charge of ski jumping under the Norwegian Ski Federation.
Figurehead for women’s ski jumping
Anette Sagen (born 1985) received a lot of media attention in the winter of 2004 when she was not allowed to jump at Vikersundbakken, Norway’s only ski flying hill, despite her excellent record in international competitions. Although several women ski jumpers had surpassed their male competitors in previous ski jumping competitions, the organisers had doubts as to whether women were capable of jumping on such large-sized hills.
In the end the women were allowed to jump at Vikersund and later the same year Sagen jumped 174.5 metres, the farthest a female Norwegian has ever jumped on skis. Daniela Iraschko of Austria is the only other female ski jumper in the world to have beaten this record.
New record
At the official opening of the new Holmenkollen facility Anette Sagen jumped 106.5 metres. Although not her best jump, the 25-year-old found it to be an exhilarating experience.
“It is a wonderful ski jump,” she told the daily news programme Dagsrevyen immediately after she landed.
After Sagen, 20 men followed suit to test out the new ski jump. Rune Velta gave an outstanding performance with a huge jump of 141 metres, the longest jump to date at the new facility.