When Ecker Hill was Jumping

It was natural for Scandinavian immigrants Christopher Rasmussen and his wife Elsie Marie to want to teach the sport of skiing to their children. Using trees cut on their property, Chris constructed a jumping scaffold and opened the ranch to skiers, installing one of the first rope tows in the West. By 1927 the new ski area was hosting Salt Lake high school ski clubs. The Rasmussen's home became the Well Come Inn, a popular warming place for skiers. Thousands of spectators crowded to watch a 1929 ski tournament featuring jumping and a six-mile cross-country race. Sons Frank and Larry Rasmussen (pictured at left with brother Jim) tied for third in the race and Jim completed the longest jump of the day - 102 feet. The scaffold was a good training ground for local boys, but would never attract the professional jumpers that were making headlines around the country. So Chris Rasmussen and his three sons scouted a steep north-facing hillside on the ranch and began shaping it into a world-class facility. To accommodate both amateurs and professionals, they built two jumping platforms, then added a third. The Utah Ski Club sponsored the first big pro tournament on New Years Day 1931. Norwegian emigrant Alf Engen set a new world record, 231 feet, then shattered his new record on his final jump of the day, flying 247 feet, immediately becoming a superstar among ski jumpers. Alf went on to coach the 1948 U.S. Olympic Team in jumping, cross-country and downhill skiing. Ecker Hill became the focal point of Utah ski jumping during the 1930s. Thousands of spectators flocked to watch new records set by amateurs and professionals.

A young Norwegian, Johanna Kolstad, was determined to be the first woman to jump at Ecker Hill. During an exhibition twin jump with Alf Engen in 1933, Johanna soared an amazing 135 feet on her third jump from the "B" takeoff, only 9 feet short of the amateur "Class B" record. Local amateurs, inspired by the pros, quickly improved. Among them was Ike Hall (left), the first native Utahn to jump more than 100 feet. After Ike broke his skis during a jump (a common event with wooden boards), Alf Engen, who had plenty of demonstration skis provided by sponsors, gave him a pair to finish the competition. "I used them my last five years of competing," remembered Ike, "and won the Intermountain championship on them." Ike's win in the 1940 Intermountain Class B jumping championship gave him the points to compete in Class A. Ike even took the skis to Lake Placid, N.Y., for the 1947 U.S. Olympic trials. If the Depression couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of spectators and participants, World War II would. Gas rationing kept spectators away and many of the competitors, young men, were drafted. A resurgence in the popularity of ski jumping in the 1940s brought life back to the hill. However, by this time both the sport and lifestyles had begun to change, making skiing a recreation available to all.

To view Ike Hall's trophy or for more information about the history of winter sports in Park City, visit the new exhibit at the Park City Museum at 528 Main Street or call 649-7457. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday 10:00am to 7:00pm and Sunday noon to 6:00pm. Docent guided museum tours are available by appointment.