Nansen Ski Jump, New Hampshire – Located along Route 16 in Milan, New Hampshire is the Nansen Wayside Park, which is home to the historical Nansen Ski Jump. Built in 1936 the Nansen Ski Jump at one time held major ski championships. And in 1938 the first Olympic Trials were held on the site.
The Nansen Ski Jump was the largest of its kind for many years in the eastern part of the United States. The Berlin, New Hampshire history web page has old photos of the jump and the best write-up on the history of it. Take a look here (about 1/2 way down the page).
Today, the metal frame of the staircase (above) leading to the jump is still in place. Just walking up all these stairs must have been a workout! As for the jump itself, the wooden deck on it looks to be rotten and unsafe. And the below image gives you an idea on the condition of the top section of the ski jump. Trying to climb to the top would be a bad idea.
Unfortunately, the jump was closed in 1988. Over the years, rumors of the jump reopening have floated around New Hampshire. See the updates section below for new information about the ski jump.
All of the above images can be licensed for publications by clicking on the image you are interested in. And you can view more images of the Nansen Ski Jump in Milan, New Hampshire here.
Happy image making..
Updates:
March 2017: Nansen Ski Jump brought back to life after many years of being abandoned. Read more here.
2016: Plans are underway to restore Nansen Ski Jump. Read more about it here.
2014: The state of New Hampshire is making plans to improve the historical Nansen Ski jump. This is exciting news! Read more about it here.
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Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.
Nansen Ski Jump – Milan, New Hampshire http://bit.ly/d1JP0P