Ski Jumping In America Had Its Roots In Southeast Minnesota

By Steve Harris and John Torgrimson, February 4, 2025

Black and white photo of a group of downhill skiers holding their skis upright in front of them with dark uniforms and large white labels on the front with their team numbers.

Ski Clubs were a common sight in the early 1900s as seen in this photo of a group of ski jumping contestants who competed at Benson Ski Hill Tournament two miles north of Lanesboro. Among the fellow competitors are Lanesboro Norse Ski Club members and Aurora Ski Club members from Red Wing. The group posed in front of what was the Thompson Brothers furniture store. (Photo by Mathias Bue, February 22, 1917. Courtesy Fillmore County Historical Society)

SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA — Norwegians and skiing–in fact, all Nordic sports–go way back.

The idea of jumping (flying better describes it) off a hill on skis to see how far you could go was first tried in Norway around 1800. A century later ski jumping had become an organized and extremely popular competitive sport in that country, and fairly soon afterwards spread to Europe and North America. It was first featured in the 1924 Winter Olympics at Chamonix, France, and remains an Olympic event today.

Ski jumping has a great heritage in Minnesota – and in our Root River region as well. Drive north two miles out of Lanesboro on Highway 250, look closely and you’ll see the spot that put this little town on the national ski-jumping map a century ago.

It all started when local landowner R.O. Benson was looking for something for his six sons to do in the winter after their busy farm season. All of them loved skiing and were good at it. Benson spotted a tall hill on his farm and had an idea.

Benson Hill

After clearing some trees and brush, Benson and his boys created the first and what many claimed was the best long-jump hill in southern Minnesota.

Black and white photo of a ski hill with hundreds of standing trees and people standing along the downhill ski trail.

The Benson Ski Hill north of Lanesboro where ski jumping tournaments were held for several years drawing up to 2000 spectators. The 175-foot-long ski jump was built by R. O. Benson whose six sons were skiers. The National Ski Association participated in these tournaments. Olaf Evenson was its most successful local participant. (Photo by Mathias Bue. Courtesy Fillmore County Historical Society)

The 175-foot hill became a popular location for recreational skiing and for annual ski-jump tournaments. Crowds as large as 2,000 spectators traveled the back roads to Lanesboro to watch some of the best long-jumpers in the U.S. and from around the world compete in various jumping competitions sanctioned by the National Ski Association.

Local skiers were on center stage at those competitions, especially the two “Olafs.”

Olaf Evenson was recognized as the best local ski jumper and took home many trophies. Olaf Thompson, of the Thompson Brothers Furniture Store (and casket makers) in Lanesboro – a building that is currently the site of Hotel Lanesboro – became nationally known for his ability to announce the races. Olaf’s booming megaphone-enhanced voice became a much-loved part of the Benson Hill events.

A black and white photo of a man wearing knee length dark pants, a long sleeved dark jacket, and a dark beanie type hat. He is holding a large megaphone with an emblem on the side.

A studio portrait of Olaf Thompson wearing a fur cap, coat marked Lanesboro Minnesota on the back, knickers, long stockings and leather ankle boots – holding a megaphone with the Kiwanis logo. Thompson announced ski tournaments nationally. (Photo courtesy Lanesboro History Museum)

Olaf Thompson

Thompson was well known in ski jumping circles. The Omaha World-Herald printed a picture of Thompson holding his megaphone, with the caption: “Here’s the boy who’ll explain what’s happening for the thousands expected to watch Omaha’s first ski tourney. . .He is Olaf Thompson of Lanesboro, Minn., the world’s greatest ski tourney announcer. This is by unanimous vote of the American Ski Association, for which Olaf is the official crier. His voice will carry miles if the weather is cold and clear.”

The February 10, 1916, Lanesboro Leader reported on efforts by Thompson, President of the Lanesboro Ski Club, to secure top competitors for an on upcoming ski tournament at Benson Hill:

“Among those who will be in Lanesboro without fail is Henry Hall (the national champion), Ragner Omtvedt, Carl Hall, Erling Landvik, Tollef Knudson, Lars and Anders Haugen, all well-known professionals.” Prizes totaled $250.

The article went on to call the Lanesboro ski hill the best natural ski hill in the country. It also said that Thompson was trying to arrange a special train for the event.

Another news report had Anders Haugen of the Omaha Ski Club, three times world champion and four times American champion, who captained the Olympic teams to France in 1924 and Switzerland in 1928, participating in a skiing tournament on Benson Hill. His attendance was expected to “draw the largest crowd ever seen for any such event in this part of Minnesota.”

Black and white photo of two female skiers outside wearing dark winter clothes and hats with large white labels on the fronts of their shirts with the numbers 26 (on the left) and 30 (on the right).

Photograph of two skiers at a ski jump competition; #30 has been identified as Alyce Nelson. (Photo courtesy Lanesboro History Museum)

Ski clubs

Southeast Minnesota was a hotbed of ski jumping at the turn of the century with ski clubs in St. Paul, Red Wing, Winona, Rochester, Lanesboro, and Rushford, as well as Hudson and Westby, Wisconsin. There was even one report that the small town of Choice, south of Rushford, had its own ski club.

As recent as 1973, Rushford hosted the United States Ski Association Region Two Boys and Girls Ski Jumping Tournament, with skiers ranging in age from 11 to 18. The ski jump was located west of Magellan Bluff on the north edge of town.

Black and white photo of a group of skiers standing on an inclined hill with dark clothing and large white labels on the fronts with numbers.

Photograph of Hans Olson with a group of skiers at a ski jump competition. Hans is sitting in the front holding his camera. Olaf Thompson is at the far left. Alyce Nelson is to the right of Hans. #7 has been identified as Bernie Bremseth. (Photo courtesy Lanesboro History Museum)

Red Wing claims to be the birthplace of ski jumping in America. It is host to the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the St. James Hotel.

In 1891, newly arrived Norwegian immigrants Mikkel and Torjus Hennestvedt teamed up with Paul Honningstad and Bengt Hjermstad to win the 1st Central Ski Association Tournament in 1891 for Red Wing’s Aurora Ski Club.

Ski jumping as a local sport began to fade in the 1950s with the popularity of downhill and cross-country skiing.

Times change, sports trend, and within a short time those annual competitions ended. It’s fun to drive by the hill along Highway 250 today, though, and try to imagine what all of that looked and sounded like a century ago when Olaf Thompson’s booming voice and daredevil ski jumpers of Lanesboro – for a fleeting moment – made this one of the ski jump capitals of the world.

And while the Lanesboro, Rushford and Red Wing ski jumping hills are gone, across the border near Westby, east of La Crosse, is home to one of only two remaining “all-volunteer” large hill ski jumping clubs in the Western hemisphere, hosting the annual Snowflake Ski Jump Tournament each January/February. Its Olympic-sized hill is 387 feet long.

The authors would like to thank the Fillmore County Historical Society and the Lanesboro History Museum for their assistance in locating resources for this article.