home updates map photos alsappers contact about  
               

Alyeska Ski Jump

1969 to Early 1970's
Name of Ski Area: Alyeska Ski Jump, Girdwood Ski Jump, 1969 Jr. National Ski Jump
Location: Girdwood, at the Alyeska Ski Resort, to the left of Chair #1 just before you get to the top of Chair #3.
Type of Area: Ski Jump
Dates of Operation: 1969 to Early 1970's ?  (still researching)
Who Built It?: The Alyeska Ski Jump was constructed for the 1969 Junior Nationals by members of the Anchorage Nordic Ski Club. 
Base/ Vertical Drop:

Base: ~300' / Vertical: ~300'

Facilities: The Mt. Alyeska Ski Resort was nearby.
History: Paul Crews Sr. designed the jump.
Sources of Information:

Rodney Crews, Jim Burkholder, Paul Wunnicke; Harlan Flint

Photos: Does anyone have pictures of jumping at the Girdwood Ski Jump (or current pictures of the vicinity) that they would like to contribute to ALSAP ?

~  MAPS & AERIAL VIEWS  ~

This large scale topo shows where Girdwood and the Alyeska Ski Resort is located relative to Anchorage.

(click on this map to expand it)

topo_girdwood.jpg (146383 bytes)

This 2005 Mt. Alyeska Ski Resort trail map and 1996 aerial view both have the estimated location of the old ski jump site marked on them.

(click on either image to expand it)

terra_zoom_girdwood.jpg (89831 bytes)
Research Correspondence 
[Rodney Crews - 15 November 2004 email excerpt]

Yup, there was a ski jump just to the left as you're riding up Chair #1, on that big rock your ski almost touch below the top of chair #3...I believe it was pulled out, no-later-than- the early 90's (It was there in '66 when I arrived). It seems like it was 70 meters or less. Chris Von Imhoff  (Seibu GM) could probably dig up some details on it.

[Paul Wunnicke - 03 February 2005 email excerpt]

I remember the Girdwood jump being up above the top of where chair 3 is now, at Alyeska. It seems like the landing area was already filling in w/ alders and small hemlocks. this would have been around 1972-75 -maybe later.

[Harlan Flint - 04 October 2006 email]

I came across this site completely by accident (I live in Sweden) and enjoyed reading some of the comments about the old ski areas, a few of which I vaguely remember. I thought I'd pass along a story about the Alyeska Ski Jump.

Between 1970 and 1974, when my family lived in Anchorage and had a cabin at Alyeska, I was fascinated with - and scared of - the ski jump. In my (young) eyes, the jump itself was a rickety wooden thing that looked old and treacherous, like it would give you more air than you wanted or slap you on the landing if you didn't get your timing right. Every once in awhile you'd see someone up there looking around or very occasionally thinking about jumping.

Only once do I remember anything remotely organized going on at the jump. This would have been in '73 or '74, I believe. Along with a few other people, a guy my age named Garrett Walker (sp?), who was an excellent alpine racer, was standing some way up the run-in. There seemed to be a lot of talking and motioning - how to push off the lip, how to position himself. He was wearing alpine skis and boots, and I remember that the top boot buckles were either undone, presumably so he could try to lean out over his skis to get some float and stability.

Finally, he turned down the hill, gained some speed and hit the jump.  It wasn't a long jump or pretty, but long enough and he made it. Most impressive of all was that he even tried.

Best regards,
Harlan Flint

 

 

Do you have further information, stories or pictures that you would like to contribute about this ski area?