Jumpfest! The 99th Annual Salisbury Ski Jumps Take Flight
Jumpfest celebrates a century of insane sporting tradition and quaint community spirit.
Photos courtesy of Jumpfest.
The convergence of daring athleticism and community connection is the linchpin of the Salisbury Ski Jumps, and for Caddie Jackson, it's pure joy. “It’s everything I love about winter,” says the Sheffield resident whose affinity for the slopes and proximity to the venue are just icing on the cake. For two years running, in 2016 and 2017, Jackson and her colleagues from nearby Berkshire School took top honors in the human dog sled race—just one of several not-to-be-missed events on tap for the coming three-day weekend, starting this Friday, January 31.
“The Eastern US Ski Jumping Championships, which began as a one-day event, is the core around which Jumpfest has grown,” says Willie Hallihan, board member of the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA), the all-volunteer group that produces the Ski Jumps. From making snow and marking jumps to parking cars and selling tickets, it's all hands on deck leading up to the nonprofit’s biggest event and fundraiser of the year.
“Each day has its own personality,” says Hallihan, nodding to Friday night as a fun time for all—including jumpers with high hopes of landing on a bullseye and collecting prize money. Gates open at 6pm and target jumping begins at 7pm followed by the crowd-favorite human dog sled race.
For folks unfamiliar with this quirky event (hosted at just a half dozen venues across the country), it consists of five intrepid souls—pulling a sixth teammate on a sled of the group’s design—racing along a 200-yard-long snow course amidst the din of cowbells ringing and onlookers cheering.
A mid 20th century newsclipping of an early Jumpfest.
“It’s under the lights, and everybody has a ball,” says Hallihan of the bustling environment, complete with hot toddy and craft beer tents, food trucks, and a cook shack.
On Saturday, jumpers of all ages will ascend Satre Hill—so named for the Norwegian brothers who established the Salisbury Outing Club in 1925—for a pair of competitions on towers of varying heights. A brand-new PBS documentary was recently filmed onsite and details the history of one small town’s can-do spirit and enduring love for this storied locale. Scores of memorable moments from the past century are featured in the The Jump: Viewers meet hometown hero Roy Sherwood who overcame polio to compete in the 1956 Winter Olympics; learn about how a year rain threatened to cancel the annual competition until residents showed up with pickup trucks piled high with snow to repack the hill; and watch as, in 2011, a brand-new steel tower (bearing a $700,000 price tag) was unveiled here for the Junior Olympics, ensuring that Salisbury could remain on America’s ski-jumping map. The film—written, produced, and directed by Rich Hanley, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker—premiered January 11 at the Colonial Theater in Canaan.
Saturday kicks off with the 20- and 30-meter Junior Competition in the morning and the 65-meter Salisbury Invitational Ski Jumping contest at 1pm. After the sun sets, the SnowBall Fundraiser returns to the Lakeville Town Grove—featuring live music by the Steve Dunn Band plus a raffle and other festivities, from 8 to11:30pm.
Sunday calls for a bit of seriousness as the Eastern US Ski Jumping Championships take flight at 1 pm on the 65-meter hill, after which the eastern division Junior National Team will be named.
“You will see future Olympians here, even if they are just 15 years old,” says Hallihan. After three decades on the ground with SWSA, watching jumpers soar to heights of up to 200 feet at speeds close to 50 miles an hour he’s become a bit of an expert.
“If you haven’t seen ski jumping live, you haven’t truly experienced the event,” says Hallihan, who considers the sound of skis slapping the landing hill second to none. All proceeds from the three-day event go directly toward the nonprofit’s programs—including Team SWSA and Winter Jump Camp—for area youth, with the goal of teaching the skills necessary for their enjoyment and potential lifelong pursuit.
“Ski jumping is like its own culture,” says Jackson, donning her parent cap before sharing another source of pure exhilaration: Watching her school-aged daughter discover a new level of athleticism while learning to jump with SWSA.
“Seeing her gain that kind of confidence, and trust in taking risks, was a proud parent moment,” says Jackson, who is no stranger to the adrenaline rush of extreme sports. The long-ago Human Dogsled participant, who likens “sprinting in the snow while pulling a 140-pound teammate on a sled” the hardest physical work she’s ever done, is also a seasoned half marathon runner.
Bottom line? For folks from far and wide yearning to beat the mid-winter blues and connect with neighbors, a visit to this weekend’s Salisbury Ski Jumps might be the cure for what ails you.
“In a culture often focused on what’s quick and easy, there's something magical about celebrating sports in the great outdoors,” says Jackson. “Coming together for a common cause peels the excess away and reveals authentic joy in its simplest form.”
Salisbury Ski Jumps
80 Indian Cave Road
Friday, January 31-Sunday, February 2
Daily admission $15; children 12 and under free.
