BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — A pair of two-time Harris Hill Ski Jump winners are set to compete for a trophy-retiring third victory at New England’s only Olympic-size venue Feb. 15-16.
Marlboro College graduate Chris Lamb, winner in 2010 and 2013, and Blaz Pavlic of Slovenia, winner in 2017 and 2019, will be among the 26 male and nine female athletes from North America and Europe slated to leap off a 90-meter hill that’s one of just six of its size in the country.
Since its start in 1922, the annual Harris Hill event has attracted several thousand spectators who watch jumpers shoot at speeds of 60 mph before soaring more than 300 feet in the air.
Only five jumpers in the venue’s nearly century-old history have retired its Winged Ski Trophy by winning it three times — Torger Tokle of Norway in 1942, his brother Arthur Tokle in 1951, Art Devlin of Lake Placid, N.Y., in 1957, Hugh Barber of Brattleboro in 1974 and Vladimir Glyvka of Ukraine in 2000.
This year’s competition will feature the annual Pepsi Challenge that Saturday and Fred Harris Memorial Tournament that Sunday.
Harris Hill boasts a snowmaking system, so the program will take place regardless of ground cover in surrounding areas.
Gates will open each day at 10 a.m., with practice jumps taking place before competition begins at 12:15 p.m.
The family event offers food and beverage vendors, a bonfire, music, tailgating and appearances by Jumper the cow mascot.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and younger and can be purchased at the gate or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Advance discount admission of $15 for adults and $12 for students ages 6 to 12 are available at locations listed at www.harrishillskijump.com.
Harris Hill Ski Jump, located on Cedar Street in Brattleboro, Vt., is presented by hundreds of community volunteers and paid for by ticket sales, donations and sponsors including Pepsi, The Richards Group, Mount Snow, NorthStar and Brattleboro Savings & Loan.
For additional details, visit www.harrishillskijump.com or the event’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
PHOTO CREDIT: Dana Sprague
“Harris Hill Ski Jump winner Chris Lamb celebrates his second Fred Harris Memorial Tournament victory in 2013 with Sandy Harris.”
Snow?
Hate to mention but it doesn’t seem very … wintry right now. I guess HH can bring in snow from somewhere, but any advance word on cold & a tiny blizzard? I’ve been missing real winter, actually.
Freezing rain jump
They’ve made snow in previous years when it has been less than wintery, so I imagine they’ll do it again.
It’s sad but highly probable that within the next few decades it will be impossible to ski jump in Brattleboro due to warming. I imagine the first signs of this will be regular snowmaking (or purchasing of snow making tools), then changing the dates of the ski jump to January to try to be assured of colder weather. (But that’s no guarantee.. we had some warm days this January. And some VERY cold days.)
They’ve done jumping on days close to 40 degrees. The crowd might enjoy the warmer temps, but it is pretty much the limit for how warm it can be without melting the hill.