The Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove will host its 121st Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1.
WNIJ host Jason Cregier spoke with Scott Smith of the Norge Ski Club, a member of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team from 1983 to 1988, about the upcoming tournament.
(This interview has been edited for clarity.)
Jason Cregier: What is the story and long history of the Norge Ski Club?
Scott Smith: The ski club was founded in 1905 by three people originally from Norway. They decided to call it "Norge," which translates to "Norwegian."
JC: What effort does it take to make sure there is snow on the slopes?
SS: We could get a foot of snow and still need to make snow ourselves. We have what is called a "summer surface" underneath the snow, which allows us to ski in the summer. Covering the summer surface with snow requires extra effort. We've already made snow, it melted, and now we're making it again.
JC: What is the process that goes into making snow?
SS: It usually takes around 100 hours to make snow for all our jumps. We have holding tanks that we fill with water from our wells. From there, we feed the water into our snow-making pump, which sends it to our snow guns. The temperature needs to be at least 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but the colder it is, the better for making snow.
JC: Let's discuss the competition. Do people train year-round for the tournament?
SS: Believe it or not, we use our facilities more in the summer than in the winter because we don't have to rely on snow. We ski four days a week in the summer.
Ski jumpers require dry-land training. Balance is important, and it's a very technical sport. If you are off balance, it can change everything on the jump.
JC: For someone attending their first ski jump event, what should they watch for?
SS: Mostly the distance of the jump.
JC: What is something I would miss as a spectator that you notice as a coach and competitor?
SS: The technique on the jump, especially the takeoff point right before you enter the air. That's the most important spot. Spectators not involved in the sport would never see what I see as a coach.
JC: What is the relationship between Fox River Grove and the Norge Ski Club? Is there a shared sense of pride?
SS: We have a lot of local support. The event has a party atmosphere every year. We're the only ski jump in Illinois. There once was a ski jump outside Rockford, but it shut down many years ago.
The Midwest, though, has the most ski jumps in the U.S., which many people may not realize. Ski jumping is a tough sport and hard to fund. We're lucky to be where we are in Fox River Grove. We're very fortunate.
JC: The Norge Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament is Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, Illinois. Scott Smith, thank you for joining us today.
SS: No problem, thanks for having me.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
