The Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove will host its 121st Norge Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament on Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1.
WNIJ host Jason Cregier had a chance to speak with Scott Smith of the Norge Ski Club, and member of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team from 1983-1988, 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 Norwegians that were originally from Norway. They decided to call it “Norge”, which translates to Norwegian.
What effort does it take to make sure there is always snow on the slopes?
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, so we may continue to ski in the summer, which requires more effort to cover the summer surface with snow. We’ve already made snow, the snow melted, and now we’re starting to make it again.
What is the process that goes into making snow?
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 pumps the water to our snow guns. We need the temperature to be at least twenty degrees Fahrenheit, but obviously, the colder it is outside, the better it is for making snow.
Let’s discuss the competition now. Do people train year-round for the tournament?
Believe it or not, we use our facilities more in the summer than in the winter because we do not 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 is a very technical sport. If you are off balance, it can change everything on the jump.
For someone attending their first ski jump event, what would you tell them to watch for?
Mostly the distance on the jump.
What is something I would miss as a spectator that you would pick up on since you have been part of the sport coaching and competing.
The technique on the jump. The takeoff point on the jump, right before you enter the air. That is the most important spot. For a spectator who is not involved in the sport, they would never see what I see as a coach.
What is the relationship like between Fox River Grove and Norge Ski Club? Is there a sense of pride that is shared between both parties?
We have so much support locally. The event itself has a party atmosphere every year. We’re the only ski jump in Illinois. There once was a ski jump outside of Rockford, but that shut down many years ago.
The Midwest though has the most ski jumps in the U.S. and people may not realize that fact.
It can be a tough sport. Ski jumping is tough to do, tough to raise money for. We’re lucky to be where we are in Fox River Grove. We’re so lucky.
Norge Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament is Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1 at the Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, IL. Scott Smith, thanks for joining us today.
No problem, thanks for having me.
