Bolgenschanze (1909, old hill) explained

Hill Name:Old Bolgenschanze
Operator:Ski Club Davos
Opened:1909
Closed:1950s (early)
K-Spot:K53
Hill Record:48m (157feet)
Thorleif Knudsen
(2 March 1913)

Old Bolgenschanze is an abandoned K53 ski jumping hill at Davos, Switzerland from 1909. It was located on the same road as new Bolgenschanze, only about 500 meters away.

History

1909: Opening with world record

On 28 February 1909, hill officially opened with antemeridian competition and 1200 spectators. Norway with Harald Smith who set the only hill official world record at 45 meters (148 ft), won the opening competition in front of his brother Trygve Smith, who fell at 46 meters (151 ft) invalid world record distance and the third was their teammate Trygve Myklegaard.[1] [2] [3] In the afternoon jump were shorter due to a weather. Individual jumps shorter than 40 meters and double jumps came up to 36 meters.

On 11 February 1913, Emil Knudsen from Norway fell at 49 meters (161 ft) world record distance, which off course didn't count.[4] Knudsen set the hill record three weeks later at 48 meters.

1950s: Failed hill revival attempts

In late 1950s several attempts to establish a ski jump tournament with St. Moritz and Arosa failed unfortunately. When the ski club could not realize the necessary reconstruction of the ski jump due to financial reasons and the cure organisation didn't no longer financially support operation and maintenance, too, the end of the most traditional ski jumping hill of Middle Europe had come. Today the slope is still used for alpine skiing.

Ski jumping world records

DateNameCountryMetresFeet
bgcolor=gainsboro align=center
  1. 18
28 February 1909   45 148
bgcolor=gainsboro align=center 28 February 1909   Trygve Smith 46 151
bgcolor=gainsboro align=centerF 11 February 1913   Thorleif Knudsen 49 161
bgcolor=gainsboro align=center 2 March 1913   Thorleif Knudsen 48 157
Not recognized! Crash at WR.
Official hill record.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sports (page 4). Journal de Genève. 2 March 1909. fr.
  2. Web site: Grand concours international de ski a Bardonecche (pages 36 & 37). La Montagne. 20 January 1910. fr.
  3. Web site: Luftseilas på ski (page 4). Nordlands Avis. 1 April 1952. no.
  4. Web site: 49 Meter (page 171). Allgemeine Sports-Zeitung. 16 February 1913. de.