Karl Frithjof Hovelsen (23 March 1877 – 13 September 1955) was a Norwegian

Nordic skier Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Rec ...

. Howelsen Hill Ski Area in

Steamboat Springs, Colorado Steamboat Springs is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The population was 13,224 at the 2020 census. Steamboat Springs is the principal city of the Ste ...

was named in his honor.

Biography

He was born in

Kristiania Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022, an ...

(Oslo), but was a gunner for

Bærums SK Bærums Skiklub is a Norwegian multi sports club founded in 1885. It has sections for cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, biathlon and orienteering. Venues include Solbergbakken, Skuibakken and . Notable club ...

. He won the

Nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...

at the

Holmenkollen ski festival The Holmenkollen Ski Festival ( or ) is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. History It takes place in March and has been arranged every ...

in 1903. Hovelsen also won the 50 km

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

events both in 1902 and 1903. Hovelsen earned the Holmenkollen medal in 1903 for his victories in the 50 km and Nordic combined events that year. In 1905, Hovelsen emigrated to the United States and settled in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, where he became known as Carl Howelsen. He held training in cross-country technique and

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...

. He was picked up by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and made appearances which was presented as "Ski sailing" and "The Sky Rocket." In 1914 he built a

ski jump Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fin ...

. He showed locals that ski jumping was an exciting new sport. The Flying Norseman, as he was called, hurled himself more than 100 feet off the jump. Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat Springs maintains the 30, 50-, 70-, and 90-meter jumps used by Steamboat's future Olympians as a training site. Howelsen also organized the city’s first Winter Carnival in 1914 as a way of introducing competitive skiing and a celebration of winter. He is rated as one of the pioneers of skiing in America. In 1922 he returned to Norway to see his elderly parents, during the visit he met his future wife and lived in Norway until his death in 1955. A life-size statue of Howelsen is located on the main street of Steamboat Springs. Carl Howelsen was entered into the

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame The Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame for notable figures in skiing and snowboarding, including athletes and sport builders. It has been in Vail, Colorado, at the Vail Transportation Center since 1992. Exhibits ...

in 1977. A book-length biography, ''The Flying Norseman'', was written by his son Leif Hovelsen and published in 1983 by the U.S.

National Ski Hall of Fame The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Ishpeming, Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States. Located in the state's Upper Peninsula, the building includes the hall of fame and museum, as well as a ...

. ''Carl Howelsen 1877-1955''
Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame

References

Other sources

*Borgen, Per Otto (2006)''Asker og Bærum leksikon'' (Drammen: Forlaget for by- og bygdehistorie) *Hovelsen, Leif (1983) ''The Flying Norseman'' (National Ski Hall of Fame)

External links

Howelsen Hill Ski Area
1877 births 1955 deaths Norwegian male Nordic combined skiers Norwegian male cross-country skiers Holmenkollen medalists Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners Norwegian emigrants to the United States Skiers from Oslo {{Nordic-skiing-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References

Other sources

External links