From the Vault: Jumping in with two skis

“Ski jump has face lifted by Ski Club,” noted The Aspen Times on Nov. 20, 1958. “Aspen’s Willoughby ski jump, designed in 1937 by Andre Roch, is being given a major face lifting by the ski club under the direction of Frank Willoughby. Using a revised profile, prepared by Stan DuRose of the National Ski Association Ski Hill Engineering Committee, a work crew from the ski club organized by Wes Thorpe has been working weekends to bring the hill to specifications set by the NSA. Willoughby and Thorpe, who have also received help from the Aspen Skiing Corp., hope to have the hill completed before the skiing begins. It will permit jumps of 40 to 55 meters. When completed the jump will be used for exhibitions and jumping meets and, according to ski club officials, will provide excellent training facilities for local jumpers. In addition to the 40-meter jump the ski club maintains a smaller 30-meter hill. Both will be used this winter in the junior jump training program during the Christmas vacation under the direction of Odvar Ronnestad.” The photograph above shows a man sidestepping up the landing of the Willoughby jump in the 1950s.

This photo and more can be found in the Aspen Historical Society archives at aspenhistory.org.