Truckee

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Hilltop Ski Jump:

K-Point:

ca. 35 m

Further jumps:	no
Plastic matting:	no
Year of construction:	1930
Year of destruction:	1950
Status:	destroyed
Ski club:	Truckee Ski Club
Coordinates:	39.325107, -120.182669 ✔

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History:

The history of winter sports in the Western United States begins in Truckee. In the late 1860s, the area was cleared to create slopes for downhill skiing and tobogganing, and between 1895 and 1897, the Great Ice Carnival was held, featuring ski jumping competitions that used natural snow mounds on the hillside. In 1909, during another carnival, the Chlepp brothers from Norway showcased ski jumping, and the slope was then called "Snow Peak." Many people were eager to learn how to jump, leading to the establishment of the "Sierra" ski club, although tobogganing remained the most popular pastime.
The golden era began in 1914 with the "Fiesta of The Snows," which was a great success, attracting Hollywood to film winter sports and snowy landscapes in Truckee. The Truckee Ski Club was founded, organizing ski jumping and cross-country skiing competitions, becoming the first club of its kind on the West Coast. This inspired the creation of other ski clubs across the West.
At the end of 1928, construction began on the Pavilion, which opened in 1929 and served as a shelter and gathering place for skiers and tobogganers. In 1930, a 140-foot (approximately 43-meter) inrun tower was constructed nearby, under the supervision of professional jumper Lars Haugen, a Norwegian who achieved success both in his home country and in the United States, where he emigrated at the age of 18. The ski jump was equipped with artificial lighting, allowing the first-ever nighttime ski jumping competition on the West Coast of the United States to take place there on January 18, 1931.
In 1931, inspired by Truckee, the Auburn Ski Club built a ski jump in Cisco.
In the following years, downhill skiing gained the most popularity, and funding was directed toward developing infrastructure for this discipline. During the 1940s, many young men from Truckee participated in World War II, leading to changes in the ownership structure of local skiing organizations. In 1945, the Pavilion was converted into a restaurant, and in 1946, the property was acquired by the Crandell brothers, who renamed it Hilltop. In 1950, the ski jumping tower was dismantled, and the ski resort next to the restaurant operated until 1969.
In 1988, the restaurant was renamed "Cottonwood," and it continues to operate under that name today, serving as the only remnant of the former glory of this historic site for American winter sports.

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