Harris led construction of the jump in 1922, 13 years after founding the DOC.
In 2005, after more than 80 years of minor updates, the ski jump demanded major renovations. After that year's ski jump competition, officials determined that the jump was unsafe to use. Over the past three years, it has been rebuilt to modern standards, evolving from Harris' simple wooden structure into a wood and steel marvel that meets the specifications of the International Federation of Skiing.
The $575,000 renovation was paid for by the community and a $318,000 donation from the New York City-based Manton Foundation.
Ski jumping's popularity has fallen from its peak. While Brattleboro once was home to dozens of ski jumpers, there are only two jumpers from the town still competing today. And, though this year's competition attracted 28 jumpers from around the world, and a crowd of 8,300 -- a huge increase from the low of 1500 fans in 2005 -- the gathered spectators did not match the huge numbers who flocked to the competition in the early 20th century, according to the Associated Press.
Nestled in the snowy Upper Valley region, Dartmouth has long had a connection with the sport of ski jumping. For years, ski jumping was a beloved Winter Carnival tradition.
Although ski jumping was meant to be an intercollegiate varsity event, daring non-skier students would also soar off the ramp, some even venturing out in the middle of the night to try it, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Luke McLaughry '12, a member of the alpine ski team and former ski jumper at Hanover High School, said that, while he has never jumped at Harris Hill, he has jumped at Storrs Hill in Lebanon, N.H., and at the Olympic jump in Lake Placid, Nev.
"I always liked it, just because it's such an exhilarating sport," he said. "You're just flying, totally controlled. It's an awesome feeling."
Dartmouth's own ski jump was built in 1922 and called Vale de Tempe, a reference to the Greek god Apollo's favored valley. The jump was decommissioned in 1993, however, due to a lack of demand, The Dartmouth reported at that time.
Although the NCAA discontinued ski jumping as an intercollegiate sport in 1980, Dartmouth continued to support jumping, and encouraged other colleges to follow suit. Dartmouth ski jumpers competed against other colleges in small tournaments, but today no members of the varsity ski team partake in jumps, according to ski coach Cami Thompson.
Ski jumping has been an Olympic event since the Winter Games started in 1924.
