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July 7th, 2010 Press Release
Salisbury,CT National ski jumping competition returns to Connecticut for the first time in 60 years as the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) awards the 2011 Junior Olympics to the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) in little picturesque Salisbury, CT.
"This is the premier ski jumping event in the United States for jumpers 17 years old and under", said SWSA President Ken Barker, "and we're thrilled both for SWSA and Salisbury to be awarded the JO's".
Approximately 70 of the nations best junior jumpers will be competing during the five day event which includes both ski jumping and Nordic combined , a two-stage event which includes both ski jumping and cross country skiing. Nordic events will be held at the Mohawk Ski Area in Cornwall, CT.
Before SWSA could host the JOs however, the USSA required the organization to replace its old rickety wooden tower with a new state of the art steel structure which conforms to modern ski jumping standards. SWSA is in the midst of a $700,000 fundraising effort to build the tower and other improvements, and new construction is well under way.
Although SWSA will be hosting the Junior Olympics for the first time at its Satre Hill facilities, the organization is no stranger to Junior Olympic quality competition. Junior Olympic hopefuls from the eastern United States regularly compete at SWSA's annual Jumpfest weekend each February when they host the Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships.
And some of those promising young athletes have found their way to the big time. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C., frequent visitors to Salisbury's jumps- Peter Frenette and Nick Alexander represented America in the ski jumping event. And Billy Demong and Todd Lodwick, who won the first Nordic event gold medals for America in over 25 years, have jumped at SWSA's 64 meter Satre Hill.
Ski jumping has an 85 year old tradition in Salisbury. SWSA hosts the annual Eastern U.S. Ski jumping Championships each February during Jumpfest weekend.
"This is the premier ski jumping event in the United States for jumpers 17 years old and under", said SWSA President Ken Barker, "and we're thrilled both for SWSA and Salisbury to be awarded the JO's".
Approximately 70 of the nations best junior jumpers will be competing during the five day event which includes both ski jumping and Nordic combined , a two-stage event which includes both ski jumping and cross country skiing. Nordic events will be held at the Mohawk Ski Area in Cornwall, CT.
Before SWSA could host the JOs however, the USSA required the organization to replace its old rickety wooden tower with a new state of the art steel structure which conforms to modern ski jumping standards. SWSA is in the midst of a $700,000 fundraising effort to build the tower and other improvements, and new construction is well under way.
Although SWSA will be hosting the Junior Olympics for the first time at its Satre Hill facilities, the organization is no stranger to Junior Olympic quality competition. Junior Olympic hopefuls from the eastern United States regularly compete at SWSA's annual Jumpfest weekend each February when they host the Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships.
And some of those promising young athletes have found their way to the big time. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C., frequent visitors to Salisbury's jumps- Peter Frenette and Nick Alexander represented America in the ski jumping event. And Billy Demong and Todd Lodwick, who won the first Nordic event gold medals for America in over 25 years, have jumped at SWSA's 64 meter Satre Hill.
Ski jumping has an 85 year old tradition in Salisbury. SWSA hosts the annual Eastern U.S. Ski jumping Championships each February during Jumpfest weekend.