In winter, Norway is filled with snow all over the country and the spectacle of people enjoying skiing.
One of the big draws for Norway’s many ski enthusiasts is the Nordic Skiing World Championships.
The Holmenkollbakken is where international competitions are held.
Here is a detailed description of Holmenkollbakken.
This is a must-see for all ski enthusiasts, so please read to the end.
What is Holmenkollbakken?
In Norway, a snow country, skiing is a popular national sport.
And ski jump competitions are frequently held at Holmenkollbakken, where skiers from home and abroad gather.
Holmenkollbakken is a ski jumping venue in the Holmenkollen area outside Oslo.
This venue has undergone numerous renovations in the past.
In 2010, it was reopened in preparation for the World Ski Championships to be held in 2011.
The start tower, a jump platform, is located 60 meters above the ground and 417 meters above sea level.
There are also permanent spectator stands, a ski museum, and other related facilities in the surrounding area.
Many Japanese athletes have entered the Holmenkollen Ski Competition, an international competition.
For example, in 2013, Japan’s Sara Takanashi participated in a competition held at Holmenkollbakken and set a record of 134.0m.
In the men’s competition, Noriaki Kasai recorded 143m in 2016.
Also, Norway is said to be the birthplace of Nordic skiing, a type of skiing.
That is why Holmenkollbakken, one of Norway’s largest, has become a must-see destination for ski players.
Norway is a great skiing country
Being located at high latitudes, Norway is covered with snow and ice most of the year.
Winter sports are popular in Norway to enjoy the cold winters, and the ski population is enormous.
Skiing is the favorite sport in Norway, so much so that there is a saying, “Norwegians are born with skis on their skis.
The word ” ski” actually originated in Norway.
The word “ski” comes from the ancient Norwegian word “skīth,” meaning “thin board.”
Nordic skiing originated in Scandinavia
The Holmenkollbakken hosts an international Nordic skiing competition every year.
As I explained earlier, the word “ski” is Norwegian for “thin board,” and this sport of Nordic skiing also originated in Nordic countries.
Nordic skiing is a type of skiing that originated in Scandinavia from the word “Nordic,” meaning ” Northern Europe.”
In Norway and other Nordic countries, skiing was initially used for transportation and hunting.
Its history is so old that even murals painted around 2500 B.C. show people hunting with boards on their backs.
As time went by, the sport gradually transformed into the slope-skating sport we know today.
Nordic skiing, once a means of hunting and transportation, gradually began to take the form of competition in the 1800s.
In 1924, Nordic skiing was recognized as a sport at the first Winter Olympics held in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France.
Nordic competitions are divided into three main categories.
“Cross Country” is a timed event, “Jumping” is a competition for distance and shape points, and “Combined” is a competition for the total of both Cross Country and Jumping scores.
What takes place at Holmenkollbakken is the “jumping” discipline of Nordic skiing.
On the other hand, skiing on snow slopes, which is what we may imagine when we hear the word “skiing,” is called Alpine skiing.
Alpine skiing is a type of skiing developed in the Alpine region of Europe based on Nordic skiing.
In contrast to Nordic skiing, which specializes in traveling on flat snow, Alpine skiing involves skiing down steep slopes at high speed.
The word “Alpine skiing” is derived from the word “Alpine,” meaning “Alps.
Alpine skiing was initially developed in Europe, where there are many steep mountains, to descend snow-covered mountains safely.
History of Holmenkollbakken
It was not until 1892 that Holmenkollen began to host ski competitions as it does today.
Earlier, the predecessor of the Holmenkollen competitions was held on Husebyrennet in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway, from 1879 to 1891.
At that time, the King of Norway was in attendance, and it was a big event with more than 10,000 spectators.
However, Husebyrennet often needed more snowfall.
In 1891, a proposal was made to build a new jumps course.
Later, the present Holmenkollbakken was built by the Norwegian Ski Promotion Association.
The memorable first competition was held on January 30, 1892.
In 1952, the Winter Olympics were held in Oslo, Norway.
At that time, the Holmenkollbakken was extensively renovated, including the permanent installation of spectator seating and the expansion of the jumps, and Holmenkollbakken has grown considerably.
Activities and the world’s oldest ski museum
Holmenkollbakken is one of Norway’s most famous tourist attractions, attracting one million visitors yearly.
In addition to the jumps, many other facilities are called famous landmarks.
One of them, for example, is the Ski Museum.
Opened in 1923, the museum offers a history of the development of skis and ski equipment. It is also the oldest museum in the world dedicated to skiing.
Moreover, visitors to Holmenkollen can also enjoy the zipline attraction, where they can ride a pulley from 361 meters.
It is a powerful experience, just like a skier jumping off a jump hill.
Admission to the ski jump and museum is joint. However, the active tee sliding down the zip line is an extra charge.
And from the top of the Holmenkollen jump, you can also see the entire city of Oslo.
It is a hidden spot with a spectacular view of the Norwegian cityscape and mountains.
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this explanation of the Holmenkollbakken, a ski jump in Oslo.
Since the first Holmenkollbakken in 1892, skiers from all over the world have competed there every year.
For ski fans, it is truly a sacred place.
