New Hampshire Preservation Alliance's 2009 Seven to Save list catapulted an Olympic-sized ski jump in Gilford into the spotlight on October 28, touching off a cascade of newspaper stories and eliciting memories of a nearly-forgotten chapter in the state's illustrious history of skiing.

From as far away as California, journalists described people's excitement that the famed 1930s-era 70-meter ski jump in Gilford might be revived.  The site of both national and international competition, where Norwegian Toger Torkel set a record that stood for 35 years, the Gilford jump transformed the rural town and kindled a fierce pride and loyalty in all who shared in its construction and use over the years. 

Historic preservation projects focus on preserving structures, often for a new use.  But for a ski jump, re-use means reviving the traditional historical use.  Unexpectedly, the Seven to Save announcement unleashed so much enthusiasm for bringing ski-jumping back to Gilford that advocates had to scramble to contain all the possibilities and manage expectations.  The Gunstock Nordic Association, which ended its jumping program in 2004, is now considering the feasibility of reviving the program, a step that must precede efforts to restore the jump itself.

Photo: Gunstock Mountain Resort Archives

Carol Anderson, the local historian who nominated the jump to the endangered properties list, seems ready to take on the task of bringing people together and creating a shared vision.  She understands the need to plan on multiple levels, and to gather information to make the best plan possible.  She's already had a structural engineer look at the jump, considered a museum exhibit to showcase the photos, artifacts, and old movies she's been offered, and consulted with a technical delegate for the U.S. Ski Association, who pronounced Gunstock's network of trails and jumps a spectacular opportunity for a first-rate Nordic facility for both recreation and competition.

Back in the 1930s, the WPA-funded Belknap Recreation Area (now Gunstock Ski Area) provided jobs constructing both the ski jump and downhill slopes.  Hotels and restaurants followed.  Now, another wave of economic benefit-centered on a mix of nostalgia, opportunity, preservation commitment, and revived interest in ski-jumping--could be in the offing, as well.  A new generation of youngsters might someday soar off the largest of Gunstock's three jumps, but they'll have to start small and train faithfully.  Like them, Anderson and those who want to see the 70-meter jump restored, know they have to start slowly and plan carefully for the jump restoration project to "take off."

The Seven to Save program is generously sponsored by Lincoln Financial Foundation and these other supporters: g2+1 LLC; F.H. Hamblet Electrical Contractors; Hardware Management & Design; Lavasseur Electrical Contractors, Inc.; Mamakating Electric; and Roedel Companies.

The 2009 Seven to Save List  
Click here for more information on these places.

• The Mill at Mill Hollow, East Alstead
• First Parish Church, East Derry
• The New England Center, UNH, Durham
• Iron Furnace, Franconia
• Grace United Methodist Church, Keene
• 70-Meter Ski Jump, Gilford
• Brewster Memorial Hall, Wolfeboro