Lahti Ski Games

Lahti Ski Games
Organizers	Lahti Ski Club, Lahti city and Finnish Ski Association (since 1950)
Location	Lahti
Country	Finland
First Games	1923
Games cancelled	1930, 1940 and 1942
World Championships	1926, 1938, 1958, 1978, 1989, 2001 and 2017
Attendance record	450,000
	v ; t ; e ;

Last updated November 19, 2024

Lahti Ski Games^[1] is an annual international Nordic skiing tournament. The games last for three days, during which participants compete in cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined.

In the nearly 90-year history of the Lahti Ski Games, the fireworks seen on Saturday night have become one of the highlights of the event. The goal of establishing the games was to hold a Finland competition similar to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival. The cross-country skiing stadium & ski jump stadium is together with Holmenkollen in Oslo possibly the best stadium for such events in the world. From the large covered stands the attendees can see the skiers, first at the top of the hill on the opposite side, after a couple seconds with viewing blocked they then come out of a part of the surrounding woods, down a slope which ends in a dangerous left turn, and now the skiers are inside the stadium with the long U-turn to the finish just below the covered stand. Most of the hill below the slope which leads into the stadium and 2/3 of the "final U", is terraced with stands. At maximum capacity, close to 100,000 people can watch the end of the races inside the stadium. Within Nordic Skiing Lahti feels something like what old Wembley Stadium was during an FA Cup Final. Also the ski-jumping arena is large, but there are quite a few of that kind also elsewhere.

The idea for the games came from a Finnish legend, Lauri Pihkala in 1922. He wrote an article about a competition equal to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival after the double win of Anton Collin and Tapani Niku at Holmenkollen the same year. In the article Pihkala suggested Lahti as the location for the competition because of the city’s location and grounds.

First competition ever held

The first Lahti Ski Games was held 3–4 February 1923. From the very beginning volunteers have played a big part in arranging the games. At the first Lahti Ski Games only Finnish competitors attended the event, but it was still a success. From then on the citizens were encouraged to flag during the competition weekend so that the city would look its best.

History

Competitors from other countries took part in the games for the first time in 1926. The games were FIS congress competition, which attracted competitors from 15 different countries. The Sport center where the games are held was now improved. The local schools were turned into accommodation as the students were on holiday.

The games lived through a quieter time period between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It was time to develop marketing for the event and as a result additions to the program of the games were made in order create more entertainment value.

When the new millennium was approaching it was becoming clear that the games were not as visible in the city profile as before. According to speculations one of the reasons might be that the popularity of televised sport events kept the fans at home. The Saturday night ski jumping competition as well as the fireworks seen on the same night, have nonetheless remained popular among the public.

Salpausselkä station

For many years the public came to the games from far, often by skiing. The crowds were also transported by a special train that came directly into a station at the Sport center. The Salpausselkä station was built in 1938 and it later relocated in 1957. Nowadays the station is replaced merely by a halt, which no longer has regular train traffic. The tracks are still partially in place.

Games cancellations

The games have only been cancelled three times: first in 1930 because of the lack of snow and in 1940 due to the Winter War. In 1942 there were no normal Lahti Ski Games held.

Radio and television

The first time the Lahti Ski Games was ever broadcast was in 1932. It made the games national. In 1959 the games were televised live. However, it wasn’t until 1971 that the live televising was extended to cover footage also straight from the skiing tracks.

Sport

Today participants compete in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. The sports in which athletes compete at Lahti Ski Games have gone through many changes throughout the games’ history. In the early years participants competed in the original 50 kilometer skiing. It was arranged for the last time in 1986. There have also been men’s 30 and 10 km, as well as the women’s 5 km. The seniors and youngsters had their own tour. In the 1938 Championships slalom was added to the competition. In 1970 the evening’s ski-jumping competition became the official team competition. In 2000 sprint was introduced. Results of the 2013 games: Germany 4-0-0, Norway 1-6-4, Poland 1-0-1, Sweden and USA 1-0-0, Japan 0-1-2, Kazakhstan 0-1-0, Slovakia 0-0-1.

Sport center

Many changes have taken place at the Sport center over the years. Jumps over 50 meters became possible when the hill was raised in 1931. Several years later a new hill was constructed. It was raised again for the 25th anniversary Lahti Ski Games in 1947. Lahti city constructed the current hill during 1971–1972, and it was improved again later in 1998.^[2]

In the same complex operates the Lahti Ski Museum, part of the Lahti municipal museum system.

Lahti folk celebration

The fireworks have gained a lot of popularity since the first time they were seen in 1934. Before the people got to see the fireworks a torch parade went through the city from the city hall all the way to the pit of the hill, i.e. the out-run at the Sport center. A million Finnish marks were charged for the 15 minutes long fireworks show. During 1942–1945 the fireworks were not organized.

During the long history of the games, the event has been a family occasion to which out-of-town family and friends were invited. In the early years accommodation was hard to come by and as a result schools were turned into lodging, while the local students were given a holiday.

From the very beginning the games also had different entertainment programs. Dances were held at town. They ended in the 1980s, but restaurants and nightclubs still draw the public in for a nice nightlife experience after the games.

At the sporting site public has had the opportunity to purchase little snacks and food. Often on the menu have been products like sausages, pea soup and broth, bun and coffee. They were required in large quantities to feed the hungry audience.

Among other things, the event has always been an opportunity to make sightings of important people. Diplomats and presidents have visited the site, for instance Finnish presidents Kyösti Kallio and Urho Kekkonen, the crown prince Harald of Norway and Icelandic president Kr. Eldjorn, to name a few.

Related Research Articles

Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, while the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup has been held since 1983. Many Nordic combined competitions use the Gundersen method, where placement in the ski jumping segment results in time (dis)advantages added to the contestant's total in the cross-country skiing segment.

Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final score. Ski jumping was first contested in Norway in the late 19th century, and later spread through Europe and North America in the early 20th century. Along with cross-country skiing, it constitutes the traditional group of Nordic skiing disciplines.

The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as St. Moritz 1948, were a winter multi-sport event held from 30 January to 8 February 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936.

The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Oslo 1952, were a winter multi-sport event held from 14 to 25 February 1952 in Oslo, the capital of Norway.

Adam Henryk Małysz is a Polish former ski jumper and rally driver. He competed in ski jumping from 1995 to 2011 and is one of the most successful athletes in the history of the sport. His many accomplishments include four World Cup titles, four individual Winter Olympic medals, four individual World Championship gold medals, 39 individual World Cup competition wins, 96 World Cup podiums, and being the first male ski jumper to win three consecutive World Cup titles. He is also a winner of the Four Hills Tournament, the only three-time winner of the Nordic Tournament, and a former ski flying world record holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holmenkollbakken</span> Ski jumping hill in Oslo, Norway

Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jumping hill located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It has a hill size of HS134, a construction point of K-120, and a capacity for 70,000 spectators. Holmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival since 1892, which since 1980 have been part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup and 1983 the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup. It has also hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1930, 1966, 1982 and 2011.

The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956, were a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 26 January to 5 February 1956.

The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the XI Olympic Winter Games [dai dʑɯitɕi-kai oɾinpikɯ tokikʲogi taikai] and commonly known as Sapporo 1972, were a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside Europe and North America.

Bjørn Tore Wirkola is a Norwegian former ski jumper.

Harri Tapani Kirvesniemi is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed from 1980 to 2001. During his career he won six Olympic medals, and also the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 2000. He retired after being caught doping at the 2001 World Championship in Lahti.

Noriaki Kasai is a Japanese ski jumper. His career achievements include a gold medal at the 1992 Ski Flying World Championships, winning the 1999 Nordic Tournament, individual silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and two individual bronze medals at the 2003 Ski Jumping World Championships.

Veikko Kankkonen is a retired Finnish ski jumper who competed at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics. He won two medals in 1964 with a gold in the individual normal hill and a silver in the individual large hill event. That same year he won the jumping competition at the Holmenkollen ski festival, which also earned him the Holmenkollen medal. He also won the Four Hills Tournament and served as the flag bearer for Finland at the 1968 Olympics.

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 took place from 23 February to 6 March 2011 in Oslo, Norway, at the Holmenkollen National Arena. It was the fifth time these championships had been hosted in Holmenkollen, having been done previously in 1930, the 1952 Winter Olympics, 1966, and 1982. On 25 May 2006, the 45th FIS Congress in Vilamoura, Portugal, selected the Holmenkollen area over both Val di Fiemme, Italy, and Zakopane, Poland, with a vote of 12 to 4 to 0. These games coincided with the Holmenkollen Ski Festival as they have previously in 1930, 1952, 1966, and 1982.

The 2006–07 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup was the 28th World Cup season. It began in Kuusamo, Finland on 24 November 2006 and finished in Planica, Slovenia on 25 March 2007. Adam Małysz, Poland won the individual World Cup. e.on Ruhrgas was this season's main sponsor, and therefore, this season's leader's jersey was red, in reference to the company, rather than the traditional yellow.

Gregor Schlierenzauer is an Austrian former ski jumper who competed from 2006 to 2021. He is one of the most successful ski jumpers of all time, having won the Ski Jumping World Cup overall title, the Four Hills Tournament, and Nordic Tournament twice each; the Ski Flying World Cup overall title three times; as well as four medals at the Winter Olympics, twelve at the Ski Jumping World Championships, and five at the Ski Flying World Championships.

The 2009–10 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup was the 31st World Cup season in ski jumping and the 13th official World Cup season in ski flying. It started on 26 November 2009 at the Rukatunturi ski jumping hill in Kuusamo, Finland and finished on 14 March 2010 at Holmenkollen, Norway.

The men's normal hill individual ski jumping competition for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada was held on 12 and 13 February 2010 at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia. It was the first medal event of the 2010 Games.

Johannes Rydzek is a German nordic combined skier who has competed since 2006.

The 1952 Winter Olympics were held in and around Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Ten competition and eight non-competition venues were used, in addition to three designated, but unused, reserve competition venues. Six of the competition venues were located in Oslo, while one each was located in Bærum, Skedsmo, Drammen and Krødsherad. Bislett stadion was the centerpiece of the games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, the speed skating and the figure skating. Bislett featured both a 400-meter (1,300 ft) circumference speed skating track and a 60-meter (200 ft) long rink used for figure skating, separated by snow banks. Two reserve venues were designated for the skating events, Tryvann stadion in Oslo and Hamar stadion in Hamar.

Competitive cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of race formats and course lengths. Rules of cross-country skiing are sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing. It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation. Related forms of competition are biathlon, where competitors race on cross-country skis and stop to shoot at targets with rifles, and paralympic cross-country skiing that allows athletes with disabilities to compete at cross-country skiing with adaptive equipment.

References

↑ Heinonen, J., Karisto, A. & Laaksonen, P. 2005. Salpausselän kisat – Suomalainen kansanjuhla. Lahti: Lahden Hiihtoseura ry.
↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

Official website

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Heinonen, J., Karisto, A. & Laaksonen, P. 2005. Salpausselän kisat – Suomalainen kansanjuhla. Lahti: Lahden Hiihtoseura ry.

[2] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[1]

[2]