A Milwaukee Ski
club
timeline
By Lawrence Maurin
A Milwaukee Ski club timeline
The following came from three hand typed pages from the files of Lawrence Maurin and typed as it appeared with the only editing done to correct slashouts and adding of handwritten in characters:
MILWAUKEE SKI CLUB HISTORICAL FACTS
(Note: Some of the members claim the Club started in 1907-1908, but no record)
1910
First meeting held at the
Scandinavia Club of Milwaukee club rooms � Dec. 21, 1910
named
the Scandinavia Ski
Club of Milwaukee and held meetings in their hall until
January 5, 1917. At that
time moved to the Calumet Club rooms.
First
Club Officers: Pres.
Dr. Uyman; Vice Pres. N. L. Marbensen; Sec. C. A. Houm;
Treas. Samuel
Walvig; Capt. H. T. Olson
1911
Club concentrated on
increasing membership and advertising the sport
A
committee was named to
locate a site for a ski hill (Jumping)
1912
February 11, held club
exhibition in South Milwaukee
in Fall errected a slide
at Nagawicka Lake
1913
Name Changed to Milwaukee Ski
Club and held a tournament February 2
46
riders took part.
Anders Haugen represented the Club and took first place
(Hill record set at 121 feet by Haugen)
Second meet set for March
9 was called off the last minute due to water at
foot of landing hill
Skiers were guests of Carl
Houm and entertained at a party
1914
Tournament set for January 25
postponed due to no snow. It was run off February 22
29 riders were in competition. Attendance 3,000. Strong head
wind
Anders Haugen jumped 134 feet 10 inches. Club membership 54
1915
Tournament held February 21,
week later tan originally planned due to weather
conditions. 72 Membership
1916
January 30 set for meet and
postponed due to lack of snow. No meet held
42 members
1917
January 14 set for tournament
date. Annual meeting held January 5 with only 9 days
in which to make plans for meet. Attendance
1,5000. All riders took
four
rides or more and there was only one spill.
It
was an excellent day for skiing competition and the crowd was
enthusias-
tic. Reported the most spectacular and
thrilling meet of all time.
With
close competition in regular run, and extra
event for the hill
record
was run off. In regular competition A.
Haugen made 138 feet and
Ragnar
Omtvedt 139 feet. Longest standing: Ragnar
Omtevedt 141 tied by A.
Haugen
Enthusiastic and cheering crowd asked for a
jump off.
Haugen rode first and his efforts were not announced as
recorded by
the
markers. After Omtvedt made his landing
near the foot of the landing
hill,
the crowd waited patiently for the distance
report. When the
announcer
roared �143 feet for both riders!,� the
crowd went wild and was
uncontrolled.
1918 competition held February 3, 19 riders A. Haugen, winner
1919 Reported no meet
1920
Sixth annual meet held
February 1. Many people attended but only half paid ad-
mission. Nevertheless, the receipts were
even. 30 riders completed
under the
best skiing conditions of any previous
meet.
Club dormant until 1923
MSC Historical Facts � 2
1923
October 21. A reorganization
meeting was held at the ski hill at Nashota, Wis.
Meeting called to order by Fred Pabst, Jr.,
who gave a resume' of
the
possibilities of the ski sport as he saw
it, and presented his
plans. The
club was given scaffolding built by him.
Officers: Pres. C.A. Houm; Vice pres. Jack
Edwards; Secy. Fred
Pabst Jr.,;
Treas. Peter Mc Nulty;
Capt. Michael McNulty.
1924
February 3 held first
tournament. 30 entries Longest jump 83 feet by Arvid Bakke
Net profits about $500
Attempted to have Park Board of Milwaukee
consent to bui9ld a ski
slide at
Gordon Park
1925
Obtained a permit to erect a
slide at Gordon Park
First ski meet in Milwaukee held February 8 � 56
entries
Contributions for erecting slide amounted
to $5091.
Cost of steel and erecting $ 3259.40
� � lumber
227.26
� � foundation &
grading 1126.13
$4612.79
Meet held in rain storm at
3:15 P.M. Lightning and thunder!
1926 Tournament February 7 � 71 entries. City Championship held January 10
1927 No report
1928 Meet
held January 29 during Winter Sports Frolic.
Total attendance for
Frolic � about 50,000
Longest standing jump � Class B �
Lawrence Maurin
1929 Tournament held January 27 � about 70 entries
1930
Meet held January 26 � 88
entries. Earl Aaker set new hill record of 123 feet
Alf. Engen made his first ride on
artificial slide in
Milwaukee
1931
Meet held January 26 � 107
entries. Attendance 15,000
Lawrence Maurin lept 126 feet, 3 over hill
record, but
fell
Conditions very wet snow with water on
river
1932
Club held tournament at
Oconomowoc Ski Club grounds due to snow conditions at
Gordon Park, bot the principal reason was
lack of sufficient means to
hold
a jump without charging admissions
1933
Merger of two Clubs, Milwaukee
and Oconomowoc
(cooney organized Octobber 1925(and held
first jump in 1926) by ten
business
men under influence of Rudolf Pabst)
Purchased May Farm 40 Acres including
Devil's Hollow. Erected 90 ft.
tower
Tournament winners of first
merger meet, called 7th annual due to seventh on
hill:
Class A � Guttorm Palsen, Chicago
B � Lawrence Maurin, Milwaukee-Oconomowoc
C � Orans Wingsness, Chicago
1934
Eighth Annual Tournament �
109 entries: Class A 77; B73, C8, Senior 11.
Paul Bietila, then 15 years old, won the
ski trophy for best form
1935
January 13 tournament - 9th
Annual � Walter Bietila won in Class A
135 entries � Class A 21; B 88; C 17;
Senior 9
About 3,000 people attended. Publicity very
encouraging
1936
January 5 Club held two meets:
10th annual and State Championship
Ingvar Arneson won State �A� title.
MSC Historical Facts � 3.
1937
January 3 tournament held on
artificial snow for the first time
Snow was made in Chicago and shipped to
hill by box car
Nagawicka slide sold to
Plymouth Ski Club
1938 to 1941 � records incomplete
here, but no doubt contained in Club Minutes
1942 Staged Wisconsin State Combined Tournament � Cross Country won by Lawrence Maurin