HARRIS HILL: A HISTORY IN REVIEW
COMPILED BY DANA SPRAGUE
1921:
Construction begins on Cedar Street
1922:
Jump Built ($2,200) – construction completed one week before first jump
New England Distance Record Set
1923:
Vermont State Championship
Eastern Amateur Championship
1924:
National Championship
Paul Whiteman’s Famous Leviathan Orchestra plays at Ski Jump Ball at Community Hall
Winged Ski Trophy Purchased for $750
$500 worth of improvements on hill
1925:
Eastern Amateur Championship
Charles Mazettis Famous White Fleet Orchestra of 10 pieces at Community Hall – Ski Jump Ball
1926:
Vermont State Championship
Anson Smith’s Famous Havanna Orchestra of 10 pieces at Community Hall – Ski Jump Ball
1927:
New England Ski Jump Championship
Ski Jump Ball – Minor-Doyle Orchestra
Reginald & Carol Kendall of Norwich take a toboggan off Harris Hill and through a flaming hoop
Everett Davidson becomes the first Class B jumper to win meet
1928:
New England Championship
Dick Newcomb’s 12 piece orchestra at Community Hall – Ski Jump Ball
1929:
National Championship
New tower built
Dick Newcomb’s Band plays at Ski Jump Ball
1930:
No Jump
Bing Anderson (past hill record holder) convicted of murder and hanged 5/23/1930
1931:
New England Championship
Bill Murphy’s 11 Royal Arcadians Band plays at Community Hall – Ski Jump Ball
1932:
No Jump
1933:
New England Championship
Miss Grace Hamblet (Keene, NH) chosen Queen of Ski Jump Ball
McEvens Orchestra play at Armory
1934:
Vermont State Championship
Special Train from from New London, CT to see jump
Toboggan jump added attraction at Harris Hill
1935:
New England Championship
Loud Speaker live “Mike” added to event for first time
Helen Newton (Storrs, CT) crowned Queen
Bill Murphy Royal Arcadians at Community Hall – Ski Jump Ball
1936:
Eastern Ski Championship
Merrill Barber sets amateur record with jump of 198 feet
1937:
No Jump
1938:
National Ski Championship
Landing hill improved
Triple jump held (3 jumpers off jump at once)
Gene Brodman and his college collegians plays at Ski Jump Ball
Mezzy Barber disqualified from Olympic Team (Deemed Professional)
1939:
Invitation meet
The Barbary Coast Orchestra of Dartmouth plays at Ski Jump Ball
1940:
Invitation Jump
Triple Jump Held
Ray Hill & His Orchestra plays at Community Hall – Ski Jump Ball
1941:
Invitation Jump
Major Improvement to hill
New profile
1942:
National Championship
Torger Tokle retires winged trophy for first time
Mezzy Barber named to Olympic Team, but Olympics canceled because of war
1943 – 1945:
No Jump
1946:
Invitation jump
Bus runs every 10 minutes from Main Street to ski jump
Lowell Thomas delivers his news from Ski Jump Ball
New winged trophy on display
First woman jumper
1947:
Open Invitation Meet
Sonny Williams 13 piece Orchestra, 700 attend Ski Ball
Parking banned on streets
Warren Huston (major league baseball player) attends jump
Six Norwegians attend jump
1948:
Open Invitation Meet
Repairs done to Hill
Decision made to replace wooden in-run with dirt mound
Governor Ernest Gibson attends jump
1949:
Open Invitation Meet
Dirt mount replaces wooden trestle at a cost of $2,500
1950:
Open Invitation Meet
30 police officers needed to handle big crowd
102 jumpers attend
1951:
National Championship
Brattleboro Ski Jump re-named after Fred Harris
38 police needed to help with crowds
164 jumper compete (largest crowd ever)
1952:
Open Invitation Meet
121 jumpers on hand
Mezzy Barber National Champ
1953:
Open Invitation Meet
1954:
Open Invitation Meet
Merrill “Mezzy” Barber jumps for the last time, after 29 years of jumping
Snow collected from streets to put on hill
90 minute color ski film (with sound) plays at Community Hall
1955:
Open Invitation Meet
Art Devlin jumps with cast on arm
Martin Iger photographs jump by suspending a cable across landing hill while sitting in a boatswain chair
Vermont Life runs story about Harris Hill
1956:
Open Invitation Meet
Buddy Morrissean carries an American Flag down landing to start jump
Fred Harris inducted into National Ski Hall of Fame
1957:
Open Invitation Meet
Winter Carnival Starts (24,250 attend week long events)
Art Devlin becomes second jumper to retire trophy
Dr. Phil Dunham wins Veterans Division
Eleanor Jones first Carnival Queen
New tower built – $2,700
New judges’ stand built – $498
Replace fence at cost of $210
1958:
Open Invitational Meet
New Winged Trophy
1959:
Open Invitational Meet
Bernard Dion (17) becomes only the second Class B jumper to win the Harris Hill meet
1960:
Open Invitational Ski Jump
Dr. Phil Dunham was longest jump in Veteran Class (184 feet)
1961:
National Championship
Dr. Phil Dunham wins Veterans National Championship
Vermont Academy Skiers help get jump in shape
Founder, Fred Harris dies
1962:
Open Invitational Meet
Governor Ray Keysar attends jump
Art Tokle becomes oldest jumper to win at Harris Hill at age 40
1963:
Open Invitational Meet
Ski Jump banquet held at Latchis Hotel
Two Swedish Jumpers – finish one/two
1964:
Open Invitation Meet
Jet plane flys over event
Eric Merrill named to Eastern Team
1965:
Fred Harris Memorial Ski Jumping Tournament
Woofgang Happle of Germany set new record, but finishes second to Sepp Lichtenegger of Austria
1966:
Eastern Amateur Ski Association Championship
Eric Merrill becomes first local jumper to win since Mezzy Barber in 1947
Dr. Phil Dunham wins 6th straight Veterans title
Junior jumping program featured in Vermont Life Magazine
1967:
Open Invitation Meet
Dave Merrill of Brattleboro wins Class B
Dr. Phil Dunham wins again in Veterans Class
1968:
Hugh Barber & Dana Zelenakas named to Eastern Team
Dana Zelanakas named to National Team
1969:
National Championship
Dana Zelenakas represents National Team
1970:
Fred Harris Memorial Meet
19 jumps in excess of 200 feet
Don West beat Dr. Phil Dunham in Veterans Class
Bernie Wells wins Junior Class at Harris Hill
Phil Rancourt, Dave Lantz, Bernie Wells and Dave Austin make Junior National Team
Bernie Wells wins Junior Nationals
Peter Graves competes at Junior Nationals
1971:
Fred Harris Memorial Jump
Bernie Wells wins Junior Honors
Phil Rancourt wins Vermont High School Championship
Hugh Barber wins New York State Championship
1972:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Brattleboro Jumper, Hugh Barber, wins Harris Hill event
Jim Galanes wins Junior Class
Dana Zelanakas named to Olympic Team
Jerry Galanes, Jim Baker, Steve Wood and Kevin Whitworth named to Jr. National Team
1973:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Hugh Barber wins again at Harris Hill
Hugh Barber only American to finish in top 10 at the National Collegiate Championship
Terry Tyler wins World Heavy Weight Ski Jumping Championship
1974:
Hugh Barber retires trophy, wins for third year in a row
Jump enlarged with two starts added
1975:
National Championship
Harris Hill first fatality. Jeff Wright, 22, of Minneapolis and a member of the US Ski Team, has a fatal fall at Harris Hill
Kevin Whitworth named to Junior National Team
Terry Tyler wins World Heavy Weight Ski Jumping Championship for second time
1976:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
BOC trucks in 150 truck loads of snow
Bill Koch wins Silver Medal at Olympics
1977:
Fred Harris Invitational Ski Jumping Tournament
Because of snow conditions, the longest jump was less than 200 feet for the first time since 1935
Jim Galanes wins National Nordic/Combined
Todd Brooks wins Vermont High School Championship
Alan Sargent retires as Harris Hill Director after 28 years
1978:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Banquet held at Country Kitchen
Todd Brooks, Tim Barrett and Jeff Baker named to Junior National Team
Terry Tyler wins World Heavy Weight Ski Jumping Championship for third time
Todd Brooks won Vermont High School Championship
Tim Barrett named to Junior National Team
1979:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Walter Malmquist earns second leg of winged trophy, classifying Harris Hill as: “Second only to Winning a Gold Medal”
Todd Brooks wins Vermont High School State Championship for third straight year
1980:
No Snow
Todd Brooks wins Junior Nationals
Tim Barrett named to Junior World Champion Team
1981:
No Snow
Rex Bell named coach of National Team
1982:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
18-year old Jeff Volmrich upsets Walter Malmquist
Dana Zelanakis comes out of retirement to compete in the Veterans Class
Millington Dix retires
Banquet held at American Legion
Grooming machines from Maple Valley used for first time
1983:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Bernie Wells, jumping for the first time in six years, comes out of retirement, and was a forerunner this year’s jump
1984:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Parking lot closed because of mud
Bernie Wells wins Veterans Class
Earl Murphy oldest ski jumper in the world at 56, on hand for Harris Hill Jump
Jeff Hasting has the highest finish ever for an American in the Olympics, finishing 4th at Sarajevo
1985:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Norwegians finish one/two
Snow from parking lot dumped on landing
Target jump held for first time
Ticket prices raised to $5
Mike Holland sets World Distance Record – 186 Meters (610 feet)
1986:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Snow making added to jump, making Harris Hill one of only three jumps in the country with this capability
Jeff Volmrich wins second leg on Winged Trophy
Kevin Whitworth wins Veterans Class
1987:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Three Austrians, Two Finns and two Norwegians compete at Harris Hill
Volmrich and Malmquist both fall short in attempt to retire trophy
1988:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
BOC honors past winners during 65th year with Banquet at Putney Inn – nine past winners attend
Howard Dean presents medals to winners
Todd Einig makes Junior Olympic Team
1989:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Todd Brooks second in Veterans Class
Ticket price raised to $8
Steiner Bratten of Norway edges Chris Hastings and Jim Holland to win at Harris Hill
Harris Hill renovated
1990:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
US Jumpers finish one, two, three for first time with Mike Holland winning trophy
Dr. Phil Dunham and Alan Sargent inducted into Masters Hall of Fame
1991:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Yugoslavians finish one/two
1992:
National Championship
US finishs one/two/three
1993:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
16 year-old Drew Richards jumps Harris Hill for the first time, finishes third
1994:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Drew Richards finishes second
Temperature hits 55 degrees
1995:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Jim Holland retires with a win at Harris Hill
Harold Deissi (Austria) has first 300 foot jump at Harris Hill (304)
Troy Hanson and Jesse Amidon qualify for Junior Olympics
1996:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Toby Sprague retires from judging after 20 years
Vladimir Glyvka wins first leg upsetting two Austrians and Casey Colby
Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards competes (sort of)
1997:
75th Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
12 year-old Linsey Van of Park City, Utah falls on Saturday and is unable to compete
59 year-old Don West becomes the oldest jumper to jump Harris Hill
1998:
No Snow
Ski jump featured in Vermont Life
1999:
Fred Harris Memorial Tourament
Vladimir Glyvka wins second leg of Winged Trophy
14 of 21 jumpers were 18 years-old or younger
12 year-old Willy Graves jumps Harris Hill for the first time
Mezzy Barber elected to Ski Hall of Fame
Brad Baker (son of jumper Jim Baker) drafted First Round by Boston Red Sox
2000:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Vladimir Glyvka retires winged trophy
Willy Graves qualifies for Junior Olympic Team
2001:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Jannie Rand competes at Harris Hill to become a third generate Rand to do so
53 jumps exceeded the 80 meter mark
2002:
80th year of ski jumping in Brattleboro
US Jumper Casey Colby wins event
Jump held in January as to not compete with Olympics
2003:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
New Judges Stand built with a donation of $25,000 from the Rotary Club
Harris Hill Ski Jump, Inc. incorporates on October 15, 2003
2004:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Willie Graves wins Junior Division
2005:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
Jump postponed by one month because of weather
Willy Graves wins North American Championship in 90k and 120k
Fred Harris inducted into Vermont Ski Hall of Fame
Harris Hill obtains non-profit status 2/28/2005
2006, 2007, 2008:
Construction of new jump
New steel tower, start, in-run
Widening of landing
Safety/Reflective boards on landing
New steel stairs from bottom to take off
Changed out-run
2009:
Fred Harris Memorial Tournament
16 year-old Spencer Knickerbocker becomes the first ski jumper to jump off the newly renovated Harris Hill Ski Jump
Torch Light Parade kicks off 2009 jump events
Biggest crowd since 1987 – 5,400 paying customers
Representatives from 18 media outlets cover jump
2010:
Judges stand painted green
Tower / In-Run painted green
