The Canton Ski Hill

The Canton Ski Hill. . , A 60 foot ski jump tower stood on the river bluff directly south of this sign. Constructed in 1912 at the urging of Norwegian ski jumpers visiting Canton's Augustana College, it soon became widely popular for the tournaments held by the Sioux Valley Ski Club. The 275 foot vertical drop of the hill and tower attracted several major competitions including the U.S. National Tournaments of 1925, 1930 and 1935. The 1932 U.S. Olympic Team trials were held here during which a record jump of 192 feet was made by Sverre Fretheim. Special trams from Minneapolis, Denver and Chicago brought thousands of spectators to the national meets. Large crowds also attended regional meets which were held annually. Because of a lack of snow in 1937, snow from Lake Okoboji was trucked to the site. 300 men carried it up the hill where warm winds turned it into slush. A sudden drop in temperature turned the slush into ice, forcing the cancellation of the meet, and financially breaking the Sioux Valley Ski club. No further tournaments were held. The landmark tower blew down in 1944.,