History
Designed by Heini Klopfer and built in 1958 on Little Papoose Peak, across from Blyth Arena, the complex had 80, 60 and 40 meter hills. After a trial competition in February 1959, it hosted the Olympic Nordic combined jumping and the special ski jumping, won by Helmut Recknagel on February 28, 1960.
The 1976 U.S. National Championships were its last major event. The hill was later used for speed skiing and snowboarding and was eventually demolished to make way for the Far East Express chairlift.
Why it matters: Ski jumping venue of the 1960 Winter Olympics.
Timeline
- 1958Built[1]
Diversified Builders built the jumps during the summer and fall of 1958.
- February 1959Pre-Olympic trial[1]
The first competition on the hills was a trial Olympics.
- February 22, 1960Olympic Nordic combined jumping[1]
The ski jumping portion of the Nordic combined was held on the 60 m hill.
- February 28, 1960
Helmut Recknagel of Germany won the Olympic ski jumping on the 80 m hill.
- 1976U.S. Nationals[1]
The 1976 U.S. National Ski Jumping Championships, won by Jim Denney, were the last major event.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished |
|---|---|
| Current use | Site used for the Far East Express chairlift[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Other names | Papoose Peak Jumps; Olympic Jumping Hill |
|---|---|
| Location | Olympic Valley, California |
| Venue type | Ski jump |
| Sports | Olympic venues, Other sports |
| Level | Olympic |
| Opened | 1958[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | 1976[1] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Architect | Heini Klopfer (design)[1] |
Documented details
Sources
- Papoose Peak Jumps, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, closed, current land use, events, opened
- Olympic Jumping Hill, Squaw Valley, California, Olympedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates, events, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (3)
- Opened: Wikipedia infobox 1958; Olympedia 1959.
- Nordic combined jumping date: Wikipedia 22 February 1960; Olympedia lists the event 21–22 February 1960.
- Hill record: infobox lists Jim Denney 99.0 m (1976); text cites Helmut Recknagel's 93.5 m at the 1960 Olympics.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.