For more than 100 years, the Harris Hill Ski Jump has stood as a beacon on the local landscape. Every February, Harris Hill comes alive as thousands of people gather to watch ski jumpers from around the world soar above their heads at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. This episode brings the thrills of this event to life as jumpers fly, crowds roar and cowbells ring and the sensations of flight are evocatively shared. Local Brattleboro radio and podcast host Peter Case narrates three perspectives on Harris Hill. First, (from 1:38 to 6:16) the internationally recognized 'voice of skiing' Peter Graves shares the flavor and history of Harris Hill and describes Harris, the man whose vision and persistence shaped this unique Brattleboro event. Then (from 8:20 to 13:20) we hear an evocative memoir written and narrated by jumper Chris Lamb, who held the Harris Hill record for seven years. Lamb eloquently describes the physical preparation required and the sensations he experiences during ‘the art of flight.’ The episode ends (from 14:00 to 18:00) with reflections on the long and deep native American presence at this place we now call Harris Hill from Elnu Abenaki representative and Atowi project director Rich Holschuh. Episode narrator Case closes with a reference to the 2022 book that marked the 100th anniversary of the event: Harris Hill Ski Jump: The First Hundred Years.
Segments in this episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast were written and produced specifically for the Brattleboro Words Trail by Sally Seymour and Reg Martell. Lissa Weinmann, was executive producer. Seymour wrote, produced and edited the history of Harris Hill narrated by Peter Graves. Reg Martell produced and edited the Chris Lamb and Rich Holschuh segments. Peter Case narrated the podcast. Chris Lamb and Rich Holschuh wrote the segments they narrate. Alec Pombriant assembled and edited the podcast. Original segments were mastered by Guilford Sound.
Musical credits for the Chris Lamb segment go to its producer, Reg Martell. Brattleboro Words Trail theme music used throughout is by Ty Gibbons.
We’d like to thank the Harris Hill Ski Jump for its help in producing this podcast and to all the volunteers who work and the jumpers who fly to make this one of Brattleboro’s most unique events.
See Harris Hill Ski Jump official website: https://harrishillskijump.com/ (Dates in 2025 are February 15 and 16)
See the Brattleboro Words Project website: https://brattleborowords.org/
See info on Peter Graves: https://skihall.com/hall-of-famers/peter-graves/?srsltid=AfmBOortp1LI4F2sqp5fKBD_YT1Z9KuX6FY-tOIAx4eU_AhC5s2Ok35S
See Rich Holschuh's Atowi project: https://www.atowi.org/
Harris Hill Ski Jump and 'the Art of Flying' Transcript
January 2025
HOST Lissa Weinmann: Welcome to the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast…
NARRATOR: For more than 100 years, the Harris Hill Ski Jump has stood as a beacon on the local landscape. Every February, Harris Hill comes alive as thousands of people gather to watch ski jumpers from around the world soar at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.
My name is Peter Fish Case. I’m a radio and podcast host and have been a commentator at the event for many years and I’ve got to tell you – there is nothing else like it in the world.
I’m going to guide you through three perspectives of Harris Hill. We’ll start with some fascinating history of how the event came to be; we will then listen to an incredible memoir space on ‘the art of flight’ and how athletes prepare from Chris Lamb, a local jumper who held the Harris Hill record for seven years. We’ll end the podcast more or less at the very beginning, with reflections on the early native American presence at this place we now call Harris Hill.
Listen now as my friend Peter Graves recounts the colorful history of ski jumping in Brattleboro, and introduces you to Fred Harris, the man whose vision and persistence shaped this unique Brattleboro event.
PETER GRAVES: No one knows what inspired Fred Harris to build a ski jump in a neighborhood in Brattleboro, Vermont.
The native son must have known of the 400 million year old rocky outcropping off Cedar Street, but he didn't put two and two together until he came home after college and his service in the Navy. By that time, Harris was a world class athlete, and he wanted to bring ski jumping back to his hometown, which was already famous for velodrome racing, organ manufacturing and healing springs.
The Rocky Ridge proved the perfect place for a ski jump. It was very steep and tree-lined to protect jumpers from the wind. With two thousand two hundred dollars of his own money and the help of friends, he completed the Brattleboro Ski Jump just one week before the inaugural event on February 6th in 1922.
(music big band bop) Back then, ski jumping in to England was a novelty, but the sport was taking off, so to speak. In 1923, Brattleboro hosted the Vermont State Championships. Thousands came to cheer on the competitors. Winter became a celebration and Brattleboro was jumping.
In 1924, the first ski jump ball was held with music by Paul Whiteman’s famous Leviathan orchestra. More big bands followed and everyone wanted a piece of the action. A man and woman wrote a toboggan off a jump through a flaming hoop. Tobogganing became an added attraction along with triple jumping. Yes – three off at the same time.
In 1924, Fred Harris paid Cartier Jewelers seven hundred and fifty dollars to fashion the winged ski trophy to be given to any jumper who won three tournaments. Since then, it's been retired five times by jumping legends including Hugh Barber of Brattleboro.
The annual ski jump competition attracted some of the best jumpers in North America and Europe as popularity grew, so did the crowds and competitors. In 1951, (crowd sounds) 10,000 spectators watched a record field of 164 jumpers compete in the national championship. That year, the hill was renamed Harris Hill Ski Jump.
Of course, back in the beginning, the jump didn't look like it does today. Over time, repairs and improvements had to be made and the benefits brought new distance records. The local jumping talent competed with the international field soaring 100, 200, 300 feet at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. (music fades).
As the decades rolled by, more choices of winter sports came on the scene (music cello), the number of ski jumpers slowly dwindled and Harris Hill felt the decline. By 2005, it needed major repairs. For the next three years, members of the community banded together to raise money and rebuild Brattleboro’s beloved landmark.
(New music piano lively) The new 90 meter jump built to International Ski Federation specifications, opened in 2009. Once again, thousands turned out to celebrate. The first person to take flight off New England's only Olympic sized ski jump, was hometown boy Spencer Knickerbocker. Ski jumping in Brattleboro was back.
In any season you can stand and peer up the hill and almost hear the same sounds that have reverberated across the valley for almost a century. (Bells and crowd sounds) The ringing cow bells. Clattering skis on the icy slope, the slapping of skis as they return to the Earth. All started with one man, Fred Harris, and a 400 million year old rocky ridge.
NARRATOR: Two years before ski jumping came to Brattleboro, Fred Harris was already busy promoting the sport far and wide. People wondered, “Why would anyone leap into the air? What did it feel like? Wasn’t it dangerous?"
In the words of Dummerston writer Frederic Van de Water: “A human being who starts down that slope and jumps and lands here won’t need any doctor when he lights. He’ll want a basket. A basket to gather what’s left of him.”
But Harris was determined to dispel the myth of destruction and replace it with respect.
In 1920 he wrote in “National Geographic” magazine this description of a jumper in action:
(musical bed)“Out upon the jumping platform he slides with lightning speed, and at the critical moment with all the strength of his lithe body concentrated in his knees, he springs. Like a soaring bird, he launches upward and out into space. For a moment he seems to pause midair, then quickly describing an arc, down, down down, he swoops with the speed of thought. What will happen when he hits? … He does not hit: he seems merely to meet the snow track at the bottom of the jump… and simply glides on, at terrific speed, until, with a perfectly executed telemark swing, (music fades out) he brings himself to a halt in a whirl of snow.”
In a town with an Olympic-size ski jump attracting intrigue and opportunity, it’s not hard to find someone who’s jumped Harris Hill. Let’s listen to local jumper Chris Lamb, two time winner of the Winged Ski Trophy as he shares a deeply personal account of this remarkable experience:
CHRIS LAMB: (guitar single note music rises) From the age of six to the age of 24, I dedicated my life to the sport of ski jumping or what I prefer to think of as the art of flight.
Voice of host of event: And our final competitor, he's won this event twice, Chris Lamb! (sound of crowd roaring)
Each day was dedicated to molding my own body from muscle to bone to mind, to that of a human bird with six foot long skis for wings and a neoprene suit body. I was six feet tall, 127 pounds and ready to fly.
(Sound of bells ringing and event announcer)
The cool air in the fall marks the transition from summer conditioning to the winter competition season, a moment of great anticipation where we ski jumpers wait to experience the fruits of our labor, or to be reminded that there is still work to be done.
For me, this time of year has always been one of great excitement. While skiing on various jumps around the world is of course invigorating, there is nothing quite like the glide one experiences on the snow of their home hill. Or better yet, the sensation of floating on the air in front of a home crowd.
All right, we've got bib number one moving out on the par…Alright here we go…
Harris Hill falls late in the season, but the return to Brattleboro is always reminiscent of this early season sensation. If one put their hours in and did their work during the months leading up to this moment, the body is at this time what the Norwegians call “Goolfoy:’ it is down to the last molecule, a flying object. Like a bird of prey. All senses are heightened and attuned to a particular environment, with one goal in mind: Defying to the best of our ability, the forces of gravity, and beating out our competitors for opportunities to fly even farther.
(sounds of event and music Event announcer:“Look at that, look at that…”)
For those who have had the pleasure of flying off Harris Hill, they know it is unique in comparison to other places. Staring down from the starting gates onto a roaring crowd of New Englanders gives rise to butterflies in the stomach. The ice track on the ramp, which requires great technical skill and focus, and the giant take off launches skiers higher above the landing hill than most. Even for those who don't jump as far, there is always a moment when you feel as though you may end up in the Connecticut River.
Event announcer tape: Here he comes! (crowd sounds, fast-paced music)
During this time of year, the body of a ski jumper anticipates these sensations. Winter breeze entering the lungs. Its bite on your face as you speed down the ramp. The sound of chattering skis on an ice track. The burning of muscles preparing for takeoff. The weightlessness of flight and the vision from above. (take off / tranquil transcendent music)
(Return to theme music) Returning to Harris Hill always conjures up these sensations for me. I remember joking conversations with friends on the tower, the thrill of flying far and the thirst to fly even farther. Sitting at the top now, looking down the narrow ramp to the takeoff, I recall the sensation of sitting at the starting gate, awaiting the final jump that secured my second leg on the Winged Ski Trophy.
It was a cold, windy day and the snow was blowing periodically off of the giant trees and across the landing hill. The conditions were challenging. Nerves filled my legs, stomach and arms as I tried to focus on making a basic jump. I had little control. All I could do was trust my training and my body would take over and the air would carry me to the bottom
NARRATOR: Chris Lamb’s description of the view from above of the river and the hills all around the Harris Hill Ski Jump gives a sense of the beauty of this area. The Retreat Farm next door and its extensive network of walking trails now occupies much of this prime real estate next to the Connecticut River. But people have been living here for a very, very long time before Harris Hill Ski Jump was built. We know that an old map identified the ski jump location as “Gypsy Grounds” – but were there gypsies in Brattleboro? Let’s hear Rich Holschuh, representative of the Elnu Abenaki tribe, shed some light on that map and the native people who we know lived here as long as 13,000 years ago, and maybe longer…
RICH HOLSCHUH: (bit of jazzy music) Charles William Grau was a noted physician, first at Brattleboro as Wesselhoet Water Cure. 1848, followed by the Lawrence Water Cure in 1853 and later in private practice, a key ingredient of his naturopathic treatment regimen was extensive outdoor exposure in the form of stimulating walks and long rural drives to encourage and facilitate the practice. He became a skilled cartographer, preparing detailed maps of nearby paths, roads and scenic features for devotees.
On his large area map, there is a dotted line going north south, connecting Western Avenue with Asylum Street and intersecting the latter between Brattleboro Retreat proper and Retreat Farm. Just a trail or footpath at the time, this was to become today's Cedar Street. Upon the area immediately south of the farm and west of the Retreat is a two word legend, cryptically stating: Gipsy Grounds. (words theme)
This is the land at the base of Harris Hill, still a cleared field surrounded by forests and relatively undisturbed, except for the looming ski jump to the west. While there were a number of Romanichal an Anglo Romani subgroup from the British Isles in North America at the time, most of them deported here unwillingly, ‘gypsy’ was a term applied generally to anyone with a migratory lifestyle.
Most of the better known Eastern European Romani emigrated to the US later in the 1800s, primarily to urban areas. In Vermont, sociologists agree that the term ‘gypsy’ was often a reference to the indigenous Abenaki and their kin, some of whom adopted an itinerant peddler version of their annual subsistence cycles, returning to their traditional homelands in family groups with horse-drawn wagons. They sold baskets and wooden ware, worked as day laborers, offered herbal health treatments and hunted and gathered, as had their ancestors in the selfsame places.
Dr. Grau’s 1860 ‘Gypsy Grounds’ on his map was and is one of these places. There are a number of historical newspaper accounts of ‘gypsy’ visitations to Brattleboro in the 19th century, focusing on several specific localities in the area.
Indeed, the area around the Retreat Farm and the meadows is known as a well-established indigenous settlement site. The arrival of European settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the developing onslaught of aggressive colonization and outright war, made traditional Abenaki continuance untenable, driving the people and their culture out of sight and often far away.
But the descendants of those forced off the land remembered their ties to the homelands, and they would return to the same places as they were able, living on the fringes of the growing towns and conducting their own affairs in a radically changed social landscape. And, those descendants are still here, in their own home country, reclaiming their stories and reaffirming their connections to the land at the place called Wantastegok and now known as Brattleboro.
NARRATOR: I wonder what people from thousands of years ago would think of Harris Hill. They no doubt would have been as excited as the spectators who gather today. There is a lot more to know about Harris Hill, Fred Harris, and the sport itself. It’s all celebrated in a beautiful book called Harris Hill Ski Jump: The First Hundred Years, which was published in 1922 to mark the centennial. It’s available in local bookshops. But of course, (sounds of crowd and cowbells) the best way to experience the thrill of Harris Hill is to be there that second weekend in February to soak it all up. It’s a one of a kind thing and we look forward to seeing you there “on the hill!”
(Fade in Words theme music underlying credits)
END CREDITS/HOST: Segments in this episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast were written and produced specifically for the Brattleboro Words Trail by Sally Seymour and Reg Martell with me, Lissa Weinmann, as executive producer. Narrators are Peter Case and Peter Graves for the segments written by Sally Seymour. Chris Lamb and Rich Holschuh both wrote the segments they narrate. Alec Pombriant assembled and edited the podcast. Original segments were mastered by Guilford Sound. Musical credits for the Chris Lamb segment go to its producer, Reg Martell. Brattleboro Words Trail theme music used throughout is by Ty Gibbons. We’d like to thank the Harris Hil Ski Jump for its help in producing this podcast and all the volunteers who work and skiers who fly. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next month on the Brattleboro Words Trail.