Goodbye Big Chester

Brian Barber Jul 24, 2014 12 Comments

The city of Duluth has determined that the ski jumps at Chester Bowl will be coming down due to safety concerns. A public meeting will be held July 31.

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12 Comments

erik

about 10 years ago 

That would be the ultimate mountain bike gravity trail. The Bowl could rock it old school, no need for high speed quad, just get a rope and pulley to haul your bike to the top.

Mike4511

about 10 years ago 



Duluth News Tribune: City plans to remove Chester Bowl ski jumps

janamidwife

about 10 years ago 

Ski Jump Art:  I wish they would leave them be, and shift their place in the city files from "ski jumps" to "sculpture." They are artwork, giant installations, as iconic on the skyline as the bridge is on the harbor. 

If not sculpture, I hope the boards can be auctioned off or gifted to someone who would use them to build something public and very cool.

llinmpls

about 10 years ago 

I sure hope there are plans to turn it into a dog park.

BadCat!

about 10 years ago 

Sorry I rolled a bowling ball down you in 1995.

Tony D.

about 10 years ago 

For those of you unfamiliar with the jumps, here is a history of ski jumping in the Zenith City:

Duluth's long, rich history of jumping in the "Norseman's Shoes"

The Big E

about 10 years ago 

I really dislike this idea.  True, I don't have any great enthusiasm for our kids getting into ski jumping, but I love seeing the jumps on the skyline.  I think the best memorial of Duluth's great ski jumping history is leaving them there.

Aldin

about 10 years ago 

llinmpls, I really hope they don't turn it into a dog park.  There are already too many dogs roaming around Chester Creak.

Andy Tveter

about 10 years ago 

I am looking for some aged lumber for a wall panel project. Would anyone have an idea who the right person to contact would be to purchase a few of these boards?

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago 

Update: Next week's Chester Creek Concert Series performance will be preceded by a special tribute to the Chester Park Ski Jump Program with a brief presentation by former Olympic ski jumper Adrian Watt.

Nobody

about 10 years ago 

A crew is up at Big Chester right now working to pull it down in one shot.  There a few people watching the jump wiggle as they work on it...

brian

about 10 years ago 

Planning for a Chester Ski Jump memorial is underway. From a City of Duluth press release:


The City of Duluth, in partnership with a group of volunteer committee members, is hosting a public meeting to collect public input and ideas on the vision for a Ski Jump Memorial at Chester Park. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 6:00 PM at the Central Hillside Community Center (12 W 4th Street) and we hope you can join us!!

The Memorialization Committee will be sharing the public's ideas from this meeting with artists who have been selected to develop concepts for the memorial. The City issued a Request for Qualifications for artists in October.   

Former ski jumpers and/or their families are invited to bring pictures, news stories, trophies and other ski jumping memorabilia for display at the meeting or to be shared with the artists. The artists will present their final proposals to the Memorialization Committee in early 2015, with installation of the memorial planned for mid to late summer.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, please submit your ideas and comments online at www.duluthmn.gov/parks.  Please also feel free to share this information with others who may be interested in attending.

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