01.01.2021

In Harrachov, the ski jumps were restored

• Venue: Harrachov

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, the public collection, the Skiers' Association of the Czech Republic, the Liberec Region, sponsors and enthusiastic fans, life has returned to the long-orphaned ski jumps in Harrachov. Since the turn of the year 2020/21, the Czech national team has been jumping here again in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined.

In the past, ski jumping was one of the great disciplines presented by the Czech national team. Today's juniors, however, were hampered by conditions, especially the lack of bridges. The good news is that he is currently jumping on the K40, K70 and K90 bridges in Harrachov.

Harrachov has five medium and large bridges, there is no other such area for jumpers and associates in the Czech Republic. The large bridge with the critical point K120 has been closed for over ten years and the "mammoth" K180 since 2014. Expensive reconstruction in the coming years should breathe new life into them. However, negotiations are already underway to exchange dates for the World Ski Championships. The year 2024 is not real, the first possible date of the domestic championship is in 2026.

Harrachov bridges smaller and mammoth

The area of ​​ski jumps in Harrachov is divided into two main parts. Below the slope, there are bridges with a critical point of 40, 70 and 90 meters, and above them is the area of ​​large bridges, which was built between 1978 and 1983. It is a bridge with a critical point of 120 meters and a mammoth bridge designed for ski flights. , whose critical point is 185 meters. One of the smaller bridges is covered with plastic. This makes it possible to use it for jumping even in summer.

Harrachov and the local ski jumping complex are closely connected with Pavel Ploc. In 1983, one of our best jumpers in history took second place at the World Ski Championships. At the same time, he set the then world record of 181 m. He also won the World Cup races here.

100 years of ski jumps in Harrachov

The oldest ski jump in Harrachov dates back to 1920. It stood on Čerťák and there was about 30 meters of jumping. Gradually, the bridge grew, two years later there was another bridge on Ptačinec. Gradually, more were built, until finally the famous mammoth bridge was built. Harrachov is one of the few resorts in Europe where the World Cups in jumping and skiing were held.

The bridges were owned by the German WSpVerein, then LTBK, Tatran, TJ Jiskra. All the time, local skiers took care of them, repaired them, built new ones. They were also involved in the construction of the mammoth bridge and at that time the largest ski jumping complex in the world. Until 1989, 39 World Cups, 4 World Championships in skiing, Junior World Championships, twice Veterans World Championships, over one hundred international and hundreds of national competitions took place in Harrachov, jumpers and associations from pupils to adults trained here and a huge number of representatives grew up.

After the privatization, the bridges were acquired by Sportovní areál a.s., which did not invest in repairs to the area, and in 2014 all bridges were closed. Since 2019, the Buchar Ski and Tourist Club has been successfully trying to restore the glory of the bridges. Harrachov enthusiasts formed an association and announced a collection to save the bridges. During 2020, they managed to repair and put into operation the K40 and K70 bridges, the coaching tower and the ski lift on their own. Since January 2021, the larger K90 bridge has also been in operation.

 

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