History

Ogden Dunes was once the home of a famous ski jump once billed as the highest ski jump in the United States. In 1927, the Grand Beach Ski Club, later the Ogden Dunes Ski Club, bought a piece of land on one of the high dunes in the town.

The members of the club constructed a 192 feet (59 m) tall ski jump. The first meet was held on January 22, 1928. For the next four years, meets were held in Ogden Dunes. The longest jump ever reported on this structure was 195 feet.

In 1932, the Norwegian Olympic Team of Birger Rund, Hans Beck, and Kaare Wahlberg (gold, silver, and bronze medalists) came to Ogden Dunes to try the tower. During the Great Depression the Ski Club had financial setbacks; combined with little snow, the club looked to sell the tower.

In 1935, a ski club in Rockford, Illinois, purchased the tower and moved it that summer leaving only the concrete pilings where the tower once stood.

In 1997, the State of Indiana's historical bureau placed a historical marker commemorating the site where the great ski jump once captivated athletes and spectators.

Historical Photographs