John Satre (Say-tree) first impressed the village of Salisbury in the mid-1920s when he grabbed his skis and launched off the roof of a neighbor’s barn!
Satre Hill has been home to the Eastern National Ski Jump Championships since 1952. This weekend, the town of Salisbury will be alive with winter warriors enjoying Salisbury’s 94th Annual Ski Jumpfest.
John Satre emigrated from Norway to Salisbury in 1924, bringing with him 2 brothers and a passion for skiing. The Satre brothers spread their winter-sport fervor throughout the community and soon formed the Salisbury Outing Club, the roots of what has become the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA).
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A crowd of nearly 200 people gathered at Satre Hill to enjoy the Salisbury Outing Club’s first ski jumping competition on January 29, 1927. By 1933, this annual event had gained great attention and was chosen to host the National Ski Jump Championships. Despite an undying love of Satre Hill and its jump, World War II was a challenging era and the jump was not utilized, eventually deteriorating into disrepair.
In 1945 the Salisbury community had regained its strength yet recognized a yearning to repair the Ski Jump void. Salisbury Winter Sports Association was formed and came together to rekindle the excitement of our hometown Ski Jump. Restoration of the Satre Hill Ski Jump was hugely successful and in 1952 the location was chosen as the ideal host of the Eastern National Championships.
The Jumps again relied on our community’s devotion again in 2010 when it was time to construct a new jump that would replace the original – bringing the entire facility up to current codes and regulations. Satre Hill became recognized once again when this new jump was chosen to host the 2011 USSA Junior Olympics, in addition to its longstanding role as host of the Eastern National Championships.
