23

John McInnes' Canadian Ski team jumping skis
1960's
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Revelstoke Museum and Archives

24

John McInnes on the ski team and travel to Europe
1960's
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
John McInnes

25

John reminisces about the training, coaching and support the Europeans and Scandinavians gave to their jumping athletes. There was nothing on that scale in Revelstoke. "We'd go to a competition in Europe and it would be the first time we put our skis on for the season," said John. "For the Europeans, it might be their 1000th jump for the season… there was just no comparison."

1962 saw a tournament called "Tournament of Future Champions" which included a "cradle class" for 4 year olds as well as classes for peewee, midgets and juveniles. The Ski Club was working hard to get the youth interested in jumping! 1962 also saw the North American Nordic Championships and Tournament of Champions held and 1964 saw the Canadian Nordic Championships and O'Keefe Tournament of Champions. Both Olympic and National Cross Country skiers and jumpers were in Revelstoke and the event attracted over 3000 spectators. Kaare Lien won the Canadian Jumping Championship title breaking the record with a 281' and 271 jumps in the "A" Class.

More jumping records fell on the Nels Nelsen Hill through the 1960's with Kjell Sjoberg setting a new Canadian jumping record of 310' in 1967.

Despite the lack of coaching and time training on the hill, John McInnes' prowess on the jumping skis put Revelstoke back on the map for one more time in the ski jumping arena. In 1969, John McInnes won the North American Championship in Quebec.

26

John McInnes, North American Champion, with Trudeau
March 1969
Quebec

Credits:
John McInnes

27

John McInnes with his trophies
March 2008
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Nancy Geismar

28

John's brother, Allan, was also a jumper. Al was very involved in the Revelstoke Ski Club and coached the junior jumpers, taking them to various meets in the province. Al also became Hill Captain in the 1960's. The Hill Captain's responsibility lay with preparing the hill and getting it ready for the tournaments. This was difficult and arduous work, often taking 3 weeks of preparation before a tournament and actively soliciting volunteers to assist with the hard work.

29

Allan McInnes
March 2008
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Nancy Geismar

30

Allan McInnes on prepping the hill for the Tournament of Champions
1950
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Allan McInnes

31

Packing down the Nels Nelsen Hill
c. 1950's
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Revelstoke Museum and Archives

32

Allan McInnes on the role of the Hill Captain, Nels Nelsen Hill
1960's-'70's
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Allan McInnes

33

Letter of thanks to Allan McInnes from Czechoslovakia
April 1970
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Allan McInnes

34

Visiting teams from around the world always received a warm welcome in Revelstoke: from the townspeople, the officials and the other competitors. The Revelstoke Ski Club, along with the help of the Ladies Auxiliary put on a good show for the international competitors, for which they were extremely grateful.

The Tournament of Champions continued through the '1960's and into the early '70's.
Though participation was waning, both on the part of spectators and competitors, the big events could turn out 3000 people to Nels Nelsen Hill.

In 1969, Mt. Revelstoke Winter Sports amalgamated with Mt. Mackenzie Ski Development and with this act, downhill skiing ceased on Mt. Revelstoke and moved to Mt. Mackenzie. Jumping tournaments continued though they were fewer and further between. The last large jumping tournament was the Western Canadian Ski Jumping Tournament (Al McInnes was one of the judges) in February 1974 and the Canadian Junior and Senior Ski Jumping Championship and International Cross Country Championship in March 1974. The Canadian Jumping team was present and jumpers came from all over Canada. In 1975 there was a small Junior jumping tournament. It was the end of a long, illustrious history on the "Big Hill."

35

Allan McInnes on the end of ski jumping in Revelstoke
1970's
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Allan McInnes

36

Ski Jumping Tournament
1965
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Credits:
Revelstoke Museum and Archives