Ski jumping tradition continues to grow in Cloquet

CLOQUET, Minn. —Underneath the bright lights on a winter night in Cloquet, the sound of skis slicing through the air has become both familiar and growing. 

The Cloquet Nordic Ski Club has introduced kids to ski jumping and cross-country skiing for over 60 years. 

“Our goal is just to have kids have fun. We don’t push any kids off jumps. They have to want to do it,” Cloquet Nordic Ski Club President Ken Ripp said. 

Ripp says ski jumping in Cloquet has grown throughout its history. 

“When I got involved in the club, it was on the down turn and then we took it over and grew it back up. And we have about 60-70 ski jumpers right now, and about 120 or 130 Nordic skiers,” Ripp said.  

Cloquet’s Pine Valley Ski Area is one of only four jumping sites in the state, making the sport a rare sight, especially among young athletes. 

“I just love how extreme of sport it is” ski jumper Rowan Rockenstein. 

Many kids in Cloquet start jumping at three years old. They start at a small five meter, next a 10 meter. Once they grow confidence, it’s time to work their way up to the big hills, the 20 meter and the 40 meter. 

“I just started off like the younger kids here on downhill skis, and then coaches were like, you should go try the five. I had all the older kids supporting me,” Rockenstein said. 

Whether it’s your first time strapping on skis, or first time down the big hill, there’s skiers, coaches and parents here to cheer you on.

“You slowly progress safely, we don’t let people jump something we don’t know they can jump,” Ripp said.  

With the Winter Olympics right around the corner, Nordic events often capture a global audience and gain interest on a local level, especially as Minnesota athletes take the international stage. 

“I will be watching the Nordic events closely, and the hometown favorite, Jesse Dickens, Minnesota girl being there. And there’s a few other Minnesotans that will be ski racing. There’s a biathlete from Minnesota,” Ripp said.  

And those Olympians often inspire new generations of skiers.

“We’ve had people competing in Europe, junior national athletes, national champions, US Cup winners coming out of our club,” Ripp said.  

With decades of tradition and new generations taking flight, Cloquet’s ski jumping legacy shows no sign of slowing down.