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Message froM the President
Let me tell you a story about a dream and a place where a dream came true. This is
about a ski club and a will to make something improbable happen.
In Fox River Grove, Illinois about 40 miles northwest of Chicago is located the oldest
continuously open ski club in the United States. The club was started in 1905 by a
group of Norwegian men. Most lived in Chicago and came out to Fox River Grove to ski
jump. In the early years of the club, huge crowds traveled from Chicago and its suburbs
to see their tournaments.
Norge is one of the 67 ski clubs in the Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council and the only
one that has a venue where ski jumpers of all ages come to improve their skills. The
“American Mecca” of ski jumping resides in suburban Illinois and has produced three
of the four men’s Olympic ski jump team members for the 2018 Olympic Games. Norge Ski Club has
been the host of many Olympic hopefuls.
Through the years, the Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council has supported Norge with its endeavors.
Michael Glasder, one of its skiers whom CMSC has supported for years, had a dream of going to the
Olympics. In its history, the Norge Ski Club has never had an athlete qualify for an Olympic team. In
2010, Mike Glasder almost qualified to compete in the Olympics during the trials in Vancouver. The
American Olympic team was only allowed to take three jumpers. Mike would have been the fourth.
In 2014, during the trials for Sochi, Mike finished fifth but they were only able to take four jumpers.
In 2017, during the trials for the Olympics in Park City, Mike took first place and was finally eligible
to compete in South Korea with the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team.
To the surprise of many people, two more jumpers from Norge made the cut in future jumps.
Casey Larson whose father is a CMSC board member, made the team along with Kevin Bickner, the
third jumper to make the team. At this point, Norge Ski Club had three of the four jumpers make
the American team representing the United States. This was the first time three members of the
Olympic ski jumping team were from the same club.
The club had been run solely by volunteers and parents who coached for several years until they Commitment to value.
thank You to hired the clubs’ first paid coach, American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame member Scott Smith, who had WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT
learned at Norge himself as a child. Smith, who has been an Olympic ski jumping coach for many
our advertisers years, was very proud to see three of the Norge ski jumpers compete in South Korea.
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area................................ 8 Ski jumping takes place at Norge Ski Hill in Fox River Grove year round. During the spring and
Aspen/Snowmass........................................ 23 summer months a special turf that simulates snow is used. Ski jumping is an Olympic sport that is
not for the faint of heart. Athletes must race down a very steep incline before launching themselves
Aspen Square Condominium Hotel ................ 2
off of a massive ski hill.
Averill Hospitality .........................................18
John M. Glover .............................................13 Looking ahead to the 2022 Olympics.
Keep on Flying!
Ski Big 3 ......................................... Back Cover Commitment to character.
Lamers Bus Lines ......................................... 17 Raymond Piwowarczyk, In the ‘30s local skiers discovered good skiing
on the “big mountain” north of town. Since then
Nub’s Nob .................................................... 17 CMSC President we’ve been committed to a life of good times,
great people and deep snow. In Whitefish you’ll
find a community true to itself and a deep-rooted
Steamboat Resort ....................................... 27 lifestyle where character is encouraged.
Travel Protectors.......................................... 11
Whitefish Mountain Resort ........................... 5 For Group Rates and Proposals
Wilmot Mountain... ..................................... 13 Norge Ski Club (Guy Larson) presenting an Contact: SALES@SKIWHITEFISH.COM
Zermatt, Utah ................................................ 9 appreciation award to CMSC President, Ray
SKIWHITEFISH.COM | 877-SKI-FISH
Piwowarczyk for the many years of support.
Partially Located on National Forest Lands
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