“We have a pretty rich history here with ski jumping,” says Doug Maki, club historian. “We produced an Olympic skier (Doug’s brother, Jim Maki) in the ‘70s and have since produced some Junior National Champions and some Masters National Champions.”
Doug has been involved with the sport his whole life, growing up about a half-mile from the Coleraine ski jump. “We had a short-cut trail through the woods. We would go to the ski hill after school and every weekend. My dad even helped us build a ski jump in our backyard where we could fly about fifty feet. I got to be fairly decent in the Central Division but I was never as good as my brother.”
As his competitive urge waned, Doug continued as a coach. “We have a good solid program going right now with about twenty-five kids. We have a lot of talent and they’re showing a lot of promise.” That’s no surprise, considering the club’s track record for developing successful ski jumpers.
Itasca Ski and Outing Club History of Nordic Ski Jumping Champions
1907–American Distance Record, 114 feet…Ole Mangseth
1907–National Class A Champion…Olaf Jonnum
1909–National Junior Class Champion…Barney Riley
1910–National Class B Champion…Barney Riley
1911–National Class B Champion…Barney Riley
1923–National Junior Class Champion…Rolf Mangseth
1924–National Junior Class Champion…Rolf Mangseth
1925–National Junior Class Champion…Rolf Mangseth
1925–National Class A Champion…Alfred Orhn
1928–National Class D Champion…Ronald Mangseth
1935–National Junior Class Champion…Roy Laramie
1936–National Class B Champion…Gene Wilson
1937–National Junior Class Champion…Roy Laramie
1941–National Class B Champion…Bob Riley
1950–U.S. Ski Team Captain…Gene Wilson
1975–Copper Peak Ski Flying, 2nd Place…Jim Maki
1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981–U.S. Ski Team…Jim Maki
1976, 1980–U.S. Olympic Team…Jim Maki
1986–National Masters 120-Meter Champion…Jim Maki
1988, 1993, 1997– National Masters II Champion…Jim Maki
2004–National Masters II Champion…Rick Anderson
2005–National Masters I Champion…Martin Bayer
2010–National Masters I Champion…John Herschbach
2010–National Masters III Champion…Doug Maki
2012–National Masters III Champion…Doug Maki
2014–National U20 Junior Champion…Somer Schrock
2014–National U20 Nordic Combined Junior Champio…Somer Schrock
2015–National U20 Junior Champion…Somer Schrock
2015–National Masters I Champion…Dan Miller
Hall of Fame Inductees:
1967–National Ski Hall of Fame…Ole Mangseth
1981–National Ski Hall of Fame…Gene Wilson
2007–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Ole Mangseth
2007–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Gene Wilson
2008–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Jim Maki
2009–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Olaf Jonnum
2010–U.S. Masters Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Doug Maki
2010–U.S. Masters Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Jim Maki
2010–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Alfred Orhn
2011–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Barney Riley
2016–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Doug Maki
2016–American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame…Jon Denney
For more information on the history of Mt. Itasca, visit the Itasca County Historical Society website, www.itascahistorical.org/videos and view the video, “Coleraine Mt. Itasca.” To find out more about the Itasca Ski and Outing Club, call 218.245.3487 or visit their website, www.mtitasca.com.
