LAHTI SKI GAMES FRO FINNLAND!

   Lahti Ski Games is a yearly international winter sport event. The games last for three days, during which participants compete in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. In the nearly 90-year history of the Lahti Ski Games the fireworks seen on Saturday night have become one of the highlights of the event. The goal of establishing the games was to get a competition similar to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival in Finland.
   The idea for the games came from a Finnish legend, Lauri Pihkala in 1922. He wrote an article about a competition equal to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival after the double win of Anton Collin and Tapani Niku at Holmenkollen the same year. In the article Pihkala suggested Lahti as the location for the competition because of the city’s location and grounds.

First Competition Ever Held
   The first Lahti Ski Games was held 3–4 February 1923. From the very beginning volunteers have played a big part in arranging the games. At the first Lahti Ski Games only Finnish competitors attended the event, but it was still a success. From then on the citizens were encouraged to flag during the competition weekend so that the city would look its best.

History

   Competitors from other countries took part in the games for the first time in 1926. The games were FIS congress competition, which attracted competitors from 15 different countries. The Sport center where the games are held was now improved. The local schools were turned into accommodation as the students were on holiday.
   The games lived through a quieter time period between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It was time to develop marketing for the event and as a result additions to the program of the games were made in order create more entertainment value.
   When the new millennium was approaching it was becoming clear that the games were not as visible in the city profile as before. According to speculations one of the reasons might be that the popularity of televised sport events kept the fans at home. The Saturday night ski jumping competition as well as the fireworks seen on the same night, have nonetheless remained popular among the public.

 Salpausselkä Station

   For many years the public came to the games from far, oftentimes by skiing. The crowds were also transported by a special train that came directly into a station at the Sport center. The Salpausselkä station was built in 1938 and it later relocated in 1957. Nowadays the station is replaced merely by a halt, which no longer has regular train traffic. The tracks are still partially in place.

Games Cancellations
   The games have only been cancelled three times: first in 1930 because of the lack of snow and in 1940 due to the Winter War. In 1942 there were no normal Lahti Ski Games held.

 Radio and television

   The first time the Lahti Ski Games was ever broadcasted was in 1932. It made the games national. In 1959 the games were televised live. However, it wasn’t until 1971 that the live televising was extended to cover footage also straight from the skiing tracks.

 Sport

   Today participants compete in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. The sports in which athletes compete at Lahti Ski Games have gone through many changes throughout the games’ history. In the early years participants competed in the original 50 kilometer skiing. It was arranged for the last time in 1986. There have also been men’s 30 and 10 km, as well as the women’s 5 km. The seniors and youngsters had their own tour. In the 1938 Championships also slalom was competed in. In 1970 the evening’s ski-jumping competition became the official team competition. In 2000 sprint was introduced.

 Sport Center

   Many changes have taken place at the Sport center over the years. Jumps over 50 meters became possible when the hill was raised in 1931. Several years later a new hill was constructed. It was raised again for the 25th anniversary Lahti Ski Games in 1947. Lahti city constructed the current hill during 1971–1972, and it was improved again later in 1998.

Lahti Folk Celebration

   The fireworks have gained a lot of popularity since the first time they were seen in 1934. Before the people got to see the fireworks a torch parade went through the city from the city hall all the way to the pit of the hill, i.e. the out-run at the Sport center. A million Finnish marks were charged for the 15 minutes long fireworks show. During 1942–1945 the fireworks were not organized.
   During the long history of the games, the event has been a family occasion to which out-of-town family and friends were invited. In the early years accommodation was hard to come by and as a result schools were turned into lodging, while the local students were given a holiday.
   From the very beginning the games also had different entertainment programs. Dances were held at town. They ended in the 1980s, but restaurants and nightclubs still draw the public in for a nice nightlife experience after the games.
At the sporting site public has had the opportunity to purchase little snacks and food. Often on the menu have been products like sausages, pea soup and broth, bun and coffee. They were required in large quantities to feed the hungry audience.
   Among other things, the event has always been an opportunity to make sightings of important people. Diplomats and presidents have visited the site, for instance Finnish presidents Kyösti Kallio and Urho Kekkonen, the crown prince Harald of Norway and Icelandic president Kr. Eldjorn, to name a few.

Here's A Little Timeline Of The Games:

1923 Lahti Ski Games were held for the first time. The idea of have the games game from Mr. Lauri Pihkala. He wanted to bring the games to Lahti because of it´s centered position and variable terrain.
1924 Ski Games lasted four days. Finnish Army championships were included.
1925 Lack of snow forced to postpone the games two times. Finally games were held in March, 19.-22.
1926 So called Kongress Games gathered 15 nations. The skiing world started to know Lahti and Ski Games around the world.
1927 The Great lottery was kept to “establish Ski Games and raise Finnish skiing”. Lottery ticket cost 3 FIM, and the main prize was 100 000 FIM bank account.
1929 Athletes competed to win 9 different challenge cups. Prizes were donated by corporations from Lahti
1930 No Games were held because lack of snow. Afterwards Games have been cancelled only two times.
1932 Finnish President visited Lahti Ski Games for the first time. After this the Presidents have changed, but visits have been regular.
1934 Programme included ski jumping in the evening with spectacular fireworks after competition. “The Meeting point” for the teenagers was the illuminated “Track of love”.
1938 Over 100 000 spectators game to World Ski Championships. This was the first time to that the amount of spectators exceeded 100 000 limit. Championships were held on new stadium and ski jumping hill.
1940 The Winter War forced to cancel the Lahti Ski Games .

1941 Ski Games gathered 417 athletes to Lahti during the ceasefire.
1942 Instead of skiing, so called miniature Games were held. Most of the ski jumpers came to hill straight for the frontier.
1945 Games back to normal again after the World War II. During the war years games were national championships.
1947 For the traditional fireworks, Ski Club borrowed two huge spotlights used in war for aircraft seach from the Finnish army. Also buying permits to buy paraffin and cotton waste were applied from the äMinistry for internal affairs. The Ski Club donated 150 000 FIM from the income for National Aid.
1948 New event was introduced, skiing-steeplechase (equestrian).
1949 The Games were held despite the storm that was hammering Lahti
1950 Finnish Skiing Association joined to organize the Games.
1951 International 4 x 10 km relay and youth ski jumping were included in the programme.
1952 Helsinki Olympic fever was alreadyseen in Lahti. The Games were succesfulland crowded. New aspects were introduced, stopwatch for the spectators and official “Ski-Girls” (photo).
1954 Great Finnish Ski Heroes like Veikko Hakulinen and Heikki Hasu gathered over 96.000 spectators to the stadium.
1955 Team from Soviet Union took part to the Games for the first time. Soviet team was successful in Falun WCS 1954, but did not win any events in Lahtil.
1956 Despite General Strike, tens of thousands game to see the Games.
1957 First win for the Soviet team. The ski stadium was radically renewed for the coming World Ski Championships.
1958 Third WSC in Lahti, 204.591 spectators. 67.033 spectators witnessed Juhani Kärkinen . FIS pointed out, that these were the best organized Games so far.
1959 Finnish audience was able to see the Games on television for the first time.
1960 In addition to regular games, also international match between Finland and Norway was held.

1961 Warm weather. First prize in ski jumping was tied between three competitors.
1962 International Lahti Ski Games were held, for the first time in 3 day period, from Friday to Sunday.
1964 Record in “normal” Ski Games, spectators 114.082
1965 Over 1000 volunteer officials. In Ski jumping, three round competition was tested.
1966 First team competition in Ski jumping, winner was East-Germany.
1967 Programme keeps on expanding – first time for women´s relay. Additonal event was “Winter of Finland”- exhibition
1968 Finnish Ski Association had it´s 60th anniversary, celebrationrelay was handed to Mr. Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland.
1969 No success for Team Finland. In Ski jumping East-German Christian Kiehl won both, youth and special Ski jumping competitions.
1970 Competition Manager, Mrs. Leila Lepistö started her career as official “Ski-Girl”.
1971 Less than 50.000 spectators. Mass start was tested in men´s skiing. This was the first time that Finnish team did not win any competitions.
1972 Marketing budget was doubled, which was seen in increasing amount of spectators.. Ski jumpers disappointed, competition was tranfered from new hill to old wooden hill.
1973 First competition in the hill. Old hill was situated at the Indian hill, on the oppossite hill from current ski stadium stand.
1975 Lahti Ski Games 50th anniversary. One of the main events was exhibition ski jumping, with Norwegian girl Anita Wold.
1976 Last Ski Games at the old stadium. Right after Games the renewing started for next World Ski Championships.
1977 Pre-WSC with 377 athletes from 19 countries. First competition in Lahti nomal hill was won by Walter Steiner (SUI).
1978 Official competition song “Lahti By Night” was introduced in the 4th WSC held in Lahti. Every year since that this song has been played after the fireworks on Saturday evening.
1979 Another great organized Games despite the wind and fog.

1980 Young Canadian-Indian, jumping without glasses, Steve Collins jumped amazing hill record, 124 meters.
1981 Jari Puikkonen won both individual competitions. What made these competitions special was, that they were held in K64 hill.
1982 New, modern track&field stadium was built. This made Lahti Ski stadium year-around meetingpoint for sporting citizens.
1985 The real Lahti Ski, men 50 km, was taken out from the programme. After that, this traditional event has taken place twice, 1989 and 2001, in World Ski Championships.
1986 Finnish popband Dingo, played at the games. Band had over 13.000 spectators on Saturday-evening at the Ski-restaurant
1988 Matti Nykänen, wins nr 6 and 7 at the games. He won both competitions. He is still the most succesful athlete in the history of Lahti Ski Games in amount of wins.
1989 World Ski Championships gatehered 450 000 spectators in 10 days. This is still the record of Lahti Ski Games.

1992 16-year-old Toni Nieminen excited the crowds. Despite the economical depression the Games had almost 120 000 spectators.
1994 No Nordic Combined events were held.
1995 Lack of snow forced to cancel so called “marketplacefive”. The track was suppose to be in the downtown area.
1997 Cross country competitions were held in January and Ski jumping and Nordic Combined in March. Games were split in two because of the World Ski Championships in Trondheim.

2001 Sixth World Ski Championships in Lahti. Temperature varied from +7 to -25 degrees celcius.
2002 First time that cross country competitions were only in free technique.
2005 Lahti Ski Games were held for the 80th time. World Cup success of Janne Ahonen and Hannu Manninen gathered the greatest amount of spectartor since 1992. (WCS 2001 excluded)
2008 Red Bull X-Fighters motor show attracted spectators on Saturday evening.
2011 Competition Manager, Mrs. Leila Lepistö retires after 41 years of service.

The Ski Museum

   The Ski Museum is at the foot of the ski-jump ramps at the Lahti Sports Centre. Museum activities were launched in 1958 by the veterans' section of the Lahden Hiihtoseura skiing club. The museum was founded in 1974 and the first permanent exhibition was opened in the old sauna of the club. The present museum building, designed by the architect Esko Hämäläinen, was opened to the public on 1 November 1989. The present renovated façade of the building, combining slanting walls, wood and glass, was designed by Professor Pekka Salminen and was completed in 2000. At the same time restaurant Voitto and 80-seat auditorium were built.


Salpausselka Medal

Salpausselkä medal was founded in 1960 for athletes that have won Nordic dicipline in Lahti Ski Games at least twice. Salpausselkä medal number 1 was handed to Tapani Niku who won in 1923-1925 four times. Most wins in Lahti Ski Games has won Matti Nykänen, all together 7 victories during 1984-1989. Altogether 87 Salpausselkä medals have been awarded for true Salpausselkä legends.
1920´s

Name			Wins	Years
#1 Tapani Niku			4	1923, 1924, 1924, 1925
#2 Sulo Jääskeläinen			3	1923, 1924, 1924
#3 Matti Raivio			5	1925, 1926, 1926, 1927, 1927
#4 Paavo Nuotio			3	1925, 1927, 1932
#5 Erkki Penttilä			2	1928, 1928
#6 Kai Rusten, NOR			2	1928, 1928
#7 Lempi Asikainen-Ruuska			3	1928, 1929, 1931
#8 Rafael Björklund			2	1929, 1932
1930´s
Name			Wins	Years
#9 Veli Saarinen			2	1931, 1933
#10 Volmari Toikka			2	1931, 1934
#11 Lauri Valonen			4	1932, 1934, 1935, 1936
#12 Sulo Nurmela			3	1934, 1935, 1937
1940´s
Name			Wins	Years
#13 Leo Laakso			5	1941, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946
#14 Olavi Sihvonen			3	1943, 1944, 1946
#15 Pekka Vanninen			2	1939, 1947
#16 Benjamin Vanninen			2	1946, 1948
#17 Kerttu Pehkonen-Pesonen			4	1947, 1948, 1949, 1951
#18 Heikki Hasu			5	1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953
1950´s
Name			Wins	Years
#19 Veikko Hakulinen			4	1952, 1953, 1953, 1958
#20 Arvo Viitanen			4	1952, 1953, 1954, 1955
#21 Mirja Hietamies-Eteläpää			2	1954, 1956
#22 Eero Kolehmainen			2	1956, 1957
#23 Sverre Stenersen, NOR			4	1956, 1957, 1959, 1960
#24 Paavo Korhonen			2	1954, 1958
#25 Kalevi Hämäläinen			3	1956, 1958, 1966
#26 Siiri Rantanen			3	1954, 1959, 1961
#27 Juhani Kärkinen			3	1958, 1959, 1963
1960´s
Name			Wins	Years
#28 Arto Tiainen			2	1959, 1960
#29 Harald Grönningen, NOR			3	1960, 1961, 1962
#30 Veikko Kankkonen			5	1960, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1968
#31 Otto Leodolter, AUT			2	1961, 1962
#32 Alevtina Koltshina, RUS			3	1958, 1963, 1965
#33 Reidar Hjermstad, NOR			2	1963, 1963
#34 Assar Rönnlund, SWE			4	1961, 1965, 1967, 1968
#35 Georg Thoma, GER			2	1961, 1965
#36 Markus Svendsen, NOR			2	1966, 1967
1970´s
Name			Wins	Years
#37 Nina Shebalina, RUS			2	1969, 1971
#38 Pål Tyldum, NOR			2	1968, 1971
#39 Eero Mäntyranta			2	1964, 1972
#40 Galina Kulakova, SOV			5	1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979
#41 Vasili Rothsev, SOV			3	1974, 1975, 1977
#42 Walter Steiner, SUI			3	1973, 1975, 1977
#43 Oddvar Brå, NOR			5	1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1982
#44 Karl Schnabl, AUT			2	1975, 1976
#45 Zinaida Amosova, SOV			4	1977, 1977, 1978, 1978
#46 Aleksei Borovitin, SOV			2	1974, 1977
#47 Sergei Saveljev, SOV			3	1976, 1977, 1978
#48 Konrad Winkler, DDR			2	1977, 1978
#49 Helena Takalo			2	1970, 1978
1980´s
Name			Wins	Years
#50 Jari Puikkonen			3	1981, 1981, 1989
#51 Barbara Petzold, DDR			3	1981, 1981
#52 Rauno Miettinen			2	1976, 1982
#53 Armin Kogler, AUT			2	1980, 1982
#54 Ole Bremseth, NOR			2	1982, 1982
#55 Aleksandr Zavjalov			2	1980, 1983
#56 Algimantes Shaina, SOV			2	1983, 1983
#57 Horst Bulau, CAN			2	1983, 1983
#58 Matti Nykänen			7	1984, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1988
#59 Lars-Erik Eriksen			2	1979, 1984
#60 Thomas Müller, BRD			2	1984, 1987
#61 Marjo Matikainen-Kallström			3	1986, 1987, 1990
#62 Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi			2	1983, 1989
#63 Jelena Välbe, RUS			4	1989, 1989, 1990, 1991
#64 Gunde Svan, SWE			2	1989, 1989
1990´s
Name			Wins	Years
#65 Andreas Felder, AUT			4	1985, 1990, 1991, 1991
#67 Trond Einar Elden, NOR			2	1989, 1991
#68 Björn Dählie, NOR			3	1990, 1992, 1999
#69 Toni Nieminen			2	1992, 1992
#70 Torny Mogren, SWE			2	1986, 1993
#71 Jens Weissflog, GER			3	1989, 1994, 1995
#72 Vladimir Smirnov, KAZ			3	1989, 1994, 1995
#73 Inger Helene Nybråten, NOR			2	1988, 1996
#74 Manuela Di Centa, ITA			2	1994, 1996
#75 Masahiko Harada, JPN			2	1996, 1996
#76 Bjarte Engen Vik, NOR			3	1996, 1998, 2001
#77 Stefania Belmondo, ITA			2	1992, 1998
2000´s
Name			Wins	Years
#78 Janne Ahonen			2	1998, 2000
#79 Hannu Manninen			4	1997, 2000, 2005, 2010
#80 Martin Schmitt, GER			3	2000, 2001, 2002
#81 Larissa Lazutina, RUS			2	1999, 2001
#82 Bente Skari, NOR			2	2001, 2001
#83 Samppa Lajunen			3	1999, 2002, 2002
#84 Kristina Smigun, EST			3	2000, 2002, 2007
#85 Adam Malysz, POL			4	2001, 2003, 2003, 2007
#86 Daito Takahashi, JPN			2	2004, 2004
#87 Virpi Kuituinen			3	2001, 2004, 2008