Carl Tellefsen
Encyclopedia
Carl Tellefsen was a Norwegian-American skiing champion and the first leader of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
, Norway
. Tellefsen was active as a ski jumper and was the first leader of the Trondheim Ski Association (Trondheim Skiløberforening) and the Trondheim Ski Club (Trondheim Ski Klub). He emigrated to America in 1887 and settled in Ishpeming, Michigan
in March 1888, where he worked at the Ishpeming National Bank.
An initial meeting was held by the Ishpeming Ski Club in conjunction with a 1904 regional ski jumping meet. Carl Tellefsen proposed holding a meeting after the 1905 national jumping meet to found a ski association which, among other duties, would oversee jumping tournaments. The National Ski Association, the forerunner of the present-day United States Ski and Snowboard Association
, was founded on February 21, 1905 in Ishpeming, Michigan. The association was formally organized during a meeting attended by officers from the Ishpeming, Minneapolis, Red Wing, Minnesota
, Stillwater, Minnesota
and Eau Claire, Wisconsin
ski clubs. As Ishpeming Ski Club leader, Carl Tellefsen was elected founding president of the Association. He served as its president until his death in 1908. The National Ski Association worked to establish rules and organize the sport.
In 1956, Carl Tellefsen was the first person to be accorded Honored Membership in the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum for his contributions to the sport of skiing.
Background
Carl Tellefsen was born in TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Tellefsen was active as a ski jumper and was the first leader of the Trondheim Ski Association (Trondheim Skiløberforening) and the Trondheim Ski Club (Trondheim Ski Klub). He emigrated to America in 1887 and settled in Ishpeming, Michigan
Ishpeming, Michigan
Ishpeming is a city in Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,686 at the 2000 census. This is down from a higher population in the 1950s and 1960s when the economically supportive iron ore mines had a much higher employment level...
in March 1888, where he worked at the Ishpeming National Bank.
National Ski Association
A ski club was organized in Ishpeming on January 24, 1887. In 1888, it adopted the name Nordic Ski Club (Den Nordiske Ski Klub) to reflect its ethnic makeup. American skiing's early history was largely dominated by the Norwegian immigrants. Business during club meetings was mostly transacted in the Norwegian language. As club president, Tellefsen helped revive the Ishpeming Ski Club and built its annual ski-jumping tournament into a major regional event. On January 16, 1891, the first Central Region Ski Jumping Tournament was hosted in Ishpeming. Also in 1891, the club changed its name to the Ishpeming Ski Club and from that date all bylaws and proceedings were conducted in English.An initial meeting was held by the Ishpeming Ski Club in conjunction with a 1904 regional ski jumping meet. Carl Tellefsen proposed holding a meeting after the 1905 national jumping meet to found a ski association which, among other duties, would oversee jumping tournaments. The National Ski Association, the forerunner of the present-day United States Ski and Snowboard Association
United States Ski and Snowboard Association
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association is the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Founded in 1905, the century-old organization provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders from over 400 member clubs who share an Olympic...
, was founded on February 21, 1905 in Ishpeming, Michigan. The association was formally organized during a meeting attended by officers from the Ishpeming, Minneapolis, Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
, Stillwater, Minnesota
Stillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
and Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
ski clubs. As Ishpeming Ski Club leader, Carl Tellefsen was elected founding president of the Association. He served as its president until his death in 1908. The National Ski Association worked to establish rules and organize the sport.
In 1956, Carl Tellefsen was the first person to be accorded Honored Membership in the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum for his contributions to the sport of skiing.
Other sources
- Blegen, Theodore C.Theodore C. BlegenTheodore Christian Blegen was an American historian and author. Theodore Blegen was the author of numerous historic reference books, papers and articles written over a five decade period...
Norwegian Migration to America, The American Transition (Norwegian-American Historical Association, 1940) - Pontti, John and Kenneth Luostari Midwest Skiing: A Glance Back (Arcadia Publishing , 2000)
- Boyum, Burt and Jamie LaFreniere The Ishpeming Ski Club: Over a Century of Skiing (US National Ski and Hall of Fame Museum, 2003)