Oberstdorf (Ski Flying)

Being disappointed about German winter sportsmen not being allowed to participate in the Olympic Winter Games 1948 in St. Moritz, the three ski jumpers from Oberstdorf Sepp Weiler, Heini Klopfer and Toni Brutscher had the idea to build their own giant ski jump. In 1949 all decisions were made and the construction of the new ski flying hill at Stillachtal planned by Heini Klopfer and Willi Huber could begin.

In only five months the giant wooden inrun construct was set up and on February 2, 1950 the jumpers from Oberstdorf made first tests on the new facility. Four weeks later the first ski flying week with 100,000 spectators and new world records by Gantschnigg, Weiler and Netzell was hosted.

For the Ski Flying WC in 1973 the old wooden jump had to be dismantled due to safety reasons. It was replaced by a new instep lightweight concrete facility. Heini Klopfer couldn’t experience all this, he already died at age 50 in 1968. In order to merit him, who was ski jumping hill expert for the International Ski Association (FIS) and made plans for around 250 jumps worldwide, the new jump at Stillachtal was named “Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze”.

Again and again the outrun was dug deeper and the hill profile adapted, so after the last conversion for WSC 1998 distances of more than 220 m are now possible. For Ski Flying WSC 2008 a 1.1m € floodlight facility was installed, the inrun was adapted to the latest security regulations and the warm-up room for ski jumpers was enlarged.

2016 the facility was again modernized for about 11.8 million Euro in order to meet the regulations of the FIS. This meant: new inrun track, new inclined elevator, reconstruction of the take-off table, new landing area.

The facility and especially the free-standing inrun tower in Oberstdorf is unique and a popular sight and tourist attraction in the Allgaeu region.