“SRMSA Meet will bring first major ski jumping to Aspen,” announced The Aspen Times on Feb. 19, 1942. “The big attraction of the Southern Rocky Mountain Ski Association championships to be held here Feb. 28 and March 1 will be the first major ski jumping to be held on Willoughby hill. The jumping for class A and B skiers will be held Sunday afternoon Mar. 1 beginning at 1:00 o’clock. It is expected that a large crowd will be on hand for this event, which will be something new for a lot of people. Although several jumping exhibitions have been made on Willoughby hill, the only previous meet was a minor one held in connection with the SRMSA downhill and slalom here two years ago. Everett Hudspeth won that event, leaping 172 feet, and this record still stands. Such jumpers as Sam Huntington, Alf Engen, Gordon Wren and Morrie Birkett have been invited to the jump meet this year. It is not yet known how many will be able to come but the ski club assures the public there will be enough top-flight jumpers here to make a very good performance.”
The image at right shows spectators watching a ski jumper on the Willoughby Jump in the early 1940s.
This photo and more can be found in the Aspen Historical Society archives at aspenhistory.org.