Tournament of Champions monument officially opened
By David F. Rooney
Rob Buchanan’s elegant Tournament of Champions monument to ski jumping was opened Tuesday with a snip of the scissors wielded by former Canadian ski team member John McInnes.
Mayor David Raven recalled the glory days of ski jumping in Revelstoke, which hosted well-remembered international competitions before the ski jump on Mount Revelstoke was closed in 1975. And National Parks Superintendent Karen Tierney looked to the future when Mount Revelstoke National Park will celebrate its centennial in 2014.
The monument is located at the base of the trail leading up to the park from Track Street. Here are some images from the morning event:
A small crowd gathers at the Tournament of Champions memorial to the men and women from Revelstoke and, indeed, around the world who came here in the 20th century to compete in international ski jumping competitions. David F. Rooney photoMembers of the crowd listen as Mayor David Raven describes the important roles skiing and ski jumping have historically played in Revelstoke. David F. Rooney photoMayor Raven, John McInnes, Alan McKinnon and National Parks Superintendent Karen Tierney were all smiles as McInnes cut the ribbon. The well-known former jumper holds the record jump on Mount Revelstoke with a jump of 325 feet. John was on the Canadian Ski Team from 1965 to 1971, taking the Canadian jumping title twice. By 1975, jumping events were no longer taking place on the local hill and it was closed, ending a long history of competitive jumping in Revelstoke. David F. Rooney photoJohn McInnes and Alan McKinnon examine one of the historical plaques designed for this monument on Track Street by the Railway Museum. David F. Rooney photoThis is one of several plaques that talk about the skiers from Revelstoke and other countries who made ski jumping here an outstanding event. David F. Rooney photo
