Winds force early end to Norge ski-jumping competition

Weather conditions have never forced the cancellation of the Norge Ski Tournament in the event's 110-year history, but Sunday came close.

Organizers were forced to cut the competition short Sunday as high winds - at times gusting over 30 mph in the region - made conditions at the Fox River Grove event unsafe for jumpers.

"We don't want anybody to get hurt," said Norge Ski Club member John Glasder. "It's really gusting and just too windy to control anything."

Sunday's competition was to include about 60 professionals and Olympic hopefuls jumping on the club's 70-meter hill. Many didn't get a chance to jump because of the conditions.

Ski jumpers in Saturday's junior competition dealt with unusually warm temperatures and a lack of snow, but the event was completed.

"It's the only ski club in North America that's never canceled," said Charlie Sedivec, a member of the Norge Ski Club and the club's unofficial historian.

The Norge Ski Club was started in 1905 by a group of Norwegian men, most from Chicago, who built cabins on the property and used it for training. The tournament has run annually since then, drawing competitors from around the world.

These days the tournament is sanctioned by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding.