Berlin, New Hampshire

Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce. We are so fortunate to have this group of people who seem to have boundless energy for economic development in the region. Yet another development project in Berlin is the reinvention of the famous Nansen Ski Jump, otherwise known as “Big Nansen” and “The Sleeping Giant.” Originally constructed in 1937, Big Nansen was, at the time, the largest steel- towered ski jump in the world. “It held the first ever Olympic tryouts in 1938 and was a significant venue for decades,” says Wheeler. The jump closed for good in 1988, and started to fall into disrepair. Then, in 2015, the State of New Hampshire, which had taken over ownership of the jump, began to restore it mostly as a visitor site and a place for photo opportunities. “The original intent was to have it serve as a historical icon; there was no intent to actually have it become an active jump, again,” Wheeler avers. “But then there was this opportunity to have this Olympic jumper, named Sarah Hendrickson, sponsored by Red Bull, to come and jump in 2017. So, Sarah came and jumped; it was a very successful event and it generated a lot of interest in reactivating the jump.” We are lucky to have a dedicated community group called the Friends of Big Nansen, which has led the jump’s redevelopment and plans to re-open the jump to competitive ski jumping by 2020. Friends is a committee of the Nansen Ski Club, the oldest continuously-operating skiing club in North America, founded in 1872 in Berlin by Norwegian immigrants. Meanwhile, Berlin has its own plans and agendas for upping the quality of life for its citizens and guests. “A couple of years ago, the City undertook the rehabilitation of a significant portion of Route 16 in the heart of the City,” Wheeler reports. “We reconstructed it with streetscaping, more efficient street lighting, and trees; we made it much more user-friendly for pedestrians. This section of Route 16 travels alongside the Androscoggin River. In particular, the City owns a 3,500-foot section is adjacent to the river. Further plans for this area include a river walk which we are scheduled to