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Alf Engen

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Alf Engen
Born
Alf Marinius Engen

(1909-05-15)May 15, 1909
Mjøndalen, Nedre Eiker,
Buskerud county, Norway
DiedJuly 20, 1997(1997-07-20) (aged 88)
Salt Lake City, Utah, US
Resting placeCenterville City Cemetery, Centerville, Utah
MonumentsAlf Engen Ski Museum
NationalityNorwegian, American
Occupation(s)Skier and ski school teacher/owner
Known forskiing pioneer in U.S.
Spouse(s)Evelyn Pack Engen
(1917–2010)
(m. 1937–1997, his death)[1]
Children2[2]

Alf Marinius Engen (May 15, 1909–July 20, 1997) was a Norwegian-American skier. He set several ski jumping world records during the 1930s and helped establish numerous ski areas in the Western United States. Engen is best known for his ski school at Alta in Utah and as the pioneer of powder skiing.[3][4]

Background

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Born in Norway in the town of Mjøndalen, in Nedre Eiker municipality in Buskerud county, Engen was the first son of Trond and Martha Oen Engen. His two younger brothers, Sverre (1911–2001) and Corey (1916–2006), were also accomplished skiers. As the first-born son of a famous skiing father, Engen was naturally reared to ski.

After his father died of the Spanish flu in 1918 when he was nine, Engen's mother moved the family the short distance to the small town of Steinberg. In 1929 at age twenty, Alf and his brother Sverre (age 18) emigrated to the United States, first settling in Chicago, then relocating west to Utah in 1931 at Salt Lake City. Their widowed mother Martha and younger brother Corey (age 17) joined them in 1933.[5]

Career

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Engen quickly gained a reputation for his world class skiing skills. Although primarily a ski jumper when he arrived in the U.S.,[6][7] he quickly mastered alpine skiing and is credited for developing the technique of powder skiing, honed at the Alta Ski Area. The following years he won numerous American and international titles. In 1940, Engen finished first in the National Four-way, held east of Seattle, Washington. Engen was also the recipient of numerous awards including the All-American Ski Trophy, 1937, Americanism Award in 1940, Helm's Hall of Fame Award in 1954; and Skier's Hall of Fame Award in 1956.[8]

He helped establish the ski school at Alta, and assisted in the creation of thirty other ski resorts in the western United States. The three Engen brothers helped to popularize skiing in the West, primarily in Utah and Idaho. Alf's son Alan carries on the family tradition at Alta. Alf Engen died in Salt Lake City in 1997, at the age of 88; his two younger brothers both lived to the age of 90.[3][9]

Alf Engen Ski Museum

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The Alf Engen Ski Museum is located in the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center at Utah Olympic Park, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Park City. It contains more than 300 trophies, medals, uniforms, scrapbooks, skis, boots, photos, films, and other collectables that span some 70 years in the career of the Engen family. The museum's educational component provides teacher lesson ideas and field trip stations for 4th grade students, updated in August 2024 to reflect the Utah Core Standards in Mathematics, Science with Engineering Education, English/Language Arts, and Social Studies.

The Museum includes a Mountain Sports Simulator ride and the Take Flight virtual ski jump experience designed and built by Utah-based company Unrivaled. The ride takes visitors mountain biking through Deer Valley in the autumn, speedflying (paragliding with skis) from the top of Mount Superior landing near Snowbird Ski Resort, black diamond alpine skiing through Alta Ski Resort, and racing down the Utah Olympic Park bobsled track in the winter. The Simulator gives the rider an authentic experience with blowing wind and falling snow features. [10]

Invalid ski jumping world record

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Date Hill Location Metres Feet
January 1931   Ecker Hill Salt Lake City, United States 75.3 247
January 1931   Ecker Hill Salt Lake City, United States 77.4 254
1931   Ecker Hill Salt Lake City, United States 81.1 266
1935   Ecker Hill Salt Lake City, United States 94.8 311

  Not recognized! He stood at WR, but this record never made it to WR official books.[11]
  Not recognized! He stood at WR, but Utah SC wasn't member of Western American Winter Sport Ass..
  Not recognized! He stood at world record distance, but set at unofficial competition.
  Not recognized! He stood at world record distance, but at practice session.

Video

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  • Vimeo.com – Alf Engen - The Old Man Of The Mountain - Powder segment

References

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  1. ^ Gorrell, Mike (March 2, 2010). "'The 'grande Dame' of modern Utah skiing dies". LA.com. (Salt Lake Tribune). Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  2. ^ "Jon S. Engen - obituary". Deseret News. October 31, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Litsky, Frank (July 22, 1997). "Obituaries: Alf Engen, 88, skiing champion and designer of ski resorts". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  4. ^ Grass, Ray (July 21, 1997). "Skiing legend Alf Engen dies at 88". Deseret News. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  5. ^ "Alf Engen: Utah's Athlete of the Century". KUED public television. (The University of Utah). 2002. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  6. ^ "Alf Engen's 281-foot ski jump recognized as new world record". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 6, 1933. p. 9.
  7. ^ "Try the Jackknife ski jump". Oxnard Daily Courier. (California). (photo). March 9, 1934. p. 2.
  8. ^ Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)
  9. ^ ”Alf Engen“ in Utah Encyclopedia at Utah.gov
  10. ^ About the Alf Engen Ski Museum (Alf Engen Ski Museum) Archived 2010-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Cross-country Skiers! Special Magazine Inside Ski". Jutro. 31 March 2020.
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