MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — A team of horses pulls a V-plow to clear the way for ski jumping at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Central Idaho Historical Museum)
Only two hours away from Eagle lies a snowy chapter of Idaho’s history worth celebrating.
This winter marks 100 years of Idaho ski areas, a legacy that began in McCall with Blackwell’s Jump during the first-ever McCall Winter Carnival on January 24, 1924.
Whether you’re a longtime Eagle resident or a new transplant discovering Idaho’s great outdoors, this milestone invites you to embrace the spirit of winter recreation that has defined the Gem State for a century.
According to “Ski the Great Potato: Idaho Ski Areas Past and Present,” by Margaret Fuller, Doug Fuller, and Jerry Painter, Blackwell’s Jump was built on land owned by Clem Blackwell, a rancher and saloon keeper. Kenneth Johnson, whose father helped organize the carnival, remembered the event vividly: “My dad persuaded other businessmen to hold the first carnival. He also brought a ski jumper, Oly Olson, from Cascade up to McCall to teach his boys and others ski jumping and to show people how to clear the hill for the jump.”
For that first carnival, a trainload of spectators traveled from Boise, spending the night on the train before heading to the jump site in logging sleds pulled by draft horses. Seven-year-old Loyd Johnson, carrying heavy homemade skis, bravely took to the jump, later recalling, “When a big Norwegian tells you to yump, you yump!” His courage earned him a prize of $60 collected by the crowd — a memory that still inspires Idaho skiers today.
Blackwell’s Jump may have been the first, but Idaho’s slopes have evolved into world-class destinations. With 19 family-friendly ski areas and resorts like Lookout Pass, celebrating its 90th season, Idaho offers plenty of ways to make winter memories. Jeff Colburn, GM of Silver Mountain Resort and President of the Idaho Ski Areas Association, sums it up best: “Over the last century, the sport of skiing has helped transform many Idaho communities into vibrant, world-class tourism destinations, and the economic impact is no small potatoes.”
For those new to Eagle and Idaho’s outdoors, there’s no better way to connect with your new home than by embracing this snowy tradition. Hit the slopes, explore McCall, and feel the legacy of ski pioneers who blazed the trail 100 years ago.
Dive deeper into Idaho’s skiing heritage by checking out “Ski the Great Potato” at mountain-press.com, and find your next adventure at skiidaho.us.
So grab your gear, round up your family and friends, and head north. When you’re in Idaho, winter isn’t just a season — it’s a celebration!
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — Shorty Paulson catches air at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Central Idaho Historical Museum)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — Shorty Paulson skate skis across Payette Lake near McCall. Paulson made the first jump at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Central Idaho Historical Museum)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — Loyd Johnson shakes hands with a Norwegian ski jumper before making a jump at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — Loyd Johnson prepares to make a jump at Blackwell’s Jump. His father, Ben Johnson, talked him into it and a visiting Norwegian ski jumper told Loyd what to do. Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, was created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Central Idaho Historical Museum)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — Loyd Johnson makes a jump at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Johnson won in the 10 and younger boys category, and the following year he was billed as the main attraction: The World’s Smallest Ski Jumper. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Central Idaho Historical Museum)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — A skier approaches the takeoff at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — A skier takes flight off Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. A trainload of spectators came from Boise to watch the spectacle, staying overnight on the train, and were hauled out to the site in logging sleds pulled by draught horses to watch the jumpers. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce)
MCCALL, Idaho (Jan. 24, 1924) — A team of horses pulls a V-plow to clear the way for ski jumping at Blackwell’s Jump, Idaho’s oldest documented ski area, created for the inaugural McCall Winter Carnival in 1924. Ski Idaho is celebrating a century of ski areas this season, which has transformed many small-town Gem State hills into world-class destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Central Idaho Historical Museum)
