For the Russian ski jumping location, the last few days were significant – because the jumping facility “Snezhinka” (translated: snowflake) in Chaykovsky has been opened with the first jumps on the three ski jumps K125, K95 and K65. Therefore, the first of the modern ski jumping facilities in Russia has been formally inaugurated.

Via a video conference with the Kremlin in Moscow, even the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was able to get a first look of the inauguration and therefore the first jumps at the ski jumps in Chaykovsky!
After approx. two years of construction, the first jumps could take place on the new state-of-the-art ski jumps in Chaykpvsky in the region Perm Krai. Since 2009, a total amount of 4.4 billion Roubles (110 million Euros) has been invested in the Snezhinka winter sports complex with ski jumps, cross-country ski runs, biathlon facility and a hotel.
For almost two weeks, a delegation of Peter Riedel - the manufacturer of the SKI-Line inruns with jumping dynamics measurement system - stayed in Chaykovsky in order to get the ski jumps ready and to carry out some initial test jumps on the K65. Some junior jumpers from Partenkirchen have also travelled to Russia for this purpose. First jumps on the HS 106 could be carried out after FIS inspector Pekka Hyvärinen approved the two championship ski jumps. The first jump was effected by 45-year old senior athlete Nikolai Chirkov.
A few days later, at the end of last week, the ski jump HS 140 was opened as well. Dmitri Ipatov reached the preliminary best jump of 120 m. The athletes from Partenkirchen and other Russian jumpers were jumping from the new ski jump as well. Vladimir Slavskij, vice president of the Russian ski jumping association, has commented the events euphorically towards “skijumping.ru”: “Today, a once-in-a-lifetime event for Russia took place in Chaykovsky. We now have one of the best ski jumping centres of the world. This is the unanimous opinion of the athletes, coaches and functionaries!”
The first official championships on the “Snowflake” ski jumps will take place in March, 2012 with the Russian Championships and until the international performance test with the Summer Grand Prix in September, 2012, the entire facility with the artificial ski jumps K125, K95, K65, K45 and K20 shall be finished.

When Vladimir Putin is going to visit the region of Perm at Sunday, February 16th, the ski jumps will not bow down in awe but will greet the most powerful man of Russia in all their glory: because on February 14th the first ski jump in Chaykovsky (K65) is officially inaugurated. Two more ski jumps (K95, K125), which are also equipped with innovative measurement technology by Peter Riedel GmbH, should be ready for use within the following weeks.

One might think: a new ski jump, so what is so special about it? And you might be right with this question if the overall context was not considered. In the area of the Russian Federation, there are no ski jumps worthy of the name at the moment. Now the end of the drought period has begun for Russian ski jumpers, now they can also practice on home soil.

In the winter sports center of Chaykovsky Peter Riedel with his company Ski-Line and his partner Rehau contributes a bit to the history of sport in Russia. The entrepreneur from the Ore Mountains it the first to deliver a ski jump ready for use in Russia and the man from Tellerhäuser is happy with many others. “Chaykovsky is barely known in Central Europe – except in the context of classical music. With the ski jumps the city experiences a significant upgrade and we are happy that we were able to contribute to this – with innovative inruns from our company.”

Four sportspersons and coach Tommi Krause from the ski club from Partenkirchen, Germany, will inaugurate the K65 ski jump along with athletes from the Perm region and from Chaykovsky itself with the first jumps, and other young German athletes have already been invited to come to Russia for training: ski jump – connecting people!

After Vladimir Putin will have nodded his head in agreement, things will get really busy during the next months: Russian championship in April, Summer Grand Prix of the special jumpers in September. And the first world cup event in the winter will then only be a matter of time. “I am looking forward to it”, says Peter Riedel already today.