MILAN — Winter has arrived and the Nansen Ski Club has arranged a slate of events at both its ski jumps and Nordic trail system. From hosting the Eastern Junior National Qualifier Ski Jumping Meet to Full Moon treks, the club offers a variety of winter recreational activities.
Behind the scenes, the Club and the Friends of Big Nansen Ski Jump have worked hard this summer and fall to prepare for the 2026 season. Club President Amy Kuzma and Treasurer Scott Halvorson credit volunteers for their work pruning and week whacking both the trail system at Milan State Park and the jump site off Route 16.
kAm“(6 92G6 H92E x 42== E96 DH62E 6BF:EJ 4C6H[ 2?5 :E’D 2== E96 8FJD E92E 5@ 2== E96 ‘3@@ED @? E96 8C@F?5’ H@C< 5FC:?8 E96 J62C] %96J 5:5 2 3F?49 @7 H665 H924<:?8 D@ E9@D6 ;F>A D:E6D 5@?’E DE2J DE2E:4[” D2:5 w2=G@CD@?]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 E9C66 >2:? A6@A=6 @? E96 4C6H 2C6 $E6G6 u:??:82?\p==6?[ s2G6 #@J[ 2?5 $92H? r@DE6==@] x? 255:E:@?[ r9C:D {2CD6?[ H9@D6 =2E6 >@E96C H2D 2 =@?8\E:>6 4=F3 >6>36C 2?5 =6256C[ G@=F?E66CD H96? 96 :D :? E96 }@CE9 r@F?ECJ 2?5 96 2?5 $92H? r@DE6==@ E9:D A2DE DF>>6C 3F:=E 2 ?6H =2F?49:?8 A=2E7@C> @? E@A @7 E96 368:??6C’D ;F>A] {2DE J62C[ E96 4C6H AFE :? ?6H DE2:CD @? E96 D:56 @7 E96 ;F>A[ 3F:=E 2 ?6H ;F586D DE2?5[ 2?5 3F:=E DE6AD 7@C E96 >62DFC6D 2=@?8 E96 zbh ;F>A]k^Am
kAmw2=G@CD@? D2:5 qFE49 |F?46 E9:D J62C AFE @? 2 D64@?5 4@2E @7 A2:?E @? E96 6?E:C6 6?E:C6 zbh ;F>A :?\CF? 2?5 DE2CE:?8 A=2E7@C>D] |F?46 AFE 2 7:CDE 4@2E @7 A2:?E @? E96 ;F>A =2DE J62C 2?5 A2:5 7@C 2== E96 >2E6C:2= 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm&D:?8 D@>6 {@F:D6 2?5 }6:= %:==@ED@? 8C2?E >@?6J[ w2=G@CD@? D2:5 E96 uC:6?5D AFC492D65 2 BF2=:EJ FD65 8C@@>6C 7@C E96 D<: ;F>A:?8 9:==D] %96 8C@@>6C H2D Sd_[___ H:E9 92=7 E96 7F?5:?8 4@>:?8 7C@> %:==@ED@? 2?5 E96 uC:6?5D A:4<:?8 FA E96 C6DE]k^Am
kAm%96 uC:6?5D 92G6 DE2CE65 2 J@FE9 ;F>A:?8 AC@8C2> 2?5 =2DE J62C 96=5 E96:C 7:CDE :?EC@5F4E:@? E@ D<: ;F>A:?8 4=:?:4 2?5 925 2 ?:46 EFC?@FE] $:?46 E96?[ E96 uC:6?5D H6C6 DF446DD7F= :? D64FC:?8 2 z:==:?8E@? (@C=5 r=F3 u@F?52E:@? vC2?E @7 S`g[f__ E@ AFC492D6 ?6H D<: ;F>A:?8 6BF:A>6?E] w2=G@CD@? D2:5 E96 8C2?E AC@G:565 >@C6 6BF:A>6?E E92? }2?D6? ?665D AC@323=J ?665D C:89E ?@H 3FE H:== AC@G:56 7@C 8C@HE9 2D H6== 2D C64:AC@42= D92C:?8 H:E9 @E96C t2DE6C? D<: ;F>A:?8 4=F3D] pD =@42= }2?D6? <:5D AC@8C6DD 36J@?5 E96 `_\>6E6C ;F>A[ E96 6BF:A>6?E H:== 36 2G2:=23=6]k^Am
kAmp =:EE=6 <:5D D<: A2CEJ H2D 96=5 =2DE $2EFC52J 2E E96 4=F3’D H2C>:?8 9FE 2E |:=2? w:== $E2E6 !2C< E@ <:4< @77 E96 J@FE9 AC@8C2> 2?5 46=63C2E6 E96 ?6H 6BF:A>6?E] ~? $2EFC52J[ y2?] `f[ E96 }2?D6? $<: r=F3 2?5 E96 uC:6?5D H:== 9@=5 2? :?EC@5F4E@CJ 4=:?:4 7C@> ` A]>]E@ c A]>] @? E96 368:??6C ;F>AD]k^Am
kAm%96 pCE $=65 #2==J C6EFC?D @? $2EFC52J[ y2?] ac 27E6C 2 @?6\J62C 3C62<] !2CE:4:A2?ED 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ FD6 E96:C 4C62E:G:EJ :? 56G6=@A:?8 92?5>256 D=65D E@ C246 @? E96 q:8 }2?D6? =2?5:?8 9:==]k^Am
kAm%H@ 7@C>2= ;F>A:?8 4@>A6E:E:@?D C@F?5 @FE E96 }2?D6? $<: r=F3’D @776C:?8D] %96 t2DE6C? yF?:@C }2E:@?2= "F2=:7:6C $<: yF>A:?8 |66E H:== E2<6 A=246 @? $F?52J[ y2?] ad] }wxpp w:89 $49@@= yF>A:?8 |66E H:== 5C2H 9:89 D49@@= E62>D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 @? (65?6D52J[ y2?] ag]k^Am
kAm%H@ J62CD 28@[ E96 4=F3 C646:G65 2 $2G6 p>6C:42’D %C62DFC6D vC2?E @7 FA E@ Sd__[___ H:E9 2 @?6\E@\@?6 >2E49] %96 8C2?E :D 56D:8?2E65 7@C DECF4EFC2= C6A2:CD E@ E96 E@H6C @7 E96 9:DE@C:4 `g`]d\7@@E\E2== ;F>A <?@H? 2D E96 q:8 }2?D6?] %96 r=F3 92D C2:D65 23@FE Sbd_[___ 2?5 92D DA6?E D@>6 @7 E96 7F?5:?8 86EE:?8 E96 56D:8? 5@?6] xE 92D F?E:= $6AE] b_[ a_ae E@ 4=@D6 @? E96 8C2?E 2?5 :D 9@A67F= E@ C2:D6 E96 7F== >2E49]k^Am
kAmpE E96 >@>6?E[ w2=G@CD@? D2:5 AC@;64ED 2C6 DE2==65 3642FD6 E96 r=F3 ?665D 2 ?6H =:46?D6 28C66>6?E H:E9 E96 DE2E6[ H9:49 @H?D E96 D<: ;F>A D:E6] w6 D2:5 E96 r=F3 :D 9@A:?8 E92E E96 ?6H 28C66>6?E 42? 36 4@>A=6E65 H:E9:? E96 >@?E9 D@ E96 E@H6C H@C< AC@;64E 42? 8@ @FE E@ 8@ @FE E@ 3:5 ?@H H96? 4@?EC24E@CD 2C6 =@@<:?8 E@ D4965F=6 AC@;64ED] p D:>:=2C AC@3=6> 6I:DED H:E9 A=2?D E@ AFE :? 2 D?@H>2<:?8 A:A6=:?6 E9C@F89 }2?D6? (2JD:56 FD:?8 2 }@CE96C? q@C56CD #68:@?2= 8C2?E] %92E C6BF:C6D 2AAC@G2= 7C@> E96 }2E:@?2= !2C< $6CG:46 2D :E :D {2?5 (2E6C r@?D6CG2E:@? uF?5 6?4F>36C65]k^Am
kAm%FC?:?8 E@ E96 }2?D6? }@C5:4 AC@8C2> 2?5 EC2:=D[ }2?D6? $<: r=F3 !C6D:56?E p>J zFK>2 D2:5 E96 r=F3 92D 2 DF>>6C 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ EC2:?:?8 AC@8C2> 2?5 E9:D J62C C646:G65 2 8C2?E 7C@> E96 }@CE96C? u@C6DE r6?E6C E@ AFC492D6 D@>6 C@==6C D<:D[ 3@@ED[ 2?5 A@=6D] %96 J@F?8 A6@A=6 C@==6C D<: :? E96 A2C<:?8 =@E 2E (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 @? $2EFC52JD 2?5 @E96C D:E6D 2D 2 EC2:?:?8 E@@=] zFK>2 D2:5 E96J 5@ DEC:4E=J D<2E6 D<::?8 3642FD6 E96 DA@CE @7 }@C5:4 4@>3:?65 :D ;F>A:?8 2?5 E96? D<2E6 D<: C24:?8] zFK>2 :D @?6 @7 E96 4@2496D 2D :D q6? w:88:?D – 3@E9 2C6 3@2C5 >6>36CD 2?5 6IA6C:6?465 4@2496D]k^Am
kAm%9:D 72==[ 2 8C@FA @7 G@=F?E66CD 925 2 H@C< 52J – 4=62C:?8 324< E96 8C@HE9 @? E96 EC2:= DJDE6> @? E96 @G6C `_ <> @7 8C@@>65 EC2:=D] %H@ G@=F?E66CD >@H E96 EC2:=D 6G6CJ 72== 7@C E96 4=F3] %9C@F89@FE E96 H:?E6C[ q@3 %96C:2F=E 2?5 s@? {6G6:==6 G@=F?E2C:=J 8C@@> E96 EC2:=D]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2C6 72?E2DE:4[” D2:5 zFK>2[ ?@E:?8 E92E E96J <66A E96 8C@@>6C >2:?E2:?65 2?5 :? 8@@5 D92A6] %96 A2:C 92G6 2=C625J 8@?6 @FE EH:46 E9:D H:?E6C E@ E96 EC2:=D] ~? }6H *62C’D s2J[ E96 H2C>:?8 9FE H:== 36 @A6? H:E9 2 7:C6 8@:?8 :? E96 H@@5DE@G6 2?5 9@E 4@7766 2?5 49@4@=2E6]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 567:?:E6=J 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 AC6D6?46 2?5 9@A6 A6@A=6 4@>6 E@ D<: @C D?@HD9@6 H:E9 FD[” zFK>2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C DA64:2= 6G6?E :D 2 uF== |@@? $<: @? y2?]b`[ 2E e A]>] E@ E2<6 25G2?E286 @7 2? 62C=J 7F== >@@?] q@E9 2? 62DJ 2?5 :?E6C>65:2E6 C@FE6 H:== 36 >2C<65] %96 D<: :D 7C66 7@C >6>36CD 2?5 2 Sd 5@?2E:@? C6BF6DE 7@C ?@?\>6>36CD] tBF:A>6?E H:== 36 2G2:=23=6 :7 E96 r=F3 42? >2E49 E9@D6 H:E9@FE 862C] %96C6 H:== 36 2 7:C6 :? E96 H@@5DE@G6 :? E96 9FE 2D H6== 2D 2? @FED:56 7:C6 A:E]k^Am
kAmx? 2 D:>:=2C G6:?[ 2 r@>>F?:EJ $<:^$?@HD9@6 H:== 36 96=5 $2EFC52J[ u63] f[ DE2CE:?8 2 ` A]>] %96C6 H:== 36 2? 62DJ 2?5 :?E6C>65:2E6 EC2:= 2?5 A6@A=6 42? D@4:2=:K6 2E E96 H2C>:?8 9FE 36EH66? D<::?8 2?5 D?@HD9@6:?8] p82:?[ E96C6 H:== 36 2? @FE5@@C 7:C6 A:E 2?5 2 7:C6 :? E96 H2C>:?8 9FE DE@G6]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 >2?J >6>36CD :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 :E H@F=5 36 ?:46 ;FDE E@ 92G6 2? 6G6?E H96C6 H6 42? 86E E@86E96C 2?5 ;FDE <:?5 @7 92?8 @FE H:E9 6249 @E96C 2?5 2AAC64:2E6 E96 @FE5@@CD]” z2K>2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$<:6CD 42? 86E C62=\E:>6 8C@@>:?8 C6A@CED 7@C }2?D6? EC2:=Di k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^?@C5:4\AF=D6]4@>^D<:\2C62D^&$^}w^}2?D6?\$<:\r=F3Qm?@C5:4\AF=D6]4@>^D<:\2C62D^&$^}w^}2?D6?\$<:\r=F3k^2m]]]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.