Nels Nelsen

Nels Nelsen , born Nils Johan Nilsen and sometimes incorrectly referred to as Nels Nelson, was a Norwegianborn Canadian ski jumper and later ski jumping organizer. He was among the worlds best ski jumpers during the 1920s, and held the world record of 73 meters from 1925 to 1930. Born in Salangen, he moved with his family to Revelstoke, British Columbia, in 1913. He quickly became the towns best ski jumper, making his debut in the towns Big Hill in 1916. He competed throughout Canada and the United States, and became Canadian champion five times. Despite holding the world record at the time, he was not allowed to participate in the 1928 Winter Olympics because the officials did not find it suitable for him to have to work his way to Switzerland.

He was born Nils Johan Nilsen to a Norwegian family in Seljeskog in Salangen onJune 1894, as the oldest of six children. As a child, Nelsen was an active skier and ski jumper, with more than fifteen ski jumps located in the area. In 1913, his family emigrated to Big Eddy near Revelstoke. Once in Canada, he anglicized his name. His brother, Ivind Nilsen was also a champion ski jumper, and became among other things Boys World Champion in 1922. Ivind, who chose not to anglicize his last name, was known for his supreme style, while Nels was better known for his length. Nelsen married Emma Pickard, with whom he had ten children. Except for a brief period as a ski instructor, he worked as a brakeman and conductor for the Canadian Pacific Railway, whose flexibility made it easer to participate in tournaments. He moved to North Vancouver where he raised his family.

Source: Wikipedia