The proportion of girls in the combined and ski jumping is up to a third. Minja Korhonen is one of the role models.
The ski jumpers of the Kitee Huts Sports Center include a pretty rally and rulina if you happen during junior workouts.
Of the five different sizes of jumps at the Kitee Huts Sports Center, 3-13 year old boys and girls fly in turn. Junior exercises are underway, and many of the children are girls.
Indeed, the proportion of girls in the number of ski jumping and combined hobbyists has increased significantly.
– For example, about 30 % of participants in the Junior Cup are girls, says species coordinator Kimmo overpowered Finnish Ski Association.
Junioricup is a ski jump and a combined national racing series for girls and boys aged 10-16.
The number of ski jumping and combined hobbyists in Finland has stabilized for about 300. According to the Ski Association, the number of hobbyists is developing positively, even though the poor snow winter is going.
Exercises for over an hour with snow work
Little snow winter has also caused its own problems with the hobby of Kitee Athletes. Help for snowfall and downfall service has been obtained tens of kilometers from the neighboring municipality of the Mutavaara Ski Resort, which has the expertise in slope maintenance.
– The sport also requires a lot of parents. Today, one and a half hours of snow work was done to make our slopes safe, says a 9-year-old Elsin father Simo Hämäläinen.
The family travels two to three times a week from Joensuu to Kitee for exercises. It takes a total of two hours.
– Many times it is already nine in the evening when we are at home, Elsi says and sets more than two -meter skis in the direction, squatting, sliding, jumping and flying.
– Yeah, it’s nice to be able to fly.
The new generation of hill -eagles is struggling with Kite
In addition to Elsi, Kitee Athletes have about 20 children and young people who do ski jumping and combined. New enthusiasts have come along and the number of juniors has increased. There are more girls involved.
Kitee is a small community that invests particularly in ski jumping.
– Good year -round conditions are definitely an attraction. The city of Kitee has invested in the hill and wants to keep them in order, says the chairman of the Kitee Athletes Hill section Kim Havukainen.
In addition to Kitee, jumpers in the Huts visit from Rääkkylä, Kesälahti, Joensuu and Enonkoski.
Hobbies are free of charge. You can get involved with a twenty membership fee. Even the equipment is initially borrowed.
There are a total of seven hopping hills in the Huts, of which five hills are used year -round: K7 – K55.
The nearest mountains in Kitee Huts can be found in Kuopio, Siilinjärvi and Joroinen.
The most famous breeder of Kitee Huts jumping hills is Antti Aalto. Aalto has also been the driving force for the Finnish mountain team at the newly ongoing Trondheim World Championships.