Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project Home

Sons of Norway (Dist 2), The Viking, 1953

The Viking, May 1953, p. 13 - "Reidar S. Gjolme"

Reidar S. Gjolme was born in 1879 in Vadso, Finmark. After his family moved to Oslo, he entered the army academy and graduated in 1901. During school days he became prominent as a skier and won many prizes. In 1902 he won Dr. Holms trophy at Holmenkollen for being the best jumper. After moving to Seattle "he was most likely the first one in this area to do any skiing." He was the first president of the Seattle Ski Club and was instrumental in buying and obtaining title to about twenty acres at Beaver Lake (Snoqualmie Pass). In 1913, Gjolme became General Agent for the Norwegian American Line, as position he held until his retirement in 1950. The article refers to Gjlome as "the Father of Skiing in these parts" and mentions other prominent early Northwest skiers from Norway.

(According to Christine Anderson of the Sons of Norway, District 2, this was a 50th anniversary issue of The Viking.)


Return to the Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project home page

Copyright © 2010 Lowell Skoog. All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated: Mon Nov 22 15:56:40 PST 2010