Kulm (ski flying venue)

Construction began in 1948 under leadership Viktor Stüger, president of Salzkammergut Ski Association, completed in 1949 as the largest natural ski jumping hill in the world, designed by Ing. Hans Peyerl.[2]

On 8–12 March 1950, opening International Ski Flying Week competition was held on new built ski flying hill. Hubert Neuper Sr. was honoured to be the first to try new hill. The last two days counted for "Longest Ski Jump" competition won by Rudi Dietrich (103 metres) ahead of Hans Eder (102 m) and third placed shared by Werfener Huber and Fritz Ruepp (both 94 metres). However, International Ski Federation (FIS) did not approve the hill and not even this unofficial competition, as it turned out to be, that hill was very poorly and insufficiently built, by far from the International standards valid back then.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

On 16–18 March 1951, second International Ski Flying Week, an unofficial competition was held in front of total 15,000 people. Summary of total length of four jumps counted into final score. Already on first day, Bradl set new hill record at 115 meters. He was also the winner of the 4 jumps competition with 530 meters in total, in front of the 2nd ranked West German Sepp Hohenleitner (504 meters) and the 3rd ranked Rudi Dietrich (501 meters). Hill was rebuilt with many improvements, but in order to receive approval from the FIS to organize the official International Ski Flying Week, further requirements had to be met. Hill was again re-designed by Ing. Hans Peyerl in cooperation with the ski jumping FIS consultant Ing. Straumann.[9][10][11]

In 1952, Salzkammergut Ski Association, governed body responsible for the hill was dissolved, because Ausserland came back to Styria. In this way, it was possible to make this hill a top priority for the Styrian state government, which assigned the responsibility to the Styrian Ski Association.

On 27 February–1 March 1953, three day competition, 1st official "FIS International Ski Flying Week", finally recognized by FIS due to many upgrades. About 50,000 people visited the event. Josef Bradl won the competition with 449.8 points ahead of Andreas Däscher and Roy Sherwood.[12][13]

On 10–11 March 1956, two day competition, 2nd official "International Ski Flying Week" was held. Total four jumps counted into official result, two best jumps from each day. Peter Lesser won the event with total 428.5 points ahead of Veikko Heinonen (FIN) and Olaf B. Bjørnstad (NOR).[14][15]

On 20–22 March 1959, three day competition, 3rd official "International Ski Flying Week" was held, on the last day alone crowd of 30,000 people. Six jumps in total, two best from each day counted into official result. Torbjørn Yggeseth (NOR), founder of FIS World Cup won the event.[16][17][18]

On 1–4 March 1962, three day competition, 4th official "International Ski Flying Week" was held. Already on the first day, at the official training, East German Peter Lesser tied the world record with Jože Šlibar (Oberstdorf 1961), first on this hill, at 141 m (463 ft). His team mate Helmut Recknagel won ahead of two West Germans Wolfgang Happle and Max Bolkart, watched by more than 40,000 people on Sunday, the last day alone.[19][20][21]

On 19–21 March 1965, three day competition, "K.O.P. International Ski Flying Week" was held. First day (Friday) counted as official training, but also as a reserved date, if one of two competition days (Saturday or Sunday) was cancelled, would be calculated into official result. Already on first day, Bjørn Wirkola fell at world record distance at 144 meters (472 ft). On Saturday, Peter Lesser also fell at world record distance at 147 metres (482 ft). On Sunday, in front of 30,000 people, Peter Lesser set official world record for the second time here after three years at 145.5 metres (477 ft).[22][23]

On 19–21 March 1971, three-day competition, "K.O.P. International Ski Flying Week", which would also be counting for "Europa Cup", was due to strong wind all three days, first and only time in history completely cancelled. Only four trial jumpers managed to perform the last day. Saturday and Sunday results were planned to count into official results, and if one of them was cancelled, Friday results would be counting as a reserve.[24][25][26]

On 8–9 March 1986, Kulm hosted "9th FIS Ski Flying World Championships" at enlarged and rebuilt with new K185 point, renovation plan inspired by Planica. More than 50,000 people in total visited in all three days. It started great already on official training (Friday), with new hill record at 188 meters (617 ft) set by Austrian Franz Neuländtner. On the last day (Sunday), Masahiro Akimoto, Ulf Findeisen, Øyvind Berg and Grega Peljhan, all four crashed very hard, from high in the air direct to the ground. Four best jumps in total (2 of 3 best jumps each day) counted into final results. For the great final Andreas Felder who became world champion, set the world record at 191 m (627 feet) and equaled it with Matti Nykänen (1985).[27][28][29][30][31]

On 10–11 February 1996, two-day competition "14th FIS Ski Flying World Championships", with each day also counting for FIS World Cup, was held. Total of 130,000 people gathered in all four days. It all started with free training on Thursday, when Jens Weißflog (201 m) became the first who managed to surpass two-hundred-meter mark on this hill and 8th jump over this barrier in history. Andreas Goldberger became world champion in front of home crowd with total four jumps, two from each day counting (183, 183, 194 and 198 m), with final score of total 738.1 points.[32][33][34][35]

Possible HRs, start order in 2R unclear (7.3.1986) – Bauer (176m), Klauser (175m), Suorsa (172m), Nykänen (170m), Findeisen (169m).[36]

Date Length 18 February 1950   Hubert Neuper Sr. 75.0 m (246 ft)   18 February 1950   Hubert Neuper Sr. 93.0 m (305 ft)   18 February 1950   Hubert Neuper Sr. 96.0 m (315 ft)   8 March 1950   Alois Leodolter 100.0 m (328 ft)   9 March 1950   Rudi Dietrich 101.0 m (331 ft)   11 March 1950   Hans Eder 102.0 m (335 ft)   11 March 1950   Hans Eder 106.5 m (349 ft)   12 March 1950   Rudi Gering 104.0 m (341 ft)   12 March 1950   Hans Eder 102.5 m (336 ft)   12 March 1950   Rudi Dietrich 103.0 m (338 ft)   16 March 1951   Sepp Bradl 115.0 m (377 ft)   27 February 1953   Toni Brutscher 116.0 m (381 ft)   27 February 1953   Roy Sherwood 120.0 m (394 ft)   28 February 1953   Sepp Bradl 120.0 m (394 ft)   9 March 1956   Werner Lesser 125.0 m (410 ft)   20 March 1959   Torbjørn Yggeseth 127.0 m (467 ft)   1 March 1962   Peter Lesser 141.0 m (463 ft)   19 March 1965   Bjørn Wirkola 144.0 m (472 ft)   20 March 1965   Peter Lesser 147.0 m (482 ft)   21 March 1965   Peter Lesser 145.5 m (477 ft)   15 March 1975   Karl Schnabl 151.0 m (495 ft)

Date Length 2 March 1978   Matthias Buse 151.0 m (495 ft)   5 March 1978   Edi Federer 164.0 m (538 ft)   12 March 1982   Hubert Neuper 166.0 m (545 ft)   12 March 1982   Matti Nykänen 166.0 m (545 ft)   14 March 1982   Hubert Neuper 167.0 m (548 ft)   14 March 1982   Matti Nykänen 169.0 m (555 ft)   7 March 1986   Franz Neuländtner 188.0 m (617 ft)   9 March 1986   Andreas Felder 191.0 m (627 ft)   8 February 1996   Jens Weißflog 201.0 m (659 ft)   8 February 1997   Takanobu Okabe 205.0 m (673 ft)   20 February 2000   Andreas Goldberger 209.5 m (687 ft)   31 January 2003   Christian Nagiller 220.0 m (722 ft)   31 January 2003   Sven Hannawald 214.0 m (702 ft)   10 January 2009   Gregor Schlierenzauer 215.5 m (707 ft)   9 January 2015   Jurij Tepeš 220.0 m (722 ft)   9 January 2015   Robert Kranjec 221.0 m (725 ft)   9 January 2015   Severin Freund 237.5 m (779 ft)   15 January 2016   Noriaki Kasai 240.5 m (789 ft)   15 January 2016   Peter Prevc 243.0 m (797 ft)   16 January 2016   Peter Prevc 244.0 m (801 ft)   27 January 2023   Žiga Jelar 247.5 m (812 ft)