2003 International Masters Ski Jumping Championships

2003 Zakopane POL

A few scenes from Zakopane

One of the delights for visitors to Zakopane is the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of log buildings, new and old, scattered all over the town. The brand new building at the right was built as a restaurant, Bakowo Zohylina, on lower Pilsudskiego street. It has the traditional interior of old houses of the Podhale region with a free standing fireplace and animal skins hanging on the walls.

The greatest concentration of log houses is on Koscieliska street, where this old one was my very favorite in 1995. Its unique feature is the line of carved brides, dancing below the railing of the second floor balcony. The snow arch in the foreground is on a rose arbor. However the modern world can not be denied. The unobtrusive yellow sign announces Video Rentals.

The walking tour up Koscieliska street starts with the old wooden church and the cemetery. Our hostess/interpretor, Agnieszka, warned us that we might not recognize the old wooden church since it had recently been given a new roof. She understated the situation, but there it was, just one of many improvements to occur in the last eight years.

Grave markers in the cemetary of the old Zakopane church are quite different from those found in North America. These mourning figures with their crowns of thorns are also available in countless shops as miniature wood carvings. Indeed wooden ware was one of the local specialties, carved, turned or joined. It might be painted, metal-inlaid, or just raw, both decorative and useful items. There were also fur and leather goods as well as knitware. And then there was the amber. This is the world center for amber and it was available milky or clear in colors from honey to deep cherry red, not just the usual necklaces, bracelets and earrings, but also little carved animals and figures.

Horse taxis, both carriages and sleighs, are
almost as common as the automotive kind.

In 1995, I was charmed by these two wonderful old log houses on
working farms on opposite sides of a little street off Koscieliska street.

In the opening ceremony, each nation's team marched into the arena led by a young Zakopane ski jumper in his bright team jacket. Leading the two person USA team was Kuba, just turned 13 with flashing brown eyes, a bright smile and quite good English. On Saturday, when the team competition was finished, Kuba took his very first jumps on the K-85 jump. He jumped beautifully, a little farther each ride, approaching 70 meters. His smile was infectious!

In the back room at the banquet hall we find Tim Denisson, Aatto Lamminpaa, Don West, Ake Saloniemi, Barb West.
Traditional costumes adorn the log wall. Notice the decorative braided fiber caulking between the huge larch logs. (Product placement fee not yet received from Coca Cola.)

Visitors who didn't take the time to ride the cable car to the top of the ridge north of town missed the spectacular view of the massive Tatra mountains, sweeping from horizon to horizon. Zakopane lies peacefully below, and the haze flattens the scene and makes the distances look a little farther than they are.
Unfortunately, we can't bring you that experience either as our camera ran out of storage space after this single picture. But your webmaster was there, as this photo proves.
Notice the ski jumps nestled at the base of the mountain. The120 meter hill is in the center, the smaller hills are a little to the left.