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A look back at ski areas from Japan’s past 過去の日本のスキー場を懐かしむ

Sapporo Olympics Downhill

Mt Eniwa, Chitose City, Hokkaido

札幌オリンピック滑降コース　北海道千歳市恵庭岳

The downhill events of the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics were held on custom-made ski runs on the south west slopes of Mt Eniwa in Chitose City, Hokkaido. The location was chosen after no suitable venue could be found within the borders of Sapporo City, the official host city of the Olympics. A brand new 31 person ropeway, ski lift, heliport and other related facilities were all constructed - on the condition that they would be completely dismantled after the Olympics, and that the mountain would be restored to its original state. There has never been any official ski area open to the general public on Mt Eniwa. More of the story below.

1972 Sapporo Olympic Downhill Courses, Mt Eniwa, Hokkaido（恵庭岳 札幌オリンピック滑降コース）
Opened
開設		 1970
Closed
 閉設		 1972
Base elevation
標高最低		 About 350m
Men's Course
男子コース
　
Length
コース距離		 2,636m
　
Top elevation
標高最高		 1,126m
Vertical
標高差		 772m
　
Steepest slope
最大斜度		 37°
　
Average slope
平均斜度		 14°
Women's Course
女子コース		 　
Length
コース距離		 2,108m
Top elevation
標高最高		 870m
Vertical
標高差		 534m
Steepest slope
最大斜度		 35°
Average slope
平均斜度		 14°
　
Ski lifts
リフト本数		 2 lifts
Ropeway 884m + 830m
Single 330m
All lifts and facilities have been removed

Further Information

  • Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics  第十一回オリンピック冬季競技大会  between 3rd and 13th February 1972
    　
  • Sapporo was the first Winter Olympics to be held outside Europe and North America
    　
  • Mt Teine  手稲山  in Sapporo was the venue for the Slalom and Giant Slalom events, but did not have sufficient vertical for the downhills and there was no suitable alternative within Sapporo city
    　
  • Mt Eniwa (known in Japanese as Eniwadake)  恵庭岳  is an active volcano rising up to 1320m from the north shore of Lake Shikotsu, about 35km south of the city
    　
  • It was chosen as the venue for the men's and women's Downhill events
    　
  • There was one major problem - the mountain had no ski infrastructure or other facilities
    　
  • Mt Eniwa is located within the Shikotsu Toya National Park  支笏洞爺国立公園  and there was strong opposition to the project by nature conservation groups as well as the Ministry Of Public Welfare
    　
  • The project was only approved on the condition that all of the facilities would be removed and the mountain would be completely restored to nature after the Olympics
    　
  • A ropeway lift, ski lift, courses and other facilities, including a heliport at mid-mountain, had to be built from scratch
    　
  • Work on constructing the ski courses started in June 1968
    　
  • Construction of the ropeway lift started in July 1968
    　
  • Numerous challenges and setbacks were overcome, and construction was completed in January 1970, with the ski runs ready for use the following month
    　
  • 'Pre-Olympic' events held in February 1971 revealed the need for some adjustments, including changes to the starting points and lengths of the downhill courses
    　
  • The brand new ropeway  オリンピック号  had a maximum capacity of 31 people and featured an angled mid-station where it made a turn to the right to continue up the mountain
    　
  • A separate ski lift carried people close to the starting point of the Men's Downhill
    　
  • The Men's course was known as the Minamigawa run (South Side)  南側  and the Women's as the Kitagawa run (North Side)  北側
    　
  • As the winter began with unseasonable warmth, more than 300 Japan Self-Defense Force troops camped out at Mt Eniwa to assist in preparing for the 1972 Olympics
    　
  • They collected and transported some 4,500 truckloads of snow - more than  27,000 cubic meters - to build up the ski runs and pack down the snow as 'human groomers' to make the courses suitable for the competition
    　
  • Fortunately, there was sufficient natural snowfall before the start of the Winter Games, and there was fine weather for the events
    　
  • The Women's event, held on 5th February 1972, was won by Marie-Theres Nadig (Switzerland) in 1:36.68
    　
  • The Men's event, held on 7th February 1972, was won by Bernhard Russi (Switzerland) in 1:51.43
    　
  • (Since 1988, Mr Russi has gone on to design Olympic downhill courses and is a FIS technical advisor for downhill course design)
    　
  • These two races were the only events of the Sapporo Olympics that were held outside the borders of Sapporo City
    　
  • After many challenges and difficulties, the events themselves were able to be completed without major operational problems
    　
  • Work started on dismantling the Mt Eniwa facilities in July 1972, at a cost of 160 million yen
    　
  • Apart from the support infrastructure to prevent erosion and a few small tunnels under the race courses, all the facilities were removed, trees were replanted and Mt Eniwa returned to nature
    　
  • Nearly 50 years later, the outline of the ski runs can just about be made out on aerial images - if you know where to look
    　
  • For all the massive cost and effort that was involved in creating the facilities and courses, only a very limited number of people ever got to use them
    　
  • Mt Eniwa's encounter with the world of Olympic ski racing was very brief, and the mountain has long since enjoyed its calm existence, but remains a glowing reminder that given the will we can take advantage of nature's wonders without causing them permanent damage
    　
  • It seems incredible how such a project could ever get approved

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Location
所在地

On the western slopes of Mt Eniwa, to the north of Lake Shikotsu in Chitose City.

Currently operating ski & snowboard resorts in the region
近隣の運営中のスキー場

All currently operating ski areas in Hokkaido

This page was created in November 2020
Last updated on 27th January 2021
2020年11月 作成 　2021年1月27日 更新