Casper Oimoen enjoyed a spectacular ski jumping career that spanned nineteen years. He was named to two American Olympic teams and won three U.S. ski jumping championships.

Casper Oimoen was born in Norway on May 8, 1906 and like most Norwegian youngsters was on skis from the time he could walk. Upon his arrival in the United States in 1923 he settled in Minot, North Dakota and proceeded to take the ski jumping sport by storm.

In the late twenties and throughout the thirties Oimoen entered over 200 tournaments, winning the majority of them, including the National Ski Association National Jumping Tournaments in 1930, 1931 and 1934. His record of ski tournament wins in 1929, 1930 and 1931 remain among the best in American ski jumping history.

His finest hour came as a member of the United States Olympic Ski Jumping Team of 1932 when he placed fifth in the Special Jumping against the world’s best at Lake Placid, New York.

This was particularly gratifying. Previously he had been selected for the 1928 Olympic Team but was informed that his American citizenship papers were invalid. Olympic officials declared that Oimoen was not a citizen of the United States. An investigation later revealed that immigration officials had misunderstood his name and spelled it Simeon instead of Oimoen. When Olympic officials checked his credentials they found the error and made their ruling. Even the personal intervention of President Calvin Coolidge came too late to allow Oimoen to compete at the 1928 games. This was a great disappointment to him and the U.S. Team since he was at his peak and may well have won a medal in the games.

After the 1928 season, Oimoen married. The responsibility of a family took him into the contracting business and limited his ability to focus on his sport. He continued to compete whenever possible despite his growing family – remaining competitive enough to make the 1932 Olympic Team. He then continued to compete on a part-time basis, was named captain of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Jumping Team and was thirteenth of eighty competitors.

Casper Oimoen was a most graceful ski jumper as well as a powerful one. He had an enviable record of fourteen national, divisional or state championships, six hill records and was named to the “All American Ski Team” in a three-year period.

Oimoen retired from the contracting business and settled in Ashland, Oregon in 1964.
Based on his amazing athletic ability, Casper Oimoen was named to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1963.