Howelsen Hill Ski Area in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, opened in 1914 and is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America. Founded by Norwegian immigrant Karl Hovelsen and renamed for him in 1917, it developed from an early ski-jumping venue into a public area that also added alpine skiing in 1931. Though small in size, it stands out for having the largest natural ski-jumping complex in North America and for serving as a training ground for local athletes and members of the U.S. Ski Team. Its legacy includes world-record jumps and an extraordinary record of producing Olympians and hall-of-fame skiers.