Holy macaroni, that is a Big Chester.

I actually went off this baby in 1991, with my downhill Rossignal 3G downhill skis. I unbuckled my Salomon boots and swore that I would stay in the iced-tracks. Unfortunately, I strayed, just to stay alive and actually make the jump and land it!

It looks life threatening.

PS This is The Candidate (new hotness) not The Professor (old and busted). That was me in the first comment. Is Tech Support in the house? The 'Post a comment' feature is having an electronic brain fart. Oh, I'm so embarassed.

I used to climb this with my friends when we were kids (mid 1960s) -- no "no-go" gate and more than a few missing stairs back than. I had forgotten the view.

I was just up there (on the hill, not the jump) with my kids. Damn, I don't know how anyone makes that jump.

The last time I was in Chester Park was in June. I was training for the Marathon and I broke my foot on one of the trails. That park and I are developing a history.

I think that's one local skiing experience I'm going to forego.

[jumped off a 10 meter diving platform and didn't totally love that.]

Just looking at the picture gives me vertigo. I would surely soil myself strapped in skis at the top of this bad boy.

Big Chester you win.

Two local 'alpinists' and I climbed to the top of the big jump last March during that huge snowstorm. You remember? The one with the thunder and lighting? It was bad ass. We were going to bivy out but we felt sleeping atop a giant metal rod in a lightning storm - although a great training exercise for mountain climbing - was just generall a bad idea.

Many years ago when I was stupider than I am now (I'm still stupid, I'm just a bit less of it), I climbed up to the stop of Chester Bowl ramp, in the dark, in the winter, after drinking, carrying bowling balls. Yea...
We released the balls down the ramp, and as it picked up speed, began to bounce, creating a huge "WOOMPH" sound to be heard throughout Chester.
We crawled down just in time to notice a cop car driving in to check out the "disturbance".
I (quite used to ditching cops), figured I was safe wearing black and staying still behind the first line to trees.
However, I looked behind me to see Drunky McDrunkerson in bright yellow giggling loudly.
Ok, plan B - run!

One of the first things I did upon moving to Duluth in 1998 was climb the Chester Park ski jump. Unlike the pictures, my climbs did not take place in broad daylight.

These are nice pictures. I like the winter setting. I also like how the caption for them is "Please don't go up there to take photos."

Do as I say, not as I do. We all know how successful our elders were in instilling that lesson within our youthful psyches.

Clumsy: if you think it looks steep now, consider that Big Chester is partially dismantled--it used to be another forty feet or so higher!