Blackhawk

Tucked into the start of the Driftless Region, just a few miles west of Madison, Wisconsin, lies Blackhawk Ski and Mountain Bike Club. Founded in 1947 when a group of ski jumpers organized tournaments, and then purchased the first thirty-five acres in 1949 to build a large ski jump and use it primarily as a ski jump facility. Although on paper, the founders are stated as a group of Hoofers (outdoor program at UW-Madison), the real founders of Blackhawk as we know it were I.R. Jacobson, the first president, Werner Schorr, the vice president, and Stanley Du Rose, secretary and treasurer—all three were active and well known by many who still use the club today.

Transformation through the years

What was thirty-five acres is now sixty acres. In 1999, then-president Pat Remington helped shift the focus to youth skiing and development, leading to the club becoming a 501. c) (3 educational organization in 2002. Although ski jumping is still one of the main draws (smaller jumps and youth development were added), Blackhawk now offers much more, including cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding, biathlon, mountain biking, winter fat biking, and hiking. What really remains the same, however, is their mission. The focus on providing a place to teach young people lifelong competitive outdoor sports and a love for the outdoors will most likely never change. And with a strong membership ranging from babies to those in their mid-80s, “young people” is just a matter of mindset. 

The club has most certainly seen its ups and downs. Despite sending several members to the Winter Olympics, the financial distress hit hard in the late 90's, and membership dues from sixty families did not cover operating expenses. The board of directors then decided to shift the focus from ski jumping to the current mission of introducing youth to outdoor recreation and competition in other winter sports, resulting in membership climbing to capacity within a few years.

Since then, Blackhawk has expanded year-round programs focusing on youth (while also offering some adult programs, like hosting Ninja and Capital Off-road Pathfinders clinics). The classes themselves are now so popular, they often fill within hours of becoming available. Jon Maglio, a mountain bike instructor in the summer (and full-time art teacher during the school year) says “he loves that Blackhawk is creating opportunities for kids to get into alternative sports and offer the chance to build skills that make riding safer and more fun.” With the change in programming, membership has jumped to 1,000 family memberships and 1,000 single memberships—roughly 5,000 members in all. 

Six years ago, I went on my first mountain bike ride on these very trails. At the time, I only had a fat bike and had no idea what tire pressure to run or how to handle single-track trails. I may have been born on a bike, but this was a completely new language to me. At Blackhawk, I shed my first tears while mountain biking, and I also got my first taste of the absolute joy woods riding could bring. And while mountain biking did not “grab” me for another year, I knew what a special place Blackhawk was. A chunk of paradise if you will, filled with the scent of baked pines and mushrooms, and views over the driftless ridges. 

History of Ski Jumping Olympians 

Dave Norby and Bill Bakke both competed in ski jumping in the 1968 Olympics.

Kurt Stein competed in the 1992 and 1994 Olympics.

Anna Hoffmann, whom Norby coached as a little girl, competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

It takes a village

Because Blackhawk is one of my backyard trail systems, and I can easily ride there from home, I slowly became a fixture there as I learned to ride dirt. Four years ago I became a trail ambassador, helping new members find their way and making sure they felt welcomed. Then I found myself helping with trail maintenance (from leaf blowing to weed whacking to mowing) across over five miles of singletrack, after Jon Maglio taught me the ethos “no dig no ride”—getting more trail users to put volunteer hours into the trails they love. I liked the feeling of giving back to something that had given me so much, and I loved the club's mission. In early 2026, I got an email from the trail steward, Pat Remington, saying I was being nominated for volunteer of the year—something I was almost embarrassed to receive, since there are so many dedicated volunteers there. I mention this only because Blackhawk couldn't operate without its enormous volunteer base. Outside of a few paid staff members and a board of directors, the volunteers are the lifeblood at this non-profit facility, and it shows. For fifty years, the club boasted never having a paid employee. Sadly, volunteerism has dropped, and they’ve had to rely on some paid positions, but volunteers are still the lifeblood. The membership funds saved by relying on them go directly back into improving facilities, purchasing new equipment, and growing programs—none of which are cheap. The club purchased new snow-making and grooming equipment last year (which is why many skiers now view Blackhawk as having the best ski conditions around—along with the only full-time paid staff, Casey Bingham), and is currently building a second warming shelter for skiers and fat bikers. 

Volunteer hour breakdowns:

140 winter instructors= 2,800 hours

15 summer instructors=300 hours

33 ski patrol and 8 bike patrol=825 hours

Trail Crew=200 hours

Snow making=100 hours

Grooming=360 hours

Board Members=288 hours

Mountain Bike Ambassadors=100 hours

Other programming=1000 hours

Total=6,133 volunteer hours!!!

I asked Remington, a professor emeritus at the School of Medicine and Public Health at UW-Madison, and now my “fearless leader” as the trail steward, as well as a four-generation member and past club president, what changes he’s seen in what members are asking for. “People have been mountain biking since the 1970’s. These trails went straight up and down the steep ski hills and were expert only then. In 2014, the Blackhawk Mountain Bike Program began with the following vision: Blackhawk will become a national model for introducing kids and families to mountain biking. We do this by building and maintaining a network of mountain bike trails for riders of all abilities and providing educational programs to kids and adults. We keep the membership fees modest, and use those funds to build and maintain the trails. We have learned that you get what you pay for regarding building trails, and now use some professional trail builders to keep things fun, safe, and sustainable.”

“My first experience at Blackhawk was with my kids learning to ski. Holding on to the tow rope with special gloves, I felt like the hills couldn’t be any more grand. Those years passed all too quickly, but Blackhawk grew just as fast, creating favorite trails for mountain and fat biking. I love to ride quietly solo, hoping to catch a glimpse of wildlife. I also love riding with the wildlife or gathering friends for a group ride in the fall or winter. It’s a magical place. It’s hard to wrap up such a treasure into a small package.

-Stacey Brickson, physical therapist and cycling coach

One of the things I love most about this club is that it’s truly inclusive. At times, people cannot afford the modest membership fees or programs for one reason or another, and the all-time top volunteer, Stan DuRose, had an endowment for scholarships set up in his name when he passed away in 2010. Earning a membership through volunteering is also always an option, and it adds another level of diversity and helps members feel vested in the club. For many members I’ve met, it's a second home. I often see multigenerational families enjoying the facilities together, away from screens, helping one another succeed in their goals. High fives and cheers are extremely common here. Even the paid staff contribute to a connecting trail system from time to time with building and maintenance—because we all do better when we all do better (another ethos I see constantly at the club). There are certainly bigger facilities, harder trails, steeper hills, etc. But the feeling you get from being part of Blackhawk is like no other. This place is family. And I’m really proud to be a part of it.