The Northwest tradition of skiing on Snoqualmie Pass began in the 1920's and 30's, pre-dating the 1937 opening of the Snoqualmie Summit Ski Area. The earliest skiers were a hardy group of world-class ski jumpers who hiked up hill and competed on a jump built by the Seattle Ski Club, near Beaver Lake Hill. Interest in the sport by both jumpers and spectators grew rapidly, and in 1933 the Seattle Parks Department applied for a permit from the United States Forest Service to establish a ski hill at Snoqualmie Pass.