Copper Peak

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Copper Peak
Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill.JPG
Constructor(s)Lauren Larsen
Location Ironwood, Michigan, USA
OperatorGogebic Range Ski Club
Opened28 February 1970, Reopening October 2024
Renovated2023
Expanded1980, 1988, 2023
Closed1994
Size
K–point 145 m
Hill size 469 ft
Longest jump
(unofficial / fall)
159 metres (522 ft)
Flag of Austria.svg Werner Schuster
(25 February 1989)
Hill record158 m (518 ft)
Flag of Austria.svg Matthias Wallner
Flag of Austria.svg Werner Schuster
(22, 23 January 1994)

Copper Peak is a ski flying hill designed by Lauren Larsen and located near Ironwood, Michigan, United States. It was built in 1969 and inaugurated one year later. [1] [2] The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 [3] and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971. [2] The site is currently used as a summer tourist attraction. [4] [5]

Contents

History

Copper mining

In 1845, the Chippewa Copper Mining Company began mining work here, sinking a tunnel into the granite rock. They produced no copper and eventually closed. Around 1900 the Old Peak Company made further explorations, with no production. The 1845 tunnel is still visible. [2]

1969: Built

It all started in 1968 when a delegation from Gogebic Range Ski Club from Ironwood, Michigan came to visit civil/structural engineer Lauren Larsen in Duluth, Minnesota.

1970: Inaugurated

Built in 1970, Copper Peak remains the only ski flying facility in the Western Hemisphere. In 1994 a K-point on Copper Peak was at 145 meters (476 ft), allowing jumps up to 158 meters (518 ft). There have been no flights at Copper Peak since 1994. An exhibition tournament was announced for 2014 but was canceled. [6]

Between 1970 and 1994 there were ten competitions sanctioned by FIS and additional two international events were held. [7] The hill record is 158 meters (518 ft), set by Matthias Wallner and Werner Schuster (both Austria) on 22 and 23 January 1994, respectively. The hill was expanded in the 1980s, but the profile is still outdated compared to current standards. [8]

Renovation

The Copper Peak, Inc., has established the Copper Peak Organizing Committee for the purposes of raising funds to renovate the ski flying facility for FIS competition. [4] Some improvements to the facilities were made in 2012. [6]

On 14 July 2015 International Ski Federation announced "Copper Peak shall be reactivated" after an inspection of the facility by FIS Race Director Walter Hofer and Hans-Martin Renn who is the chairman of the FIS subcommittee for ski jumping hills. In October 2015, FIS awarded Copper Peak a Grand Prix Summer Series finale event held in September 2017 and a Summer Continental Cup and a Nordic Combined summer event in 2018. [9] These events were not held due to the modifications unable to be completed.

On 30 March 2022, the State of Michigan granted Copper Peak $20 Million for the re-introduction of international ski jumping events at Copper Peak. As of May 2025, reconstruction of the landing hill has begun and is the construction of the concrete ski jump landing hill and outrun is scheduled to be complete in December 2026. [10] Barr Engineering Co. of Duluth and Minneapolis, Minnesota, designed the landing hill renovations and the construction work is being performed by Engineering & Construction Innovations Inc., and Dykon Blasting. Currently, Copper Peak is open on Sundays during the summer and fall to see the construction progress. [11]

Events

DateCompetitionWinnerSecondThird
28 February – 1 March 1970KOP Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jiří Raška Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Zbyněk Hubač Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Rudolf Doubek
3–4 February 1973KOP Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Martin Flag of the United States.svg Tom Dargay Flag of Japan.svg Minoru Wakasa
2–3 February 1974KOP Flag of the United States.svg Ron Steele Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Martin Flag of Norway.svg Petter Kongsli
7–9 February 1975KOP Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Martin Flag of the United States.svg Jim Maki Flag of Japan.svg Shunichi Akimoto
29 February 1976KOP Flag of East Germany.svg Hans-Georg Aschenbach Flag of Austria.svg Hans Millonig Flag of East Germany.svg Bernd Eckstein
2–5 March 1978KOP Flag of East Germany.svg Henry Glaß Flag of East Germany.svg Jochen Danneberg Flag of Austria.svg Claus Tuchscherer
13 February 1981WC Flag of Austria.svg Alois Lipburger Flag of Austria.svg Andreas Felder Flag of the United States.svg John Broman
14 February 1981WC Flag of Austria.svg Alois Lipburger Flag of Austria.svg Andreas Felder Flag of Austria.svg Fritz Koch
15 February 1981WCstrong wind
25 February 1989INT Flag of Austria.svg Franz Wiegele Flag of Austria.svg Werner Schuster Flag of Austria.svg Wolfgang Margreiter
3–4 March 1990INT Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Stanislav Vasko Flag of Austria.svg Stefan Horngacher Flag of Austria.svg Franz Wiegele
22 January 1994COC Flag of Norway.svg Terje Nyhus Flag of Austria.svg Werner Schuster Flag of Austria.svg Matthias Wallner
23 January 1994COC Flag of Austria.svg Matthias Wallner Flag of Austria.svg Werner Schuster Flag of Norway.svg Frode Håre

Hill records

DateLength
27 February 1970   Flag of the United States.svg Greg Swor 78 m (255 ft)
1 March 1970   Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Zbyněk Hubač 134 m (440 ft)
3–4 February 1973   Flag of Japan.svg Akitsugu Konno 136 m (446 ft)
3–4 February 1973   Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Martin 137 m (449 ft)
3–4 February 1973   Flag of Japan.svg Akitsugu Konno 138 m (453 ft)
2–3 February 1974   Flag of the United States.svg Tom Dargay144 m (472 ft)
2–3 February 1974   Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Martin 144 m (472 ft)
7–9 February 1975   Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Martin 147 m (482 ft)
29 February 1976   Flag of East Germany.svg Hans-Georg Aschenbach 154 m (505 ft)
13 February 1981   Flag of Austria.svg Alois Lipburger 154 m (505 ft)
3–4 February 1990   Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Stanislav Vasko156 m (512 ft)
22 January 1994   Flag of Austria.svg Mathias Wallner158 m (518 ft)
23 January 1994   Flag of Austria.svg Werner Schuster 158 m (518 ft)

Chippewa Hill

The peak, also known as Chippewa Hill, is a felsite hill about three hundred feet in height. The hill slopes steeply to the north and south, and there is a steep bluff on the east side of the hill. The Copper Peak ski-slide and tower dominates the peak of the hill. The tower sits on concrete footings based in solid rock. An 1845 tunnel and several copper excavation pits are visible on the hill, and are not affected by the construction of the ski-slide. [2]

Mining

The hill, also known as Chippewa Hill and Old Peak, was the site of a mine owned by the Chippewa Copper Mining Company. Work began in 1845, but no copper was produced. [13]

See also

Two other ski jumps located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan:

References

  1. "Bad postcards: Copper Peak operators promise their ski flying hill is more impressive than card depicts". The Grand Rapids Press. September 6, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Staff (2009). "Copper Peak / Chippewa Hill Peak". Historic Sites Online. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Copper Peak ski jump poised to rejoin world stage". Duluth News Tribune. October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  5. "Copper Peak Ski Flying Jump". National Geographic Traveler. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Ski Flyers to Soar Again at Copper Peak in 2014". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  7. Baulch, Vivian M. (February 1, 2002). "Michigan's long history of ski jumping". The Detroit News . ISSN   1055-2715. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  8. "Above It All at Copper Peak". lakesuperior.com. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  9. "Copper Peak ski flying set to return in 2017". The Daily Globe. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  10. Chinn, Cameron (May 30, 2025). "Copper Peak begins 1st phase of modernization project". Upper Michigan News Source. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  11. "The Adventure Ride". Copper Peak. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  12. "Subaru International Ski Flying event 1989 (clip starts at 52:49)". ESPN . Retrieved May 17, 2019.[ dead link ]
  13. Ashlee, Laura R. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Marker. University of Michigan Press. p. 140. ISBN   9780472030668.