Copper Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Copper Peak |
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| Constructor(s) | Lauren Larsen |
| Location | Ironwood, Michigan, USA |
| Operator | Gogebic Range Ski Club |
| Opened | 28 February 1970, Reopening October 2024 |
| Renovated | 2023 |
| Expanded | 1980, 1988, 2023 |
| Closed | 1994 |
| Size | |
| K–point | 145 m |
| Hill size | 469 ft |
| Longest jump (unofficial / fall) |
159 metres (522 ft) Werner Schuster(25 February 1989) |
| Hill record | 158 m (518 ft) Matthias Wallner Werner Schuster (22, 23 January 1994) |
| Top events | |
| World Cup | 1981 |
| Grand Prix | |
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Copper Peak
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | N. Black River Valley Parkway, Ironwood, Michigan |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000948 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 4, 1973 |
Copper Peak is a special place near Ironwood, Michigan, in the United States. It's a huge ski flying hill where athletes used to launch themselves incredibly far through the air. It was designed by Lauren Larsen and first opened in 1970.
This unique site is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it's recognized as a significant historical spot in the country. It was also named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971. Today, Copper Peak is a popular place for tourists to visit, especially in the summer.
Contents
The History of Copper Peak
Early Mining Days
Long before ski jumpers arrived, people tried to find copper here. In 1845, the Chippewa Copper Mining Company dug a tunnel into the granite rock. They didn't find any copper and eventually stopped their work. Around 1900, another company, the Old Peak Company, also explored the area but didn't produce any copper either. You can still see the old 1845 tunnel today!
Building the Giant Ski Hill
The idea for Copper Peak started in 1968. A group called the Gogebic Range Ski Club from Ironwood, Michigan visited an engineer named Lauren Larsen in Duluth, Minnesota. They wanted to build a ski flying hill, and Larsen helped make it happen.
The hill was finished in 1969 and officially opened in 1970. Copper Peak is the only ski flying hill in the entire Western Hemisphere. This means it's the only one of its kind in North and South America!
Ski Flying Competitions
From 1970 to 1994, Copper Peak hosted many exciting ski flying competitions. Ski flying is different from regular ski jumping because athletes go much farther. The "K-point" on Copper Peak was 145 meters (about 476 feet), which allowed jumpers to fly up to 158 meters (about 518 feet)!
Many amazing jumps happened here. The longest official jump, or "hill record," was 158 meters. This record was set by two Austrian skiers, Matthias Wallner and Werner Schuster, in January 1994. After 1994, no more ski flying events were held at Copper Peak for a long time.
Plans for Renovation
For many years, people hoped to bring ski flying back to Copper Peak. The Copper Peak, Inc. group started working to raise money to update the hill for new competitions. Some small improvements were made in 2012.
In 2015, the International Ski Federation (FIS), which is the main organization for ski sports, announced that Copper Peak would be "reactivated." This meant they planned to hold big international events there again. However, these events didn't happen because the necessary updates weren't finished in time.
A New Beginning
Good news arrived on March 30, 2022! The State of Michigan gave Copper Peak $20 million to help bring international ski jumping events back. Since May 2025, construction has been underway to rebuild the landing hill. This huge project involves building a new concrete landing hill and the "outrun" area where skiers slow down. This work is expected to be finished by December 2026.
Companies like Barr Engineering Co. and Engineering & Construction Innovations Inc. are working on the project. While the construction is happening, Copper Peak is open on Sundays during the summer and fall. Visitors can come and see the progress being made on this incredible ski hill!
Other Ski Jumps in Michigan
Michigan's Upper Peninsula is home to other famous ski jumps too:
- Pine Mountain Ski Jump – This is one of the tallest human-made ski jumps in the world, located near Iron Mountain, Michigan.
- ... Hill Ski Jump – You can find this jump near Ishpeming, Michigan, close to the National Ski Hall of Fame.
