Pine Mountain Jump facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pine Mountain Jump |
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| Location | Pine Mountain Iron Mountain, MI  United States |
| Opened | 1937 |
| Renovated | 1977 |
| Size | |
| K–point | K-120 |
| Hill size | HS133 |
| Hill record |  Marius Lindvik(144 m in 2018) |
The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is an amazing place in Iron Mountain, Michigan, where skilled athletes perform incredible ski jumps. It's run by the Kiwanis Ski Club and hosts exciting yearly competitions called the FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup.
This jump holds some impressive records! It has the U.S. record for the longest jump in a World Cup event, reaching 140 meters (that's about 459 feet!). The overall distance record is even longer at 144 meters (about 472 feet). Imagine flying that far through the air! Around 20,000 fans come to watch these thrilling events every year. There are also two smaller ski jumps nearby for practice or younger jumpers.
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How Big is the Jump?
The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is a giant structure with some impressive measurements:
- The tall starting tower is about 176 feet (53.6 meters) high. That's like standing on top of a 17-story building!
- The entire path, from the top of the ramp to where the skiers land and slow down, is about 1032 feet (314.5 meters) long.
- The "K-point" (or critical point) on the landing hill is 394 feet (120 meters). This is a special spot that helps judges score the jumps.
- The "Hill Size" (HS) is 133 meters. This number tells you how big and challenging the jump is.
- Skiers can reach speeds of about 55 to 65 miles per hour (88 to 105 km/h) as they launch off the ramp!
A Jump Through Time: History of Pine Mountain
Building the Pine Mountain Ski Jump started in 1937 and was finished in 1938. When it first opened, the jump was 156 feet (47.5 meters) high. The very first competition was held there in 1939.
Over the years, the jump has been updated many times. In 1977, after a fire, the inrun tower (the part skiers slide down) was made even taller, reaching its current height of 176 feet.
In 1996 and 2000, Pine Mountain hosted the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, which is a very big deal in ski jumping! These events brought in huge crowds of 20,000 spectators. While it hasn't hosted a World Cup since then, it still holds exciting annual FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup competitions.
Locally, people call it "Giant Pine Mountain." It's known around the world as one of the best ski jumping places. Many jumpers say it's the most challenging jump on the Continental Cup circuit. This is partly because the top of the jump is nearly 600 feet higher than the land around it. Imagine the view – it's like being on top of a 60-story skyscraper! Because it's so high up, there can be a lot of wind, which makes jumping even more difficult and exciting.
The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is the largest ski jump in the United States (not counting special "ski flying" hills). It's also one of the tallest man-made ski jumps in the world! In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, there are two other famous jumps: Copper Peak, which is the only "ski flying" hill in the Western Hemisphere, and the Suicide Hill Ski Jump near the National Ski Hall of Fame.
Amazing Jumps: Records Over the Years
Many incredible athletes have set records at Pine Mountain. Here's a look at some of the longest jumps:
| Year | Distance (m) | Distance (ft) | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 78 m | 256 ft | Bob Rocker |  United States |
| 1941 | 81.5 m | 267 ft | Alf Engen | NOR |
| 1942 | 88 m | 289 ft | Torger Tokle | NOR |
| 1949 | 89 m | 292 ft | Joe Perrault | United States |
| 1949 | 89.5 m | 294 ft | Matti Pietikäinen |  FIN |
| 1949 | 90.5 m | 297 ft | Joe Perrault | USA |
| 1955 | 91.5 m | 300 ft | Rudy Maki | USA |
| 1961 | 96 m | 315 ft | Jim Brennan | USA |
| 1962 | 96.5 m | 317 ft | Pekka Tirkkinen | FIN |
| 1965 | 99 m | 325 ft | John Balfanz | United States |
| 1968 | 102 m | 335 ft | Adrian Watt | United States |
| 1971 | 105 m | 344 ft | Jerry Martin | United States |
| 1978 | 113 m | 371 ft | Gebhart Aberer |  AUT |
| 1980 | 121.5 m | 399 ft | Armin Kogler | AUT |
| 1991 | 122 m | 400 ft | Werner Schuster | AUT |
| 1996-02-18 | 131.5 m | 431 ft | Masahiko Harada |  JPN |
| 2018-02-18 | 138 m | 453 ft | Jakub Wolny |  POL |
| 2017-02-18 | 140.5 m | 461 ft | Klemens Murańka | POL |
| 2002-02-23 | 142 m | 466 ft | Kalle Keituri | FIN |
| 2004-02-21 | 142 m | 466 ft | Olav Magne Dønnem | NOR |
| 2006-02-18 | 142.5 m | 468 ft | Stefan Kaiser | AUT |
| 2009-02-15 | 142.5 m | 468 ft | Lukas Müller | AUT |
| 2009-02-15 | 143.5 m | 471 ft | Stefan Thurnbichler | AUT |
| 2018-02-15 | 144 m | 472 ft | Marius Lindvik | NOR |
Major Competitions Held Here
The Pine Mountain ski jumping tournament is a very important event. Since 2004, it has been part of the FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup every year. This competition is usually the most important and highest-level ski jumping event in the Western Hemisphere, except for the Winter Olympic Games or World Cup events.
Some of the big events held at Pine Mountain include:
- The United States National Ski Jumping Championship in 1958, 1960, and 1966.
- The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in February 1996 and February 2000.
- Many FIS Continental Cup events, held almost every year since 2001, including the most recent one in February 2022.
Visiting Pine Mountain Jump
If you want to visit this amazing jump, here's how to get there: From US Highway 2 in Iron Mountain, turn west onto Kent Street. Follow the signs for about 3/4 mile (1.2 km). Then, look for Upper Pine Mountain Road, which will take you up to the hilltop.
From the observation deck at the top of the jump, you can see for about 30 miles (48 km)! It's a fantastic view, and there's no charge to use the observation deck.
