Suicide Hill Ski Jump facts for kids
The Suicide Hill Ski Jump is a famous place in Negaunee, Michigan, where people compete in ski jumping. It's part of the Ishpeming Ski Club. This jump is one of three big ski jumps in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The others are Copper Peak and Pine Mountain Ski Jump. Suicide Hill has been around since 1925, making it a very old and important spot for the sport.
The ski jump is located in a small area called Suicide Bowl. This bowl isn't just one jump; it has five different ski jumps! These jumps are 13-meters, 25-meters, 40-meters, 60-meters, and the main Suicide Hill jump at 90-meters. The 13-meter and 40-meter jumps have special plastic surfaces. This means athletes can practice jumping even in the summer when there's no snow! All five jumps are used during the winter season. Suicide Bowl also has trails for cross-country skiing, making it a great place for different winter sports.
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What is a Ski Jump?
Ski jumping is an exciting winter sport where skiers go down a special ramp, called an in-run, and then launch themselves into the air. The goal is to fly as far as possible and land smoothly. The jumps have different sizes, which are measured by their "Hill Size" (HS) and "K-point."
- Hill Size (HS): This number tells you how big the jump is overall. It's based on how far skiers usually land.
- K-point: This is a special line on the landing hill. It's where jumpers aim to land. Landing past the K-point usually means a longer jump!
Suicide Hill's Main Jumps
Suicide Hill has two main jumps that are used for competitions: the HS 96 and the HS 66.
The HS 96 Jump
This is the biggest jump at Suicide Hill. It's like a tall building, standing 140 feet high!
- Hill Size: HS 96
- K-point: 90 meters (that's about 295 feet!)
- Take-off Angle: 11.5 degrees (the angle of the ramp where jumpers leave the ground)
- Landing Angle: 36.5 degrees (the slope of the hill where jumpers land)
- Built: 1925
The HS 66 Jump
This jump is a bit smaller than the HS 96, but it's still used for exciting competitions.
- Hill Size: HS 66
- K-point: 60 meters (about 197 feet)
- Built: 1925
A Look Back in Time
Ski jumping has a very long history in this area. Before Suicide Hill was built, people used other hills for competitions. The very first ski jumping competition in Ishpeming, Michigan, happened way back on February 25, 1882! Since 1887, there has been an annual competition almost every year.
Suicide Hill itself officially opened for its first competition on February 26, 1926. The name "Suicide Hill" was given by a local newspaper reporter, Ted Butler. He named it after an event in 1926 involving a jumper named Walter "Huns" Anderson. Because of this long and rich history of ski jumping, the National Ski Hall of Fame is located nearby in Ishpeming. It's a museum that celebrates the sport and its greatest athletes!
Amazing Jumps and Records
Skiers from all over the world come to Suicide Hill to test their skills. Here are the current records for the longest jumps on these hills:
- For the HS 96: On March 2, 2003, Ferdinand Bader from
Germany set the record with an amazing jump of 102 meters! - For the HS 66: On March 1, 2008, Adam Loomis from
United States set the record with a jump of 69.5 meters!
Recent Events Held
Many exciting ski jumping events have taken place at Suicide Hill over the years. Here are some of the dates when competitions were held:
- February 26, 1926
- February 8, 2012
- February 6, 2013
- February 5, 2014
- January 27, 2015
- January 18, 2022
- January 20, 2023
