Suicide Hill Ski Jump facts for kids
The Suicide Hill Ski Jump is a famous place in Negaunee, Michigan. It's a big ski jump where athletes fly through the air! This jump is 90 meters long. It first opened way back in 1925. The jump is a special part of the Ishpeming Ski Club.
Suicide Hill is one of three main ski jumps in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The other two are Copper Peak and Pine Mountain Ski Jump.
This area is also known as the U.P. Nordic Ski Complex (UPNSC). It has five different jumps in a valley called "Suicide Bowl." These include a 13-meter, 25-meter, 40-meter, and a 60-meter jump. All five jumps are used in winter. The smaller 13-, 25-, and 40-meter jumps even have plastic surfaces. This means jumpers can practice there in the summer too!
The UPNSC also has the Norman Juhola trail system. These trails are over 5 kilometers long. They are perfect for cross-country skiing.
Contents
How Big Are the Jumps?
The Suicide Hill Ski Jump complex has different sizes of jumps. Each jump has special measurements. These measurements help jumpers know how far they can fly.
The Main Jump: HS 96
This is the biggest jump at Suicide Hill.
- The starting tower is 140 feet tall.
- The total size of the hill is called HS 96.
- The K-point is at 90 meters. This is where the steepest part of the landing hill ends.
- Jumpers take off at an angle of 11.5 degrees.
- They land on a slope that is 36.5 degrees steep.
- This jump was built in 1925.
The Smaller Jump: HS 66
There is also a medium-sized jump.
- Its total hill size is HS 66.
- The K-point for this jump is at 60 meters.
- This jump was also built in 1925.
A Long History of Ski Jumping
Ski jumping has a very long history in this area. Before Suicide Hill was built, people used other hills for competitions. The first competition in Ishpeming happened on February 25, 1882. Since 1887, there has been an annual competition almost every year.
Suicide Hill officially opened for competitions on February 26, 1926. A local newspaper reporter named Ted Butler gave it the name "Suicide Hill." He did this after a jumper named Walter "Huns" Anderson got hurt in 1926. Because of this long history, the National Ski Hall of Fame is located nearby in Ishpeming.
Amazing Jump Records
Ski jumpers try to fly as far as they can. Here are some of the longest jumps recorded at Suicide Hill:
- On March 2, 2003, Ferdinand Bader from
Germany jumped 102 meters on the HS 96 jump! - On March 1, 2008, Adam Loomis from
United States jumped 69.5 meters on the HS 66 jump!
Past Competitions
Many exciting ski jumping events have happened at Suicide Hill. Here are some of the dates when competitions took place:
- February 26, 1926
- February 8, 2012
- February 6, 2013
- February 5, 2014
- January 27, 2015
- January 18, 2022
- January 20, 2023
