Copper Peak
Ski flying hill
title: "Copper Peak" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["buildings-and-structures-in-gogebic-county,-michigan", "ski-jumping-venues-in-the-united-states", "sports-venues-in-michigan", "michigan-state-historic-sites", "ski-flying-venues", "ski-areas-and-resorts-in-michigan", "ski-jumping-venues-in-michigan", "hills-of-the-united-states", "sports-venues-completed-in-1969", "tourist-attractions-in-gogebic-county,-michigan", "1969-establishments-in-michigan", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-gogebic-county,-michigan"] description: "Ski flying hill" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Peak" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Ski flying hill ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox ski jumping hill"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| hill_name | Copper Peak |
| image | [[File:Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill.JPG |
| constructor(s) | Lauren Larsen |
| city | Ironwood, Michigan, USA |
| opened | 28 February 1970; reopening in 2026 |
| operator | Gogebic Range Ski Club |
| renovated | 2023 |
| expanded | 1980, 1988, 2023 |
| closed | 1994 |
| k-spot | 145 m |
| hill size | 469 ft |
| longest jump | 159 m |
| AUT Werner Schuster | |
| (25 February 1989) | |
| hill record | 158 m (518 ft) |
| AUT Matthias Wallner | |
| AUT Werner Schuster | |
| (22, 23 January 1994) | |
| world cup | 1981 |
| embed | yes |
| name | Copper Peak |
| location | N. Black River Valley Parkway, Ironwood, Michigan |
| coordinates | |
| locmapin | Michigan#USA |
| added | January 4, 1973 |
| refnum | 73000948 |
| designated_other1_name | Michigan State Historic Site |
| designated_other1_abbr | MSHS |
| designated_other1_link | Michigan State Historic Preservation Office |
| designated_other1_date | 1971 |
| designated_other1_num_position | bottom |
| designated_other1_color | CornflowerBlue |
| :: |
| hill_name = Copper Peak | image = [[File:Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill.JPG|300px]] | constructor(s) = Lauren Larsen | caption = | city = Ironwood, Michigan, USA | country = | opened = 28 February 1970; reopening in 2026 | operator = Gogebic Range Ski Club | renovated =2023 | expanded = 1980, 1988, 2023 | closed = 1994 | k-spot = 145 m | hill size =469 ft | longest jump = 159 m AUT Werner Schuster (25 February 1989) | hill record = 158 m (518 ft) AUT Matthias Wallner AUT Werner Schuster (22, 23 January 1994) | world cup = 1981 | grand prix = | embed = yes | name = Copper Peak | nrhp_type = | image = | caption = | location= N. Black River Valley Parkway, Ironwood, Michigan | coordinates = | locmapin = Michigan#USA | built = | architecture = | added = January 4, 1973 | area = | governing_body = | refnum = 73000948 | designated_other1_name = Michigan State Historic Site | designated_other1_abbr = MSHS | designated_other1_link = Michigan State Historic Preservation Office | designated_other1_date = 1971 | designated_other1_num_position = bottom | designated_other1_color = CornflowerBlue
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. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971. The site is currently used as a summer tourist attraction.
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.
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 m, allowing jumps up to 158 m. There have been no flights at Copper Peak since 1994. An exhibition tournament was announced for 2014 but was canceled.
Between 1970 and 1994 there were ten competitions sanctioned by FIS and additional two international events were held. The hill record is 158 m, 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.
Renovation
Copper Peak, Inc., established the Copper Peak Organizing Committee for the purposes of raising funds to renovate the ski flying facility for FIS competition. Some improvements to the facilities were made in 2012.
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. 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. Barr Engineering Co. of Duluth and Minneapolis, Minnesota, designed the landing hill renovations; 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.
Events
::data[format=table]
| Date | Competition | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 February – 1 March 1970 | KOP | TCH Jiří Raška | TCH Zbyněk Hubač | TCH Rudolf Doubek |
| 3–4 February 1973 | KOP | USA Jerry Martin | USA Tom Dargay | JPN Minoru Wakasa |
| 2–3 February 1974 | KOP | USA Ron Steele | USA Jerry Martin | NOR Petter Kongsli |
| 7–9 February 1975 | KOP | USA Jerry Martin | USA Jim Maki | JPN Shunichi Akimoto |
| 29 February 1976 | KOP | DDR Hans-Georg Aschenbach | AUT Hans Millonig | DDR Bernd Eckstein |
| 2–5 March 1978 | KOP | DDR Henry Glaß | DDR Jochen Danneberg | AUT Claus Tuchscherer |
| 13 February 1981 | WC | AUT Alois Lipburger | AUT Andreas Felder | USA John Broman |
| 14 February 1981 | WC | AUT Alois Lipburger | AUT Andreas Felder | AUT Fritz Koch |
| 15 February 1981 | WC | strong wind | ||
| 25 February 1989 | INT | AUT Franz Wiegele | AUT Werner Schuster | AUT Wolfgang Margreiter |
| 3–4 March 1990 | INT | TCH Stanislav Vasko | AUT Stefan Horngacher | AUT Franz Wiegele |
| 22 January 1994 | COC | NOR Terje Nyhus | AUT Werner Schuster | AUT Matthias Wallner |
| 23 January 1994 | COC | AUT Matthias Wallner | AUT Werner Schuster | NOR Frode Håre |
| :: |
Hill records
::data[format=table]
| Date | Length |
|---|---|
| 27 February 1970 | USA Greg Swor |
| 1 March 1970 | TCH Zbyněk Hubač |
| 3–4 February 1973 | JPN Akitsugu Konno |
| 3–4 February 1973 | USA Jerry Martin |
| 3–4 February 1973 | JPN Akitsugu Konno |
| 2–3 February 1974 | USA Tom Dargay |
| 2–3 February 1974 | USA Jerry Martin |
| 7–9 February 1975 | USA Jerry Martin |
| 29 February 1976 | DDR Hans-Georg Aschenbach |
| 13 February 1981 | AUT Alois Lipburger |
| 3–4 February 1990 | TCH Stanislav Vasko |
| 22 January 1994 | AUT Mathias Wallner |
| 23 January 1994 | AUT Werner Schuster |
| :: |
- W. Schuster crashed at 159 m (522 ft) at event on 25 February 1989.
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.
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.
References
References
- (6 September 2011). "Bad postcards: Copper Peak operators promise their ski flying hill is more impressive than card depicts". [[The Grand Rapids Press]].
- Staff. (2009). "Copper Peak / Chippewa Hill Peak". [[Michigan State Housing Development Authority]].
- {{NRISref
- "Copper Peak Ski Flying Jump". National Geographic Traveler.
- "Ski Flyers to Soar Again at Copper Peak in 2014". [[The Detroit News]].
- (February 1, 2002). "Michigan's long history of ski jumping". [[The Detroit News]].
- "Above It All at Copper Peak". lakesuperior.com.
- (24 October 2015). "Copper Peak ski jump poised to rejoin world stage". Duluth News Tribune.
- "Copper Peak ski flying set to return in 2017". The Daily Globe.
- Chinn, Cameron. (2025-05-30). "Copper Peak begins 1st phase of modernization project".
- "The Adventure Ride".
- (September 2023). "Subaru International Ski Flying event 1989 (clip starts at 52:49)". [[ESPN]].
- (2005). "Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Marker". University of Michigan Press.
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