It’s been 30 years since a competitor launched off the ski jump at Copper Peak.
The effort to bring ski jumping competition back to Copper Peak took a significant step forward this fall with the signing of a contract to begin the first phase of renovations and improvements to the ski jumping hill north of Ironwood.
The $20-million contract with Minnesota-based Engineering & Construction Innovations, Inc., will bring the ski jump’s landing hill into compliance with the requirements for international competition, says Copper Peak President Bob Jacquart.
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Bob Jacquart“The required angle of the landing has changed by 2 degrees since 1994 when Copper Peak jumped last,” Jacquart says. “That 2 degrees means dropping the top of the landing 18 inches and lifting the bottom 18 feet.”
Once the angle is changed, a 5-inch slab of concrete will be poured to cover the 38-degree angle hill, which has added a level of complexity to the project.
“Not many people know how to pour big slabs of concrete on 38-degree angles,” Jacquart says, calling Engineering & Construction Innovations (ECI), “the top of the food chain” when it comes to complicated construction projects.
The project is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, Jacquart says, and work is expected to start in the spring. Once construction begins, efforts will be made to limit the impact on Copper Peak’s other uses – such as mountain bike trails and the Adventure Ride, which operates seasonally and takes visitors to the top of the jump.
“ECI is fully aware of Copper Peak’s need to keep revenue going … and there’s going to be a pretty good partnership (there),” Jacquart says.
If Copper Peak is able to successfully complete both phases of renovations, the return of competition would not only benefit the local tourist economy but make Copper Peak the vehicle to bring ski jumping into the country’s sports consciousness, Jacquart says.
“Ski jumping has become Europe’s No. 1 watched winter sport,” he notes, adding both the directors of international ski jumping he has worked with in the past 11 years want to grow the sport’s presence in America.
“So, the vision is, this big sport from Europe makes its way to the United States via Copper Peak.”
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Rich JenkinsThe number one tourist attraction in Norway is a ski jump, he says, and Copper Peak could prove to be a draw to international fans of the sport.
“People travel the world to see big ski jumps; and when Copper Peak is up and beautiful, that will happen here too.”
Jacquart’s attitude regarding the potential economic impact of a renewed competition at Copper Peak is echoed by local tourism leaders.
Local tourism leaders also see a positive economic impact with renewed competition at Copper Peak.
“The Ironwood Tourism Council feels that the renovation and further development of Copper Peak and the return of competition will bring a new niche of international travelers to the area … Our understanding of the current plan is to bring winter ski jumping competition back, which will only enhance our winter tourism,” says Robert Burchell, president of the Ironwood Tourism Council and owner of the Classic Motor Inn in Ironwood.
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Rich JenkinsCopper Peak, a seasonal tourist attraction, looms in the distance.“Currently, Copper Peak provides a wonderful and thrilling spring/summer/fall tourist attraction with the chairlift and elevator rides to the scenic viewing platform. Placing Ironwood on a world stage poses new challenges for our rural region's tourism infrastructure for sufficient and diverse lodging, food/restaurant, entertainment and retail shopping choices,” he points out.
The project will also benefit the health and wellness of the area around Ironwood and provide a springboard for additional growth and opportunities.
“With the attraction of world-class athletes and international fitness/sports focused visitors, the Ironwood area has an opportunity to strengthen and develop a broader health and wellness identity with the development of a community fitness complex, possibly collaborating with Gogebic Community College as well as other community partners,” Burchell says “Such a facility would be attractive for cross training and recovery activities, while athletes and visitors stay in Ironwood, and would also be an exciting asset for the community.
“We also imagine further development of the Nordic ski component of our area, possibly with more events and training facilities, like Nordic biathlon or Nordic jumping combined, in addition to ski jumping.”
One reason Jacquart is so optimistic about Copper Peak’s potential is the facility’s size is ideally suited to serve the sport’s elite athletes.
The Olympics uses 90- and 120-meter hills; however, the current world record was set on a 230-meter hill. Copper Peak’s 180 meters is enough that those chasing world records can train on it while not having the usage restrictions imposed on hills larger than 180 meters.
“The hills that are bigger than 180 – there are five of them – have very, very, very strict rules on safety because they’re so big and dangerous,” Jacquart says, explaining those restrictions extend to limits on training and the types of surfaces used that would enable summer training as well.
“You can jump off of Copper Peak with the same restrictions as if you made a 3-meter jump off Mt. Zion (on the nearby campus of Gogebic Community College),” he says. “It’s completely open season on it.”
If competition does return to Copper Peak, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has committed to eight competitive events at the site – three World Cup events and one Continental Cup event in winter and the same in the summer, along with practices all summer long as well, Jacquart says.
Copper Peak would likely coordinate its winter Continental Cup competition with the nearby competition in Iron Mountain, he says.
While the return of competition to Copper Peak could bring many exciting opportunities for the region, it’s too soon to put a timetable on when competition would resume because there is still an additional $15 million to $$20 million in funding that needs to be secured for the second phase of renovations to begin.
Even if there’s no timetable for the return of competition and the associated economic benefits, the first phase of construction will benefit the area, and the $20 million price tag likely makes it the largest construction project in Gogebic County’s history.
“Do you know how many contractors are going to be in town – running around town and filling up hotels, eating and sleeping and drinking?” he asks. “(The project is also) going to use local contractors whenever they can.”
A former reporter at the Ironwood Daily Globe, Richard Jenkins moved to Ironwood in 2015. He was born and raised in Metro Detroit. He may not have been born in the Upper Peninsula but got here as soon as he could.