Copper Peak

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.^[2]

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 meters (476 ft), allowing jumps up to 158 meters (518 ft). There have been no flights at Copper Peak since 1994. An exhibition tournament was announced for 2014 but was canceled.^[6]

Between 1970 and 1994 there were ten competitions sanctioned by FIS and additional two international events were held.^[7] The hill record is 158 meters (518 ft), 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 The hill was expanded in the 1980s, but the profile is still outdated compared to current standards.^[8]

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.^[4] Some improvements to the facilities were made in 2012.^[6]

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.^[9] 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.^[10] 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.^[11]

Hill records

More information Date, Length ...

Date		Length
27 February 1970	Greg Swor	78 m (255 ft)
1 March 1970	Zbyněk Hubač	134 m (440 ft)
3–4 February 1973	Akitsugu Konno	136 m (446 ft)
3–4 February 1973	Jerry Martin	137 m (449 ft)
3–4 February 1973	Akitsugu Konno	138 m (453 ft)
2–3 February 1974	Tom Dargay	144 m (472 ft)
2–3 February 1974	Jerry Martin	144 m (472 ft)
7–9 February 1975	Jerry Martin	147 m (482 ft)
29 February 1976	Hans-Georg Aschenbach	154 m (505 ft)
13 February 1981	Alois Lipburger	154 m (505 ft)
3–4 February 1990	Stanislav Vasko	156 m (512 ft)
22 January 1994	Mathias Wallner	158 m (518 ft)
23 January 1994	Werner Schuster	158 m (518 ft)

Close

• W. Schuster crashed at 159 m (522 ft) at event on 25 February 1989.^[12]