The Ishpeming Ski Club takes pride in serving the community for 113 years.

The Suicide Hill Bowl area has five jumping structures, K10, K20, K38, K60, and K90, with Suicide Hill (K90) being its oldest and most significant in the history and heritage of Ishpeming.  Located off M-28 in Negaunee, Michigan, the 100 meter jump can be viewed towering above the tree line between the communities of Ishpeming and Negaunee. In 1924 officials kept searching for a better hill with greater capacity. They settled on the present location in Section 12, Negaunee; they negotiated a lease from Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company (CCI), cleared and graded the site. On February 16, 1926, the hill was ready to be used. Since its construction in 1925, it has been in continuous use as a training facility and competitive venue. Although competitions have been held at a number of sites since the Ishpeming Ski Club's inception, it is the majestic K90 hill that embodies the history of ski jumping in Ishpeming, and is the focal point in producing Olympic class jumpers.

Built by the Ishpeming Ski Club, by volunteer labor, donated materials, and monetary contributions, Suicide Hill embraces the recreational and competitive spirit that prevailed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The topography of the Bowl area is such that Suicide Hill is situated on one side of a bluff area and the cross country trails on the opposite side of this bluff area. The two bluffs join to form a "horseshoe" creating a valley or "bowl" area. The "bowl" area is classified as wetlands, or as the Ishpeming townspeople call "swamp lands". Surrounding this wetlands or "swamp" are bluffs of thickly forested growth of pine, maple, fir, and birch trees. The forestation and wetlands offer a spectacular scenic view for cross country skiers, as well as spectators attending ski jumping competitions. The bowl area makes Suicide Hill one of the best in the country, as the hill faces away from the sun and protects the scaffold, offering a longer ski season. The "bowl" protects the hill against wind, a nemesis to ski jumpers. The Ishpeming Ski Club can offer more tournaments than any other division because of the location of its hill and the protection the "bowl" offers. Snow in Ishpeming is plentiful and generally comes earlier and leaves later than any other area in the Central, Eastern, and Western Divisions. This makes Suicide Hill one of the most utilized hills in the country. In the year 2000 Suicide Hill celebrated its 75th anniversary.

In 1999, Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company announced they will need this land to ensure continued operation of mining in Marquette County. Suicide Hill was nominated for the National Historic Register in 1999-2000. An agreement reached between Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company and the Ishpeming Ski Club necessitates moving Suicide Hill to a new location.

If you wish to support the Ishpeming Skiers Training Facility to facilitate the development/move of Suicide Hill, please indicate your wishes below:

If you would like to send your check in the mail please PRINT THE FORM BY CLICKING HERE and mail in your filled out form with your check to the address at the bottom of the form. You will need Adobe Acrobat to download the donation form. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat you can DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

All donations to the Ishpeming Skiers Training Facility are tax deductible under 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.