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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:
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