Pine Mountain Prepares for Ski Jumpers

A lot of people in the U.P. know about Ishpeming’s ski jump tournament at Suicide Hill.

It’s the oldest such event in the U.S., and it takes place a week from tonight.

But that’s not the only ski jump event in the region next week.

Just outside Iron Mountain, the Kiwanis Ski Club is getting ready for the 73rd annual Pine Mountain Tournament.

It starts a week from Friday and lasts the weekend.

They’re expecting about 40 skiers from at least 8 different countries, and they’ve been working on the hill since Christmas.

Ski club volunteer Lennie Walters says they’ve been busy packing down artificial snow on the hill because it’s easier to work with than natural snow, but he says the higher than normal temperatures aren’t helping.

Admission buttons are $18 for adults if you buy them ahead of time, $14 for kids age 11 to 17.

The big thing left for the club to do is make the actual scaffold slick enough for the skiers to take off.

Walters says they’ll do that on Friday by pouring 2,000 gallons of water on it and allowing it to freeze.

Then he and the other volunteers will form the track on Saturday.

If you want to know more, you can call the ski club at 779-1110.

Walters says the event wouldn’t be possible without support from business sponsors, as well as the Pine Mountain Resort allowing the club to use its water and electricity.