This page is an unofficial source of information about ski flying at Copper Peak.  "Ski flying" is the term used for ski jumping on hills designed for flights longer than 170 meters.  Olympic jumps are rated at 90 and 120 meters. Think of those numbers as "par" for good jumpers. It's all about distance.

Built in 1969, Copper Peak remains the only ski flying hill in the western hemisphere. To our American ski jumpers, it should be like Lambeau Field, Yankee Stadium, Churchill Downs, or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, yet no skier has flown from Copper Peak since 1994.

A non-profit organization, staffed by volunteers, operates the chairlift, elevator, and gift shop in the summer. Proceeds from these operations are being invested in maintenance and upgrades upgrades to the facility, both for the enjoyment of summer visitors and in hopes of being granted a future ski flying date from the FIS. For the OFFICIAL Copper Peak website, click www.copperpeak.org.

The current distance record at Copper Peak is jointly held by Austrians Werner Schuster and Matthias Wallner, at 158 meters (518 feet).

U.S. jumper Alan Alborn flew 221.5 meters in Planica, Slovenia in 2002, at that time just 3.5 meters short of the world record (now 239 meters, 784 feet, set at Planica in 2005 by Norway's Bjorn Einar Romoeren).

Today's upcoming US jumpers, male and female, are doing well in national and international competition. US female star Lindsey Van, then 19, of Park City UT, flew 171 meters at Vikersund, Norway in March 2004.  She also holds the distance record of 105.5 meters on the new Olympic jump in Vancouver, which she set during the Canadian National Championships in January 2008 ... but as of January 2009, the IOC still refuses to allow women to jump in the Olympics!  read articles

Let's hope that we'll get to see some of the world's best, including Americans, again fly at Copper Peak. You'd see athletes currently competing in the international World Cup and Continental Cup series.

Copper Peak is very well known to fans in Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan. A photo of Copper Peak was included in a great photo collage (above left) in the program from the 2002 Ski Flying World Championships in Harrachov, Czech Republic. It shows all six ski flying hills in the world ... the crown jewels of this sport. You'll notice that Copper Peak is labeled as "Ironwood" (all are labeled by location, because that's how they're commonly referred to). More info available about the other hills via links below collage.

Please visit this page now and then to see if there's further news about ski flying at Copper Peak. For information about visiting the facility, tours, chairlift rides, dates and hours for summer and fall operation, click to their official site, www.copperpeak.org.

Did you know that ski jumping is a year-round sport? Jumpers learn, train, and compete in the summer on hills with plastic surfaces that simulate snow. Several clubs in the midwestern US have year-round programs, including St Paul and Coleraine MN, Fox River Grove IL (NW Chicago area), Madison, Wisconsin Rapids, and Iola WI. The Olympic complexes at Park City UT, Lake Placid NY, and Calgary AB also have year-round jumping facilities and programs. You can find out more about the sport, regional clubs, and view a schedule of events by clicking the SkiJumpingUSA logo at left. Give yourself a treat this year ... see some LIVE ski jumping!

Ski Jumping Video
Contains world record flight - 239 meters!
The ski jumping clubs in the midwest US are showing this introductory video to give kids and parents a sense of the excitement of ski jumping, and to show how youngsters begin to learn this terrific sport. Click here to VIEW STREAMING VIDEO ... it's a 15MB file and runs just over 8 minutes; turn up sound! If you're on dialup, try this LOW RES 5MB version. There's also a HIGH RES 30 MB version.