Winter Weekend Skiing And Attend A World FIS Jumping Event
It’s one of the more unusual ski weekends in the Midwest. Pine Mountain, located in Michigan’s UP, hosts an FIS sanctioned Continental Cup jumping event Feb. 22-23. It's often referred to as the “Midwest’s biggest winter tailgate party.”
The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is known throughout the jumping world as one of the best jumping hills in the sport. Every February top jumpers from around the world flock to Iron Mountain to test their skills against each other. Thirteen countries are expected to have jumpers present for the competition. The U.S. record jump of 140 meters/459 feet was set here and still stands. The Kiwanis Ski Club has been hosting the event since 1939. Two World Cup jumping competitions have been held here.
I’ve been there and it is a spectacle in more ways than one. Over 20,000 spectators crowd around the bottom of the jump to watch the competition. Live bands will be playing and tail gating parties take place across the parking lot. You won’t see anything else like it in the Heartland, or the rest of the country for that matter. Training day is Friday, Feb. 21, which is a good time to catch the action without the huge crowd. This is almost like attending a Green Bay Packer’s game.
The jump is located next to Pine Mountain Resort, which offers ski and stay packages. Located on the same ridge overlooking the city as the ski jump, the ski area has a big 500-foot vertical drop with 29 trails and slopes, two terrain parks, three chairlifts, and two surface tows. Scenic views from the top of the ridge stretch as far as the eye can see. The skiing and riding is quite good.
Catch some of the jumping action and hit the slopes the same day. It’s a short walk over to the bottom of the ski jump. A button is required to attend. Adult buttons cost $30 and ages 11-17 are $20. Buttons can be purchased on the Kiwanis Ski Club website.
