Your first question is probably, what the hell is ski flying? Ski flying is a winter sport discipline derived from ski jumping, in which much greater distances can be achieved.
The rules and scoring in ski flying are very similar to ski jumping. The big difference is the way in which the hills are constructed. Ski flying hills enable jumps of up to 66% longer in distance than traditional ski jumping. There is also a stronger emphasis on aerodynamics and harnessing the wind, as well as an increased element of danger due to athletes flying much higher and faster than in ski jumping.
So now that we are all up to speed on ski flying, let’s discuss this “new” ski flying hill located in Michigan’s upper peninsula.
Copper Peak is the largest artificial ski jump in the world. It was first erected back in the 1970’s but was shuttered in 1994 due to financial troubles. But the ski jump is slated to reopen thanks to $20 million from the state of Michigan.
According to Mlive.com, the hill is still around $4 million short of its required funding to get the hill back up and running, but with a promise from the International Ski Federation to hold eight international competitions at Copper Peak, the owners believe the funding will come.
Currently, there are only five ski-flying hills in the world all located in Europe.
You can read more about Copper Peak on its website here.
