“When we showed up it was a ghost ramp. It not been hit in twenty years.” –Sammy Carlson
Its been 7 years since Sammy Carlson stepped to largest ski jump in the Western Hemisphere and I’m still struggling to wrap my head around it. Seen a lot of incredible feats on skis but this remains at the top of the heap. Absolutely legendary send.
“Sammy Carlson, places himself in the record books as the first skier to hit a “ski-flying” long jump with freestyle intent. Carlson not only spun himself from the lip of a jump designed to send skiers upwards of 500 feet, but began several of many descents into the jump switch. Built in 1970, the ski jump, known as Copper Peak, is the largest ski jump in the Western Hemisphere. Located on Michigan’s upper peninsula and along the shores of Lake Superior, the 24 story, 300-ton steel structure is named for the mineral deposits unearthed during its construction (a 140-pound copper nugget was discovered near the present-day judge’s stand). The ramp itself claims 364-feet of vertical drop and a 35-degree in-run, providing for jumps with distance records stretching over 500 feet.”
