ISHPEMING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Ishpeming is recognized as the birthplace of organized skiing in North America. That legacy was recognized on Wednesday Night, marking a century of ski jumping in Marquette County.
On Wednesday Night, the United States Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame held a celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of Suicide Bowl ski jumping Hill in Ishpeming. The evening included a look back at over a century of competition and how ingrained ski jumping is to our local culture, and how those early jumpers were seen as heroes
“And they walked around Ishpeming like the Lombardi Packers walked around Green Bay, and I kid you not, we worshiped those men, and they were worthy of the worship,” said former ski jumper, Gary Rasmussen.
“There were more ski jumps in the backyards or in the community of Ishpeming than there were baseball diamonds. At one point,” said Hall of Fame board member Frida Waara.
The very first Winter Olympics had no downhill or giant slalom. It had ski jumping
“In those early days, 100% of our Olympic athletes that would be competing in the Olympics two weeks from now, 100 years ago, all lived and trained and were born and raised here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,” said Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Director Justin Koski.
The evening also included a screening of the film Michigan’s Skiing Legacy, a documentary by local filmmaker Ryan Bush.
“It started with the love and the passion for telling the story of the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States, which is right here in Ishpeming,” said filmmaker Ryan Busch.
The night also paid tribute to longtime supporter David Holli, who was responsible for raising most of the funds for the current museum building. And with the Olympics about to begin, tonight’s event was even more timely when we remember that before it was Team USA, it was the Ishpeming Ski Club.
