by 
Michigan Moment Snapshot
Pine Mountain Ski Jump: Iron Mountain’s 1943 Spectacle
A wartime crowd filled a snowy Iron Mountain hillside to watch ski jumpers race down one of the largest artificial jumping hills of its era.
Watch this Michigan Moment Snapshot about Pine Mountain Ski Jump in 1943.
What This Pine Mountain Ski Jump Video Shows
In 1943, World War II dominated national life. Yet thousands of people still gathered on a snowy hillside near Iron Mountain to watch athletes speed down Pine Mountain Ski Jump and launch into open air.
Historic photographs show a tightly packed crowd and long rows of automobiles near the base of the hill. The event offered a brief break from wartime news while continuing a winter tradition that had taken root in the mining communities of the central Upper Peninsula.
Pine Mountain Ski Jump had opened only a few years earlier. Its size, steep landing hill and large crowds quickly gave Iron Mountain a national name in ski jumping.
Scenes From Pine Mountain in 1943
A Wartime Crowd Gathers
The video opens in 1943 as Iron Mountain residents and visitors gather for a major ski-jumping event while American forces were fighting overseas.
The competition gave the region a public winter event during an uncertain period.
A Giant Structure Above the U.P.
Pine Mountain’s steel-supported inrun rose high above the surrounding hillside. The original tower stood about 156 feet tall when completed in 1938.
The jump was widely promoted as one of the largest artificial ski slides in the world.
Cars Fill the Base of the Hill
Historic scenes show automobiles parked close together as spectators crowd around the landing area.
Pine Mountain quickly became one of the Upper Peninsula’s largest winter gatherings.
Distance Jumping, Not Downhill Skiing
Ski jumping required athletes to build speed on a narrow inrun, strike the takeoff accurately and hold a stable position in flight.
Competitors landed hundreds of feet down the steep landing hill before trying to slow safely.
A Mining Community Builds the Hill
Iron Mountain and nearby Kingsford were shaped by mining, manufacturing and immigrant labor.
Scandinavian and Finnish winter traditions helped build regional interest in skiing and jumping.
The Tournament Continues
Pine Mountain later became an international competition site. The Kiwanis Ski Club began hosting Continental Cup tournaments in 1990 and held World Cup events in 1996 and 2000.
International jumpers and large crowds continue to return to the Iron Mountain area.
“For a few seconds, the jumper left the hill, the crowd and the wartime world behind.”
How Pine Mountain Ski Jump Was Built
Work on Pine Mountain Ski Jump began in 1937 as a Works Progress Administration project. Federal labor programs funded public construction while providing paid jobs during the Great Depression.
The inrun tower and landing hill were completed in 1938. The work also included an access road, parking area and facilities needed to handle large tournament crowds.
The first Pine Mountain competition was held in February 1939. Organizers expected between 10,000 and 15,000 spectators, making it one of the largest sporting events yet held in the Upper Peninsula.
Pine Mountain Ski Jump During World War II
The 1943 scene stands apart because it occurred during wartime. Families dealt with military service, rationing, industrial demands and daily reports from overseas.
Ski jumping remained a public link to local winter culture. The event brought people together outdoors and gave experienced jumpers a place to compete before large hometown crowds.
The photographs also show how quickly Pine Mountain had become identified with Iron Mountain. Only four years after its first tournament, the tower and packed landing area were established parts of the community’s public life.
How Ski Jumpers Fly From Pine Mountain
A jumper begins from a starting gate high on the inrun. Gravity builds speed as the athlete crouches low over the skis and approaches the takeoff.
Timing is critical. The athlete must extend at the edge without jumping too early or too late. Once airborne, the jumper uses body position and ski angle to remain stable while following the contour of the landing hill.
The athlete is not hundreds of feet above the ground. The hill falls away beneath the flight path, allowing a long jump while keeping the skier relatively close to the slope.
Iron Mountain’s International Ski-Jumping Tradition
The Kiwanis Ski Club has presented Pine Mountain tournaments since the inaugural event in 1939. Jumpers from the United States, Canada and Europe have competed on the hill.
Many North American distance records were set at Pine Mountain. The club began hosting Continental Cup competitions in 1990 and later staged two World Cup events.
The hill has been rebuilt and updated several times. Even so, its purpose remains close to the original plan: bring major ski jumping to a community known for long winters and strong volunteer support.
Key Pine Mountain Ski Jump Facts
- Pine Mountain Ski Jump is in Iron Mountain, not Ironwood.
- Construction began in 1937 as a federal WPA project.
- The original 156-foot inrun tower was completed in 1938.
- The first Pine Mountain tournament was held in February 1939.
- Organizers expected as many as 15,000 people at the first event.
- The featured historical scene dates to 1943.
- Pine Mountain has hosted many international jumpers.
- The Kiwanis Ski Club began hosting Continental Cup events in 1990.
- World Cup competitions were held there in 1996 and 2000.
- The site remains one of Michigan’s best-known ski-jumping venues.
Edited Video Transcript
Open the complete Pine Mountain transcript
0:00 — A Michigan Moment Snapshot.
0:02 — In 1943, while much of the world was at war, Iron Mountain, Michigan, gathered for something else entirely: flight without wings.
0:09 — Pine Mountain Ski Jump rose above the Upper Peninsula as one of the largest artificial ski slides of its era. Thousands packed the hillside.
0:18 — Cars parked bumper to bumper as people gathered to watch skiers launch into open air.
0:22 — This was not ordinary downhill skiing. It was distance jumping: direct, fast and unforgiving.
0:29 — Athletes raced down a narrow inrun, struck the takeoff and flew for a breathless moment before landing hundreds of feet down the hill.
0:38 — The jump reflected its community. It was built in a mining region shaped by cold winters, industrial labor and Scandinavian skiing traditions.
Pine Mountain became a national and later international ski-jumping venue.
0:46 — The hill remains active and continues to host international competitors, carrying Iron Mountain’s ski-jumping tradition into another generation.
Historical Sources
Watch More Michigan Moments
See more short videos about Michigan communities, winter sports, industries and Upper Peninsula history.
View All Michigan MomentsVideo presented as part of the Michigan Moments history series from Thumbwind Publications LLC.
Related Posts
