New and old organizers in North America

There are lots of efforts to promote and support Ski Jumping in the USA. Athletes of USA Nordic Sport, lead by Billy Demong, Clint Jones and head coach Bine Norcic, have achieved remarkable results in the past few years and additionally, there's work in progress at multiple locations in order to bring international competitions on the highest level back to North America.

For this reason, an inspection of the International Ski Federation (FIS) took place mid-October. During this trip, representatives of the FIS visited four venues in the USA and Canada.

Ski Flying back to Ironwood

In ironwood, Michigan, competitions shall take place on the old Ski Flying hill at Copper Peak again. The so far last World Cup competition on the K 180 hill there was held 1981. Since then the spectacular tower of the hill was used only as a tourist attraction due to the amazing view.

The project is already planned for a while and since the Senate of Michigan now agreed to grant a financial support of $ 10 million, construction shall start after the Red Bull 400 race next May.

The completion is planned for summer 2019 and the organizers would like to host the final event of the FIS Grand Prix that same year.

New hill in Minnesota

Also in Red Wing, Minnesota, about 50 minutes east of the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, a new Ski Jumping facility shall be built for a total of $ 15 million. The venue, where, according to the plans of the organizers, a Grand Prix and a Continental Cup shall be held in 2019, will not be used for Ski Jumping events only.

In the area of the future inrun-tower, there's already an 18-hole golf court with enough room for cross country trails, in addition, there will be a zip- and a tube-line (for summer and winter) and a restaurant is planned on top of the inrun-tower, from which one can enjoy a view of the Mississippi River.

The tradition of Ski Jumping in this region is also proven by the fact that the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame is located at the St. James Hotel in Red Wing.

Iron Mountain and Whistler on the COC calendar

A FIS Continental Cup, which attracts a total of 25 000 spectators during the weekend on the Pine Mountain, is held every year in Iron Mountain, Michigan. Next year the organizers plan to build a new inrun-tower with an observation deck and a small restaurant in order to allow the year-long use of the facility.

International competitions will also be held on the Olympic hills of 2010 in Whistler (CAN) this winter. Already early December the FIS Cup and the Continental Cup will stop there. Next to the normal and the large hill, which remained unchanged since the Olympic Winter Games, two children's hills (K 10 and K 25) were built in the Whistler Olympic Park.