• Saturday-What'sUP December 29 - 11:46 pm

The Ishpeming Ski Club is hosting the Junior Ski Jumping Tournament tomorrow (Sunday), so if you're in the area and are looking for some excitement, head on over to Suicide Hill. Greg Burk alerted me to this event and supplied us with today's photos as a "taste" of what you'll find happening there if you're lucky enough to attend the event. The Ishpeming Ski Club (known as "America's oldest continuously active ski club", established in 1887), hosts this Junior jumping event each year. It promises to entertain and amaze you with the jumping abilities of their youngsters, so come out and watch them fly!

Such a wide variety of facial expressions and stances, not too sure some of them want to be there - or maybe in the same group - yet some of them are enthusiastic enough for the whole group! I'm more of a cross country person myself, no need for speed. Enjoyed the pictures.

Those kids look priceless. Some of them want to go and some of them do not want to go. As for me I will sit on the sidelines and watch with my hot choclate.

I always wanted to do that, but I like my bones. Don't think they'd survive. Our friend, Liz, loves to ski. I'll be sitting with mickill drinking hot chocolate.

A BUDDY AND I CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF THE SKI JUMP ONE FORTH OF JULY ABOUT 50 OR SO YEARS AGO. GREAT VIEW FROM UP THERE. GOD BLESS

It looks like a few of those kids are my cousins' kids. I thought I had heard a while back that they do this crazy thing. Good for them, I'd like to watch but I live 2 hours from them. Good luck. I hope no broken bones.

I can not beleive it is 60 degrees here right now.

tell me about it mic we went from a foot of snow to just about gone. still 59 here in grand blanc. the life in troll land. great pictures i like to see kids have fun instead of getting in trouble

I could not sleep. Maybe it is to warm. ha! ha! ha!. (I woke up)

TO ROBERT H. BAKER: Your litle doggies are so cute.

Well, it is windy here and our power keeps going out. When we first moved here 10 yrs ago- it was ALWAYS going out. The wind is anywhere between 30 to 40 miles an hour and it is 50 degrees right now. Crazy weather.

It is funny to read about peoples' concern for broken bones. Ski jumping is relatively safe. The contour of the hill results in a safe tumble or roll to a stop, packing the hill so it is hard keeps a skier from digging in and stopping abruptly during a fall, and the bindings allow for a safe release of the skis during a fall. Lastly, the helmet and ski suit provide protection. Forget about the "Agony of Defeat" video on "Wide World of Sports" years ago. That crash looked awful but even that skier from the former Yugoslavia was not hurt badly.

The kids love to fly through the air. The biggest obstacle is getting up enough nerve to try it. They must start at a young enough age (preferably 5) before the fear part of the brain develops.

Fred Minnich