Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
Local DJ John Carroll from 97.7 The Wolf raised money for charity this weekend as he joined over 400 athletes who competed in the Red Bull 400 Copper Peak Competition.
Carroll said, “We are running up Copper Peak for DDIY, Don’t Do It Yourself. It’s an organization in Houghton that helps out local families in the area with out of town medical expenses. If somebody has some kind of emergency and they have to go to Ann Arbor, Marshfield, Mayo, something like that, DDIY steps in and helps out where insurance companies cut off.”
Located in Ironwood, Copper Peak is the only ski flying hill in the Western Hemisphere.
Saturday’s events included 18 heats of up to 25 runners at a time that made their way up the earthed slope, grasping to a ground net for stability and then onto the base of the tower for the final 100 meters of the 400 meter climb.
The challenge proved to be too much for several contestants who called it quits early.
Others made it to the top, out of breath, and few stopped for oxygen after crossing the finish line.
Carroll said, “I finished. That was number one on the list was finishing the run. I did not finish last in the heat so I’m happy about that. Happy to do it to help out DDIY.”
Although, it has not been used for its intended purpose since 1994, plans are in the works to re-establish the facility as an active ski jump, and it would also host summer training exercises and competitions.
Renovations would be required prior to reopening and include resurfacing the tower and slope at an estimated cost of over $12 million.
