ISC head ski jump coach Gary Rasmussen said he noticed early last week that one of the club’s picnic tables at the Suicide Bowl ski jumping complex just outside of Negaunee was missing its top.

“I didn’t give it a lot of thought, but then some of our volunteers went out there Tuesday or Wednesday and saw that someone had used the table top as a toboggan on our 40-meter jump and took out all of the sprinklers and all of the pipes and hoses,” Rasmussen said. “Many man-hours and dollars will need to be put into the system so we can get back to jumping next week for our fall session.”

Rasmussen is using his birthday to raise funds via Facebook so the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group — which teaches area youth to ski — can repair the damage to the water system, as well as infrastructure that was vandalized along the organization’s cross-country trail near the ski hill.

“We noticed Wednesday or Thursday that someone had shot up our signage,” Rasmussen said. “We have a kiosk setting with maps and they destroyed that. It’s really frustrating when you put so much effort into a nonprofit organization. There are already so many things we need to do. We don’t need to be doing things because of needless vandalism.”

Signs along a portion of the Ishpeming Ski Club’s cross country ski trail near its Suicide Bowl complex are pictured. Multiple signs and the water system on Suicide Bowl’s 40-meter jump were damaged and trees were cut along the trail sometime last week. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit is asking that any information about the incidents be reported to the Negaunee Police Department or via private Facebook message on the Ishpeming Ski Club’s page. Head ski coach Gary Rasmussen is also raising money to repair the damage and possibly upgrade security around the facilities. (Photos courtesy of Ishpeming Ski Club)

Some of the funding, he hopes, can be used for trail cameras, motion-sensitive lighting and even more fencing at Suicide Bowl.

“If we extend the fences into the woods a little bit further,

hat also would deter people,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place to visit. We would love for people to come in and enjoy the view, but if this is the type of thing that is going to happen, then we have to prohibit people going in there unless we are using it at the time.”

Officials at the Negaunee Police Department confirmed on Sunday they are aware of the incident and are investigating the matter.

“These actions are criminal,” Rasmussen’s Facebook post states. “The property damage may not seem serious, but for a small club like ours, it is very serious. We appeal to anyone who has knowledge of these crimes to report it to us or the police.”

Information on the incidents can be reported to the Negaunee Police Department, or via private Facebook message on the Ishpeming Ski Club’s Facebook page. More contact information can also be found at ishskiclub. com.

Donations for repairs and upgrades can be made on Rasmussen’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ donate/ 952482455248772/.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.

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