Ski jumping is an impressive sport of power, dexterity and bravery. It involves risking everything: security, prestige and, of course, the chase for victory. It’s a combination of art and sport that demands great skill and audacity, and it’s crucial not to underestimate the importance of meticulous control while in the air. Do you want to know all about ski jumping?
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All about Ski Jumping: history
Over the last hundred years, ski jumping has undergone a significant evolution, with the development of various techniques that have allowed athletes to reach ever greater distances.
The origin of ski jumping dates back to Ole Rye, who jumped 9.5 meters in 1808. The Norwegian Sondre Norheim is often recognized as the founder of modern ski jumping;
In 1866, he won what is considered to be the world’s first ski jumping competition, held in Ofte, Høydalsmo, Norway.
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After the First World War, Thulin Thams and Sigmund Ruud introduced a new jumping technique known as the Kongsberger Technique;
This technique involved jumping with the torso tilted forward at hip height, with the arms extended in front and the skis aligned parallel;
Using this approach, the Austrian Sepp Bradl became the first to surpass the 100-meter mark, reaching 101 meters in 1936.
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In the mid-1950s, the Swiss jumper Andreas Daescher was the first to position his arms behind his body, adopting an even steeper forward lean;
In 1985, the Swede Jan Bokloev introduced the technique of spreading the tips of the skis in a “V” shape. Although initially considered controversial, this technique was so effective that by 1992 all the Olympic medalists had adopted it.
Ski jumping has been a discipline at the Winter Olympics since the first edition in Chamonix in 1924;
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The normal mountain competition was incorporated into the Olympic program at the Innsbruck Games in 1964;
From the Calgary Games in 1988, a team event was added as a third competition.
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All about Ski Jumping: standards, principles and structure
Ski jumping is governed by a series of strict rules and criteria that structure this sport. The main evaluation factors include:
- Jump distance: points are awarded based on the length of the jump. The greater the distance covered by the skier, the higher the score received.
- Jumping technique: the technique is judged by the referees, taking into account control, skill and posture during the flight. Aspects such as stability in the air, body control and the correct position of the skis are analyzed.
- Landing: the landing phase is equally crucial. The skier must land smoothly, maintaining balance and proper posture.
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The rules may vary depending on the type of competition. For example, the Olympic Games feature separate events for jumps in different sizes, while the World Championships can include team competitions.
Throughout history, various jumping techniques have been perfected. The most prevalent today is the “V style”, where the skis are positioned at an angle, facilitating a longer flight;
Understanding and mastering these rules and techniques is essential for effective ski jumping.
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Track
The slopes are made up of the ramp (built) and the hill (built or natural) and are categorized according to the distance skiers travel in the air, from the exit of the ramp to the landing point;
Each track has a K-point, a sort of “target” that the jumpers must hit, located just before the end of the hill;
The specific dimensions of each track category are as follows:
| Track type | Length | K-point |
| Short track | up to 49m | up to 44m |
| Medium track | 50m to 84m | 45m to 74m |
| Normal track | 85m to 109m | 75m to 99m |
| Long track | more than 110m | more than 100m |
| Ski flight | over 185m | over 170m |
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Arbitration
The organization of ski jumping competitions is overseen by the Competition Committee, which includes:
- Head of Competition: responsible for managing the event;
- Secretary: distributes the event documentation to the referees, such as lists of participants and results, and deals with protests from competitors;
- Slope Manager: prepares the slope used by skiers;
- Official Measurer: in charge of positioning the distance markers on the track and measuring their total length;
- Chief Calculator: calculates the score for each jump;
- Head of Security: regulates access to the competition area;
- Head of Technical Installations: responsible for the operation of electronic distance measuring equipment, track cooling, communication, among others;
- Head of Equipment: distributes the necessary equipment to the other members of the committee;
- First Aid Manager: coordinates the care and rescue of anyone who needs it, including spectators.
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All about Ski Jumping: dynamics of the sport
Descent
During the descent, the jumper may not use poles or any type of external aid, such as a push at the start;
The jump is authorized only when the entire competition area (track, hill and landing area) is clear;
A traffic light (with two or three phases) and a stopwatch next to the starting bar indicate the instructions for the jumper;
Major events such as the Winter Olympics and the World Championships use three-phase traffic lights;
In these, the red light is accompanied by a countdown timer, during which the athlete must remain on the side of the track.
In the yellow phase, the timer continues to run and the athlete has 10 to 45 seconds (time set by the referees) to position themselves on the bar;
The green phase lasts ten seconds, during which the jumper must leave the starting bar.
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Each jump is evaluated based on the distance achieved and the style performed. The evaluation of the style requires the judges to consider all the jumper’s movements, from take-off to landing, taking into account aspects such as precision, perfection, stability and overall impression.
The aerodynamic efficiency of the body and skis, the posture of arms, legs and skis during flight, the sequence of movements on landing and the position during deceleration are analyzed. Each score can reach a maximum of twenty points.
The three stages of the jump (flight, landing and deceleration) are evaluated as follows: In the flight phase, jumpers must perform an energetic take-off, quickly and smoothly adopt the ideal flight position and begin preparing for the landing at the right time;
The maximum point deduction for this phase is five. On landing, the jumper must straighten their body, position their arms in front or above, keep their skis parallel, place one leg in front of the other and bend their knees to ensure a smooth and balanced landing;
The rear leg must be more flexed than the front leg (known as the Telemark position), and the jumper who fails to do so may lose two points. Up to five points can be deducted in this phase.
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When decelerating, the jumper must maintain the Telemark position for ten to fifteen meters, then return to the vertical posture in a smooth and relaxed manner, keeping the skis parallel;
The maximum deduction for this phase (equivalent to a fall) is seven points.
Each of the five judges assigns a score, with the highest and lowest being discarded, and the remaining three scores are added together to determine the final style score.
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Distance
The distance of the jump is measured from the end point of the take-off to the place where the jumper’s first foot touches the ground;
If the athlete falls during the landing, the point at which any part of their body hits the ground is considered;
Markers are positioned along the runway to indicate the distance of the jump. The spotter whose field of vision covers the landing point must mark the distance with an accuracy of half a meter, placing his hand close to the mark on the side of the runway that indicates the distance;
Half a meter is signaled with a raised arm. Electronic equipment to measure distance is allowed, but the presence of inspectors is always necessary.
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The distance score is based on the K-point. Jumpers who reach exactly this mark receive 60 points;
For each meter more or less, points are added or subtracted as previously determined, varying with the position of the K-point;
For example, on slopes with a K-point between 80m and 99m, each meter is equivalent to two points. Thus, a skier who jumps 103m on a slope with a K-point of 90m would receive 86 points (103 – 90 = 13 x 2 = 26 + 60 = 86);
On the same slope, a skier who jumps 85.5m would receive 51 points (85.5 – 90 = -4.5 x 2 = -9 + 60 = 51).
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The final score of the jump is the sum of the style and distance scores. If this sum results in a negative number (as in an extremely short jump), the score awarded to the jumper will be zero;
In the event of a tie between two or more athletes, they are all ranked in the same position.
All about Ski Jumping: equipment and safety
Ski jumpers use specific equipment that differs from that used in other ski sports:
- Skis: Long and narrow, skis for ski jumping are longer than those used for skiing or cross-country skiing, providing greater stability and reach in the air.
- Boots: Designed to allow greater freedom of movement during flight, the boots have a particular design.
- Suits: Specially designed to minimize air resistance, the suits must be the right size without being excessively baggy.
- Helmet: Safety is crucial, and the helmet is an indispensable part of the equipment.
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All about Ski Jumping: outstanding athletes
Until 1952, all the Olympic ski jumping champions were Norwegian. One of them, Birger Ruud, won two golds and a silver between 1932 and 1948.
As the Olympic events of the time were also considered World Championships, Ruud amassed five world titles and two runner-up finishes, having also been champion in 1931, 1935 and 1937, and runner-up in 1939.
However, the athlete with the most medals at the Winter Olympics is Finland’s Matti Nykänen, who won the long track event at the 1984 Sarajevo Games and all three events (normal track, long track and teams) at Calgary 1988, as well as taking silver in the normal track in 1984.
Nykänen also holds one gold medal at the World Championships on the long track, four in team events and five at the World Ski Flying Championships;
Switzerland’s Simon Ammann also has four Olympic golds, having won the normal and long tracks in Salt Lake City 2002 and Vancouver 2010.
In the World Cup, the jumper with the most podiums (until the start of the 2013-14 season) is Finland’s Janne Ahonen, with 108, followed by Poland’s Adam Malysz, with 92, and Austria’s Gregor Schlierenzauer, with 81;
Schlierenzauer is, however, the record holder for Cup stage titles, with 50, followed by Matti Nykänen, with 46.
Among the women, the main current references are the American Sarah Hendrickson and the Japanese Sara Takanashi, both world champions in 2013 (Hendrickson on the normal track and Takanashi in the mixed team event).
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