2019 Harris Hill Ski Jump Event Guide Thursday, February 14, 2019 |
FACT SHEET
All about ski jumping The first known ski jumper was Norwegian Olaf Rye, who jumped 9.5 meters in 1809 before an audience of other soldiers. By 1862, ski jumpers like Sondre Norheim were tackling much larger jumps, and competing in official ski jumping contests. Ski jumping saw radical new development in 1985 with the innovative V-style, where a ski jumper holds his skis in a Vshaped position (instead of parallel) while in the air. Swedish ski jumper Jan Boklöv was the first athlete to employ this technique, after suffering an in-air seizure, using the technique to save himself from a crash landing. Other
competitors quickly realized that V-style produced additional lift - was later verified to create 28 per cent more lift - and universally adopted the style. Men’s ski jumping has been part of the Olympic Winter Games since the first Games in Chamonix, in 1924. The large hill competition was added for the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck. Ski jumping for women has been recognized by the FIS and as an Olympic Sport. In ski jumping, an athlete skis down a long ramp, referred to as the inrun and launches into the air at speeds of up to 95 km/h. Technique is integral
Brattleboro Reformer | reformer.com
PHOTO BY DANA SPRAGUE
8
2018 winners of the Women’s Open Fred Harris Memorial Tournament:, from left: Logan Sankey, Steamboat Springs, Col.; Tara Geraghty-Moats, W Fairlee, Vt.; Annika Belshaw, Steamboat Springs, Col.
V N ERMO R E H T NT SO U
to ski jumping as athletes must perform a very precise and well-timed takeoff. Once in the air, athletes assume the V-style airfoil and adjust their position to maximize lift and minimize drag. Competitors are evaluated on distance and style. While there is a very close relationship between distance and style, and the skier with the longest jump will often have the highest style points, an exception to this can be found in the landing portion. Long jumps can make landing in a controlled telemark position more difficult. The quality of landing can therefore be a determining factor in deciding on finishing place if the distances are similar. Two jumps are used in Olympic competition: normal hill and large hill, with the normal hill being the smaller of the two. The jump’s actual height is of little importance; it’s the length of jump that the hill is designed to accommodate that’s key. Athletes can travel 105 meters on a normal hill and 140 meters on a large hill. The only American to win an Olympic medal in ski jumping is Anders Haugen, who placed 4th in 1932, but due to the discovery of a calculation error more than 50 years after the competition, he was awarded a bronze medal. "Ski flying" in a radical new feature of ski jumping. Although not contested in Olympic
competition, ski flying is regularly featured in the World Cup, and has a World Championship every second year. The current world record is 239 meters, and it required a full nine seconds of flight time to cover that distance! The distance ski jumpers travel in competition is closely regulated by a jury. At the start of the competitive round, the jury selects a start gate that allows the best athletes to fly close to the maximum safe distance. All athletes start from the same gate and, as a result, less proficient jumpers fly a shorter distance. Ski jumps are designed with many start benches allowing the jury to select the appropriate start gate based on conditions as wind, temperature, humidity, snow type and other factors which can impact the distance a jumper flies.
Normal Hill Individual The normal hill individual event is usually the first ski jumping event in the Olympic schedule beginning with a qualification event on the day prior to the competition. The 15 topranked ski jumpers on the World Cup circuit are pre-selected and do not necessarily have to participate in the qualification event. The remaining athletes must rank in the top 35 to receive a start. In the official competition, there are two rounds of jumps.
Interior & Exterior Painting Honesty. Structural Rehabilitation Professionalism. Brick, Mortar and Cement Repairs Integrity. Plaster Work
Satisfaction!
Home & Building Repairs Steeplework Large Experienced Crew Fine Craftsmanship New Kitchens & Baths
Residential, Historical, & Commercial
Painting & Restoration
Mitchel B. Momaney • 802-257-3026