Winter Sports 🇳🇴Norway Olympic19th century

Ski Jumping

Winter sport in which athletes ski down a steep ramp (inrun), leap into the air, and glide as far as possible before landing on a slope — judged on distance and style.

📐ski jump hill⏱~1 min🌤outdoor

What is Ski Jumping?

Ski jumping is a winter sport in which athletes ski down a specially-constructed inrun ramp, jump into the air at the take-off table, and fly through the air using their body and skis as aerofoils before landing on a steep hill (K-point). Athletes are scored on distance (60% weighting) and style (40%, judged by 5 judges out of 20 each). Two hill sizes: Normal Hill (K90-95m) and Large Hill (K120m+) at Olympics; Ski Flying (K185m+) at select events. Originated in Norway in the 1860s; first Olympic event Chamonix 1924. Modern V-style skis (introduced 1990s by Jan Boklöv) give lift up to 40% greater than parallel skis. Records: Ski flying world record 253.5 m (Ryōyū Kobayashi practice, longer records inferior conditions); Stefan Kraft (Austria) 253.5m Vikersund 2017 official. Women's ski jumping was added to Olympics only in 2014 (Sochi). Legends include Matti Nykänen (Finland, 4 Olympic gold), Adam Małysz (Poland), Simon Ammann (Switzerland, 4 Olympic gold).

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Score highest combined points from distance + style; 2 rounds summed for final result.

Match structure

Athletes take turns skiing down inrun and jumping. Distance measured from take-off to landing point (accurate to 0.5m). 5 judges score style 0-20 (highest/lowest dropped, sum of 3 middle). Wind + gate factor adjustments (added 2010) equalize conditions.

Rules

Basic rules

Ski down inrun, jump at table
Athlete adopts crouch on inrun ramp then explodes upward at take-off.
V-style flight
Modern V-shape ski spread + body forward gives aerodynamic lift.
Land in Telemark position
One ski forward, one back, knees bent = perfect landing.
Distance + Style combined
Distance = 60% weight; Style judged 0-20 by 5 judges (highest/lowest dropped).
2 rounds summed
Top 50 in round 1 advance to round 2; sum of both rounds = final score.
Wind + gate compensation
Points added/subtracted based on wind conditions + starting gate to equalize.

Advanced rules

K-point
Construction point on landing hill — distance beyond K-point earns 1.8 pts/m (Normal) or 1.2 pts/m (Large).
Ideal landing
Telemark landing: legs staggered, arms outstretched, controlled ski-out.
Suit fabric regulations
FIS specifies fabric weight, permeability, thickness to prevent 'flying suit' abuse.
V-style innovation (1988)
Introduced by Jan Boklöv (Sweden); ridiculed initially but gave 20-40% more lift.
Ski flying (K185+)
Only 5 hills worldwide; Vikersund NOR, Planica SLO, Bad Mitterndorf AUT, Kulm AUT, Ironwood USA.

Scoring

Distance points (60%) + Style points (40%) = total; 2 rounds summed.

Action	Points
Distance	60 base + (K-distance) × 1.8 (Normal) or 1.2 (Large)
Style	0-20 by each of 5 judges (top/bottom dropped, sum of 3 middle)
Wind compensation	Added/subtracted based on wind measured during jump
Gate compensation	Added/subtracted for starting gate change

Win condition · Highest total points across both rounds.

Playing area

Called

ski jump hill

Dimensions

Normal Hill: K90-95m. Large Hill: K120m+. Ski Flying Hill: K185m+.

Constructed inrun ramp + take-off table + steep landing slope shaped to receive high-arc jump.

Equipment

Ski jumping skis
Longer than normal skis (~1.5× height); wider tips; special bindings only at toe.
Suit
Aerodynamic full-body suit; FIS regulates fabric permeability + fit.
Helmet, goggles, gloves
Full protective kit.
Bindings
Toe-only binding; heel free so ski hangs down on take-off.

Officiating

FIS Ski Jumping rules; distance measured to 0.5m; style judged 0-20 (drop highest/lowest).

5 Style Judges
Distance Measurer (video-electronic)
Wind Measurer
Chief Judge
Race Officer

Strategies

Perfect take-off = far jump
Correct explosive push at table timing determines most of distance.
V-style ski position
20-30° spread of skis gives more lift than parallel skis.
Body forward, arms tight
In flight, body arcs forward over skis for aerodynamic lift.
Wind timing
Coaches signal athlete when wind favours long jump; gate adjustments used.
Telemark landing
Full style points require perfect Telemark position.

Terminology

Inrun: Steep straight ramp leading to take-off table.
Take-off table: Level section where jumper launches upward.
K-point: Construction point on landing hill; scoring reference.
V-style: Modern flight technique with skis in V-shape.
Telemark: Landing position: one ski forward, one back, knees bent.
Fall Line: Curve of landing hill shaped to match jumper's trajectory.
Wind + gate compensation: Points adjustment to equalize varying conditions across athletes.
Style judges: 5 judges score 0-20; highest/lowest dropped.
Ski flying: Larger hills K185m+ where jumps exceed 200m.
Four Hills / Vierschanzentournee: Iconic 4-event German-Austrian Christmas-New Year tour.

Major competitions

Winter Olympics (Ski Jumping)
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1924
FIS Ski Jumping World Championships
biennial · worldwide · since 1925
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
annual (25+ events) · worldwide · since 1979
Four Hills Tournament (Vierschanzentournee)
annual (Dec-Jan) · Germany + Austria · since 1953
Raw Air Tournament
annual · Norway · since 2017
Ski Flying World Championships
biennial (odd years) · worldwide · since 1972

Where it is played

Governing bodies

International Ski FederationFIS
Founded 1924 · Oberhofen, Switzerland
Official site ↗

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Matti Nykänen (Finland) — 4× Olympic gold + 5 World Championships; 1980s dominant
Simon Ammann (Switzerland) — 4× Olympic gold in 2 Games (2002 and 2010)
Adam Małysz (Poland) — 4 World Championships + 3 Olympic silver/bronze
Kamil Stoch (Poland) — 3× Olympic gold + 2× 4-Hills winner
Ryoyu Kobayashi (Japan) — Grand Slam of Four Hills 2018-19
Sara Takanashi (Japan) — 63 World Cup wins; women's dominant 2010s-20s
Stefan Kraft (Austria) — Ski flying world record 253.5m Vikersund 2017
Halvor Egner Granerud (Norway) — 2020-21 World Cup overall winner
Peter Prevc (Slovenia) — 2015-16 World Cup overall winner
Anders Jacobsen (Norway) — Four Hills winner 2006-07
Jan Boklöv (Sweden) — introduced V-style 1988

Records

Longest ski jump (official WR)
Stefan Kraft (Austria) — 253.5m (Vikersund NOR) (2017)
Longest ski jump (unofficial practice)
Ryōyū Kobayashi (Japan) — 291m (Iceland engineered hill) (2024)
Most Olympic gold ski jumping
Matti Nykänen + Simon Ammann — 4 each (2010)
Most World Cup wins
Sara Takanashi (Japan, women) — 63 (2024)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Youth club (age 8-12)
Small K10-30 hills at Norwegian/German/Austrian ski clubs.
2
Progression through hill sizes
K15 → K30 → K60 → K90 as skills develop.
3
V-style basics
Learn V-flight technique from first jumps.

intermediate

1
National circuit
Junior nationals (age 15-20) at K60-K90 hills.
2
FIS Cup / Continental Cup
Under-21 international pathway.

advanced

1
FIS World Cup
25+ events per season Nov-Mar.
2
Ski Flying
Only elite qualify for K185+ Vikersund/Planica etc.
3
Olympic / World Championship
National team selection.

Frequently asked

How far do ski jumpers fly?+

Normal Hill (K95m): 80-105m. Large Hill (K120-140m): 110-150m. Ski Flying Hill (K185m+): 200-253m. World record: 253.5m by Stefan Kraft (Vikersund 2017).

Is ski jumping dangerous?+

Serious injuries are rare with modern equipment. Landing on a steep hill (35° angle) makes falls slide out relatively safely. Fatalities extremely rare in modern era.

Why do ski jumpers use skis in a V shape?+

V-style (introduced 1988 by Jan Boklöv) increases aerodynamic lift by ~20-40% compared to parallel skis. Universally adopted by early 1990s.

How is ski jumping scored?+

Distance × 1.2 or 1.8 points per metre + Style (0-20 from 5 judges, top/bottom dropped, sum of 3 middle) + Wind/Gate compensation. 2 rounds summed for final score.

Who is the greatest ski jumper?+

Matti Nykänen (Finland, 4 Olympic gold + 5 World Championships 1980s) statistically. Also considered greatest: Simon Ammann (Switzerland, 4 Olympic gold in 2 Games). Current era: Kamil Stoch (Poland, 3 Olympic gold).

What's the Four Hills Tournament?+

Iconic Christmas/New Year tour held annually since 1953: 4 events over 10 days in Oberstdorf (DE), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (DE), Innsbruck (AT), and Bischofshofen (AT). Winning all 4 = 'Grand Slam' — only achieved by Sven Hannawald 2001-02, Kamil Stoch 2017-18, Ryōyū Kobayashi 2018-19.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Ski jumping— Wikipedia
FIS — Ski Jumping— FIS

Last verified 2026-08-24.community