Ski Jumping is a perfect treat for winter and snow lovers. The exciting game of ski jumping involves competitors attempting to jump off a large ramp and land successfully to score points. It is not as easy as it sounds to be because the game requires a substantial amount of practice and expertise before you are deemed ready to play on the snowy surface.
The game has been growing all across the globe at a rapid pace and for this reason it has been a part of Olympic games for men since 1924 and for women since 2014 Olympics games. Due to their cool weather and snowy areas, Norway, Finland and Austria are the most successful ski jumping nations.
Object of the Game
The object of the game is to score more points than your opponents. Each competitor has to descend down a specially constructed ram – known as a run-in – and reach the end ramp upon which they ski off. Each competitor flies from this point and successfully lands on the steeply sloped hill lying below as close to the ‘K Line’ as possible. Judges give marks based on the quality of your performance from reaching the flying spot to flying.
How to Play?
Ski Jumping is a winter sport in which you compete individually. You have to maintain balance and control while descending down, and once you have reached the jumping area, you have to ski off. The better you do it, the more points you are likely to get.
Ski Jumping involves different rules which vary from tournament and some special equipment are used by players to keep them safe. Every detail regarding the game can be found below.
General Rules of Ski Jumping
- Competitive level ski jumping competitions are made up of two rounds.
- 50 jumpers jump in the first round with each of them jumping twice or getting two chances.
- A legit jump is in which the jumper lands without touching the ground with his hands.
- Jumps are assessed by the judges and their marks are final, a player can’t argue with any of them.
- For perfect judgement and exact measuring, these landings are videotaped.
- Top 30 jumpers – in terms of marks – move to the second round.
- In the next round, all these 30 jumpers jump twice and in the end the jumper with the highest points is declared winner.
Time Duration of Ski Jumping
There’s no time limit. Once it’s your turn you have to perform your ski jump without any such time restriction.
Playing Field
Ski Jumping is done on snowy hills and the field is not made of any such requirements. It’s kind of a casual sport and no specific markings or measurements are yet defined at any level.
Playing Equipment
Jumping is not among the safest of sports in the world. That’s why you can’t jump without wearing protective gears.
Jumping Skis: They are the base of this game. Jumping skis are usually longer than normal skis at about 252cm long and slightly heavier as well.
Ski Boots: These are special boots worn by ski jumpers. These boats are designed to lean the jumper forward during the flight and provide flexibility for his easy movement.
Ski Suit: This suit is sort of a traditional ski jumping uniform and also serves as the protection from cold for different body parts including the chest, belly and front.
Helmet: During ski jumping players are most vulnerable to head injuries and to prevent them they use helmets. They are mandatory and you can choose the helmet of any size that fits over your head and provides maximum protection.
Points Scoring
As said earlier, the player with the most points after the second round is declared winner. Now look at some of the scoring factors.
Style: The better you look while jumping – your body shape and comfort – the more points you are going to score.
Gate Factor: A sudden change in weather is common in Ski jumping. To balance the scoring, compensation can be given to the player affected by the weather. It is called gate factor.
Wind Factor: Judges also keep an eye who’s getting favourable conditions for jumping in the form of winds in the same direction.
Ski Jumping Venues
Ski Jumping venues are famous in the world for their unique locations and scenic views. Here are a few of them.
- Chamonix, France
- St.Moritz, Switzerland
- Oslo, Norway
- Sapporo, Japan
Ski Jumping Tournaments
Ski Jumping tournaments are followed all across Europe and also in some parts of Asia. Here are the names of some of the famous Ski Jumping tournaments.
- Continental cup
- Europa cup
- Olympics
- Ski Flying World Championship
Governing Body
The game of Ski Jumping is limited to only a few parts of the world due to the fact that it can’t be played anywhere, yet the game is run by an international governing body.
The International Ski Federation is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding. The federation was founded in 1924 during the Olympic games in France. It enjoys the company of other 132 member countries who assists it in running the game smoothly and coming up with the changes in the game, if required.