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Ski jumpers are able to jump from such incredible heights and land safely due to the sloped landing surface that reduces impact force, the V-style flying technique that generates lift, and years of physical training and preparation.
A few years ago, I didn’t know a competitive sport called ski jumping even existed. I learned about it when I first saw a movie called Eddie the Eagle.
Without spoiling the movie for you, let me tell you that it’s about a man called Eddie who dreams of representing his country at the Olympics as a ski jumper. His goal wasn’t to win medals—it was simply to compete.
So what exactly does a ski jumper do?
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What Is Ski Jumping?
A ski jumper first goes to the top of a mammoth ramp, with the help of an elevator. As part of their preparation, the skier will attach long skis—up to 145% of their body height, which means roughly 250 centimeters for an average-height athlete—to both feet and then, at the mark, begin their slide in a crouched position.
Since the slide is huge, the skier will slide on it for a few seconds before launching into the air, almost like an airplane taking off. They will finally land on the ground, which is a specially designed landing slope, after being airborne for a number of seconds, depending on how huge the jump is!
This is just a basic outline of how a ski jump is done. For more details about the different phases that a ski jumper goes through during the jump, click here.
Here’s a video of the 5 most iconic ski jumps in Olympic history:
Most international ski jumping events, including the Olympic Games, are held on hills classified by their "Hill Size" (HS). Normal hill events use hills with an HS of 85–109 meters, while large hill events use hills with an HS of 110–184 meters. At the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, for example, the normal hill was HS107 and the large hill was HS141.
The real question is… how do ski jumpers land safely after dropping in from such incredible heights?
The Surface On Which The Ski Jumper Lands
If someone falls from a height of only a few meters or so, it’s enough altitude to break a few bones and cause serious injuries. So, how do ski jumpers manage to jump from more than a hundred meters and land unscathed?
It has a lot to do with how they land.
Impulsive Force
People get hurt when they fall from a height because of something called impulse.
In physics, impulse is defined as the change in momentum of an object, and it equals force multiplied by the time over which that force acts. When a person falls and hits a flat surface, their momentum changes almost instantly. Since the time of impact is extremely short, the force experienced by the body is enormous—this is called impulsive force, and it’s what causes serious injury.
A ski jumper, however, does not land on a flat surface, but rather on a slope whose angle is very similar to the angle at which the ski jumper descends. This ensures that the jumper doesn’t come to a halt abruptly and has plenty of time to slow down before finally stopping.
How A Ski Jumper Flies
If you closely observe an airborne ski jumper, you will notice that during their descent, they position themselves such that they appear to be gliding, instead of dropping like a rock.
This posture is important, as even a slight change in the jump can alter the result and lead to either success or catastrophe. When ski jumpers “lift” off the ramp, their body is streamlined—arms pressed to the sides, head forward—to minimize air resistance. Crucially, all modern ski jumpers use the V-style technique, where the tips of the skis are spread outward in a V-shape while the tails remain close together. This technique, pioneered by Swedish jumper Jan Boklöv in the late 1980s, generates approximately 28% more lift than the old parallel-ski style, allowing jumpers to stay airborne longer and travel farther.
Also note that the jumper always lands on the slope (and not the flat surface at the end of the slope). This helps them keep going in the same direction as when they were airborne before gradually coming to a standstill.
If a jumper miscalculates their flight time and messes up their posture, they may land on the flat surface instead, leading to disastrous consequences. Such incidents are unfortunately not uncommon, which leads to the last point.
Ski Jumpers Practice A LOT
Like any other sport, athletes in ski jumping put in years of practice before they perfect the rather dangerous art of ski jumping.
Ask a randomly selected person to try to perform a ski jump, and they’re almost certain to break many bones, if not worse.
Injuries are common in ski jumping, particularly knee ligament injuries, concussions, and sprains. Most competitive ski jumpers have dealt with injuries at some point during their training or career.
In addition to years of practice, the right equipment plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of ski jumpers during their epic jumps. You can read about it in more detail here.
The sport continues to evolve. At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, women's large hill ski jumping was included as an Olympic event for the first time. The current men's world record stands at 254.5 meters, set by Slovenia's Domen Prevc in March 2025 at Planica.
To sum it up, jumping at an appropriate angle, maintaining the right posture (especially the V-style), and years of practice all help a ski jumper execute their jumps safely and successfully.
