Competition and Technique

Today, World Cup ski jumping competitions are mostly held on small ramps, where distances of about up to 110 metres are reached, and big ramps, where the maximum distance is about 130 metres.

Using the modern V-technique, pioneered by Jan Boklöv of Sweden, world-level skiers are able to exceed the distance of the take-off hill by about 10% compared to the previous technique with parallel skis. Aerodynamics have become a factor of increasing importance in modern ski jumping, and recent rules have further regulated ski jumping suits, following a period when lax rules allowed jumpers to wear stiff, air foil-like suits.

So-called ski flying events are held on particularly large ramps (such as the one in Planica, Slovenia, or the Kulm, Austria). The current ski flying world record, set by Bjørn Einar Romøren on March 20, 2005, stands at distance of 239 metres.