Ski jumpers use airspeed to glide, and the faster the surrounding airflow, the farther they can fly.
China News Service, February 11 — According to a report on the French newspaper Le Figaro’s website on February 10, whether in Russia’s snowy resort of Sochi or elsewhere, ski jumpers don’t just leap and fall straight down, but glide, much like birds. Ski jumpers use the forces generated by the surrounding airflow to help reduce the time it takes to reach the ground. The taller and lighter a ski jumper is, the longer and farther they can stay airborne. The wide ski boards also increase the surface area of the jumper, enhancing the lift provided by the air.
But there are other ways to increase the glide distance as well. Christophe Clanet, head of the Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the École Polytechnique in Paris, explains: “The closer the angle of the athlete’s body in flight is to zero degrees relative to the direction of flight, the more intense the effect of the airflow force, and the longer the time they can stay in the air.” In fact, the best ski jumpers often maintain a near-horizontal posture while gliding.
Moreover, the speed of the wind during a ski jump plays a significant role — the greater the wind speed, the higher the lift (or buoyancy) the air provides to the athlete. To maximize this factor, athletes must jump off the ski ramp as fast as possible, and headwinds are actually preferred by ski jumpers. Because when facing a headwind, the airflow slows the descent of the athlete’s body and extends the flight distance. With the right amount of opposing wind, an athlete’s jump can exceed ten meters compared to a calm, windless day. Therefore, tailwinds become the biggest enemy for ski jumpers during competition.
Whether in training or competition, ski jumpers must strictly follow their coaches’ instructions on when to take off. Coaches carefully monitor the weather and choose the optimal moment — when wind intensity remains relatively stable — to allow athletes to “take flight” and begin their glide.