The hill size (HS) is the most important measurement for the size of a ski jumping hill. It is defined as the distance between the takeoff table and the end of the landing area, which is called hill size point. It is not measured as a straight line but on the surface of the hill. [1] A typical slope inclination at hill size distance is 32° for normal hills, 31° for large hills, and 28° for ski flying hills. [2]
In 2004, the hill size became the official measurement for the size of hills, replacing the construction point (K-point, formerly known as the critical point), which however remains the basis for issuing points. [3]
The world's largest hills are Vikersundbakken in Vikersund, Norway and Letalnica Bratov Gorišek in Planica, Slovenia with hill size of 240 meters. The hills normally mark the hill size physically with a horizontal line across the hill.
Ski jumping hills ar classified by hill size as follows: [4]
Class | Hill size | Respective construction point |
---|---|---|
Small hill | <50 | <45 |
Medium hill | 50–84 | 45–74 |
Normal hill | 85–109 | 75–99 |
Large hill | ≥110 | ≥100 |
Ski flying hill | ≥185 | ≥170 |
Nearly all competitions in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup use large hills and ski-flying hills, with the largest being Mühlenkopfschanze in Germany. In addition, there is a bi-annual FIS Ski-Flying World Championships, which is held in one of the world's five ski flying hills: Vikersundbakken in Norway, Letalnica Bratov Gorišek in Slovenia, Čerťák in the Czech Republic, Heini Klopfer Ski Jump in Germany and Kulm in Austria. These all have a hill size of at least 185. [5] In the FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup, and FIS Women's Ski Jumping Continental Cup, both normal and large hills are used. In the Winter Olympics, there is one competition in the normal hill, one in the large hill, and a team competition in the large hill.
Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final score. Ski jumping was first contested in Norway in the late 19th century, and later spread through Europe and North America in the early 20th century. Along with cross-country skiing, it constitutes the traditional group of Nordic skiing disciplines.
Planica is an Alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border village of Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora. Further south, the valley extends into the Tamar Valley, a popular hiking destination in Triglav National Park.
Bjørn Tore Wirkola is a Norwegian former ski jumper.
Ski flying is a winter sport discipline derived from ski jumping, in which much greater distances can be achieved. It is a form of competitive individual Nordic skiing where athletes descend at high speed along a specially designed takeoff ramp using skis only; jump from the end of it with as much power as they can generate; then glide – or 'fly' – as far as possible down a steeply sloped hill; and ultimately land within a target zone in a stable manner. Points are awarded for distance and stylistic merit by five judges. Events are governed by the International Ski Federation.
Andreas "Andi" Goldberger is an Austrian former ski jumper.
Andreas Felder is an Austrian former ski jumper. During this period he dominated the sport, together with contemporaries Jens Weißflog and Matti Nykänen. He finished in the top three overall six times in the World Cup and won the 1990/91 overall. He won his first international championship medal at the 1982 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo with a silver medal in the team large hill event.
Reinhold Bachler is an Austrian former ski jumper. He was born in Eisenerz, and competed from 1968 to 1978.
Vikersundbakken or Vikersund Hill is a ski flying hill at Vikersund in Modum, Norway. It is one of the two largest purpose-built ski flying hills in the world. Nine world records have been set there, including the current record of 253.5 meters, set by Stefan Kraft. The complex consists of a large hill, a normal hill and several training hills.
Letalnica bratov Gorišek is one of the two largest ski flying hills in the world and the biggest of eight hills located at the Planica Nordic Centre in Planica, Slovenia.
A ski jumping hill is a sports venue used for ski jumping. They vary in size from temporary handmade snow structures to permanent competition venues. At the top is an in-run where the jumper runs down to generate sufficient speed, before reaching the jump. The skier is then airborne until landing on the landing slope. The last part of the hill is the out-run, which may be either flat or even uphill, allowing the jumper to stop. The steepest point of the hill is the construction point, which is used to determine the score of a particular length. The size of a hill is measured in the hill size. Hills with a hill size exceeding HS185 are designated ski flying hills; there are five such hills in the world.
Piotr Fijas is a Polish former ski jumper.
The 2008–09 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup was the 30th World Cup season in ski jumping and the 12th official World Cup season in ski flying. It began on 29 November 2008 at the Rukatunturi ski jumping hill in Kuusamo, Finland, and finished on 22 March 2009 at Planica, Slovenia.
Axel Zitzmann is an East German former ski jumper who competed from 1979 to 1981.
Bloudkova velikanka, also Bloudek-Rožmanova velikanka, is a large ski jumping hill in Planica, Slovenia, originally opened in 1934. In 2001, the hill collapsed and was completely rebuilt in 2012. A new normal hill (HS102) was also built next to Bloudkova velikanka in 2012, replacing the old K90 hill. A total of ten world records were set at the venue in the 1930s and 1940s.
Srednja Bloudkova was a ski jumping K90 hill located in Planica, Slovenia, that existed between 1949 and 2012.
Rødkleiva is a hill located in Nordmarka in Oslo, Norway. It was taken into use as a slalom hill in 1947 and was used for the combined event of the Holmenkollen Ski Festival eleven times between 1947 and 1963. It hosted the slalom events for the 1952 Winter Olympics, which saw a crowd of at least 25,000 spectators. The Olympic course was 422.5 meters (1,386 ft) long and had a drop of 169 meters (554 ft). The course gradually fell into disrepair and was closed in 1988.
Janez Gorišek was a Slovenian civil engineer, constructor, and architect. He held a degree from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy at the University of Ljubljana. His works were mainly constructions of ski jumping and ski flying hills worldwide; his best-known work being the Gorišek Brothers Ski Flying Hill in Planica, Slovenia, which he developed with his brother Lado (1925–1997) and which was the world's second-largest ski flying hill. He drew the profile for the renovated Planica flying hill with the help of his son. Since 2015, the hill is again largest in the world. He also participated in the ski jumping event at the 1956 Winter Olympics.
The construction point, also known as the K-point or K-spot and formerly critical point, is a line across a ski jumping hill. It is used to calculate the number of points granted for a given jump. It is also called calculation point or calculation line.
The Planica Nordic Centre is a nordic skiing complex located in Planica, Slovenia. It has one ski flying hill, seven ski jumping hills, and a cross-country skiing track. It is the only nordic centre in the world with eight ski jumping hills. The first plans for the Nordic Centre were made in 2006. Construction work began in 2011, and the complex was officially opened in December 2015.
The 2015–16 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup was the 37th World Cup season in ski jumping for men, the 19th official World Cup season in ski flying and the 5th World Cup season for ladies. It began on 21 November 2015 in Klingenthal, Germany and concluded on 20 March 2016 in Planica, Slovenia.