SKI-JUMPING:
Definition: with special skis down a ski ramp; start in the squat position, skiers
leap from the end of the ramp and flight in aesthetic bearing over the furthest
possible distance.
According to reports and sources, the ski jump developed in the Norwegian province
Telemark in around 1810.Initially it was a combination of downhill skiing and smaller jumps.
At the beginning the jumps were over snow hills only.
Gradually larger hills were built and around 1860 the Norwegian Sondre Nordheim jumped the
first officially measured ski jump of 30 meters and it took
33 years until someone exceeded.
1879 ski jumping was recognized as organized sport in America.
In the year 1912 it came to a transformation from the style to the modern aerodynamic model.
Central Europe (Austria/Switzerland)
increasingly took over the leadership in building ski ramps .
In 1936 the Austrian Sepp Bradl was the first person in Planica who
managed to succeed the 100 meter mark.Bradl surpassed his own world record in 1938 with a
107 meter jump.
1941 the German Rudi Gehring jumped 118 meters on the in the meantime enlarged ski ramp.
Finally in March 1948 the Swiss Fritz Tschannen reached 120 meters, holding the absolute
undisputed world record at this complex.
World championships for ski jumping began in 1925, and a World Cup tour was established in 1980.
Until the early 1990s the preferred position of most jumpers was to lean far forward from the
ankles with knees straight and skis held parallel and inclined slightly upward,
This position minimizes wind resistance and contributes an aerodynamic lifting effect
to increase the length of the jump.
In the mid 1980s, however, Swedish jumper Jan Bokloev demonstrated a new technique that provided
even more lift: the V style.This position is achieved by pointing the tips of the skis outward in
opposite directions to create a V shape.
Moreover, the arm bearing was modified several times.
After the invention of plastic mats in 1965 by Hans Renner, from the former GDR, the training and
competitions were expanded throughout the entire year.
In the past season of 1999/2000 the German "ski
eagles" Sven Hannawald became world champion/world cup winner in ski jumping, and Martin Schmitt
became the winner in the entire world cup.
Ski jumping keeps gaining great significance and the number of fans increases world wide.
This is also in connection with total commercialization (TV rights, sponsors, etc.)
with not yet comprehensible consequences.
Sophie Scherpke
(10 years )
Kamsdorf/Germany
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