It’s more about aerodynamics than aesthetics.

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If you looked at photos of ski jumpers today and ski jumpers 50 years ago, you’d notice one big difference.

In the past, jumpers held their skis tightly underneath their body in a parallel position. Keeping the body in a straight line like this was considered elegant and appealing. But more importantly, it was the position jumpers used to gather as much distance as possible. This position made athletes thin and small, which allowed them to move forward through the air quickly. However, the parallel position didn’t do much to help them fight gravity.

In the 1980s, ski jumper Jan Boklov tested out a different ski position — one that resembled a V. He noticed that the V shape allowed him to achieve longer distances.

That’s because, unlike the parallel position, the V position allows air to hit athletes' bodies directly. Instead of cutting through the air quickly, they’re using their body to catch air like a wing. This extra air lifts athletes up, allowing them to stay airborne longer — and go further. This small change revolutionized the sport, and since then, gold medal winners have used the V style to make it to the podium.

This is the first video of 5 videos from our channel's winter sports theme week. From aerodynamics to concussions to climate change, we covered cold-weather athleticism from a bunch of angles. Watch here: https://bit.ly/3oESqgx

Further reading:
To learn more about USA Nordic: https://usanordic.org/

You can also follow USA Nordic on both Instagram and Twitter at @USANordic.

Great diagrams on the airflow of the ski jump - https://usanordic.org/four-phases-of-...

1995 paper referred to in the video: Desirable Gliding Styles and Techniques in Ski Jumping: https://sci-hubtw.hkvisa.net/10.1123/...

Smithsonian Science Education Center - Falling with style: The science of ski jumping https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/...

Chicago Tribune - Ski jumping 101: Aerodynamics key to success https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...

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