It may look easy on TV, but just a reminder of what the ski jumpers are staring at.
Adam Rifkin stashed this in Olympics!
Stashed in: GoPro, Winter Sports
Above is just a normal hill!
The normal hill in Sochi has a Construction point of 95 meters (K 95).
The large hill a calculation point of 125 meters (K 125).
When an athlete jumps 95 meters on the K 95 (Normal hill), he gets awarded 60 distance points, for every additional meter 2 points more, so a 101m jump -> 72 points, a 93m jump -> 56 points.
When an athlete jumps 125 meters on the K 125 (Large hill), he gets awarded 60 distance points, for every additional meter 1.8 points more, so a 129m jump -> 67,2 points, a 118m jump -> 47,4 points.
Then just add the three judge scores +/- potential wind/gate points and you have the score.
Expect the best athletes to jump around 130-135m.
More info on Construction points can be found HERE.
100 meters shorter than the ski flying hills:
Here's a 223 meter jump:
More on judges scoring:
Judges are looking for form in the air and a clean telemark landing (so both skis parallel, one in front of the other).
Wind compensation are points that are added or removed depending on the speed and direction of the wind, to cancel out the effect the wind has on the jumpers. I'm not familiar with how it is calculated but its done automatically when each jumper takes his or her jump. A jumper can also request to start lower on the jump than the other competitors, which means he or she has less speed off the takeoff but gives them a point bonus in compensation.
So basically a ski jumping score is distance points + style points + wind compensation + gate compensation (usually zero).
In the 1970s when ABC had their Wide World of Sports show, the intro had a scene of a guy crashing / cartwheeling before the jump. You could see he was knocked out. It was one of the most compelling scenes on TV in those days -- "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat":
Who he is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinko_Bogataj
1:36 AM Feb 13 2014