How can a skier fly so far and so high and still be unharmed?

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Science explains why these skiers can safely land on hard snow from as high as a building unharmed.

Ski Jumping (or downhill) is a sport not for the faint of heart. Because just looking at athletes compete, many of you will be stunned.

The process of competing in this sport is fraught with danger: the athlete begins by sliding extremely quickly down a long slope.

How can a skier fly so far and so high and still be unharmed?
Why do athletes jump so far and so high that the athlete is unharmed?

Then, they slide up a small gentle slope, then take the momentum to “toss” themselves into the air and do not forget to perform a series of somersaults. In the end, they landed on both skis, continuing to travel a short distance before coming to a stop with ease!

But do you wonder why this athlete “landed” normally without any injuries?

Professor Greg Gbur from the University of North Carolina explains: “Athletes don’t actually jump up and down vertically. If you think about jumping, as well as throwing anything into the air, they will all fall in a parabolic trajectory .”

How can a skier fly so far and so high and still be unharmed?

How can a skier fly so far and so high and still be unharmed?
Collage of athlete’s movements following a parabolic trajectory.

It is important that when landing, the athlete must control the skateboard along the slope to move into a parabolic path.

How can a skier fly so far and so high and still be unharmed?
An athlete successfully landed down a slope at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

This is also not easy because the body is still under the influence of gravity in the vertical direction.

Suppose that if the athlete falls straight from the top, the hard snow will stop all movement immediately.

Such a sudden deceleration would cause an uneven impact on the body and break it into pieces.

However, this will not happen as long as the athlete slides down the pre-designed slope.

This helps to slow down gradually, limiting the impact on the athlete’s body until they can stop.

How can a skier fly so far and so high and still be unharmed?
Because of the high danger, Ski Jumping at the Olympics is only for men.

After nearly 90 years, women have only competed in this sport since the 2014 Olympics.

Currently, the highest record holder is Stefan Kraft – Austrian male athlete. He scored a record of “flying” as far as 253.5 meters in 2017.