How Ski Jumpers Keep Flying Farther - Cheddar Explains

Every few years, the Olympics roll around to prove that, yes, the world’s best athletes can jump farther, swim faster, and generally crush records that would’ve been impossible just a few decades ago. Take ski jumping - the world record has increased by well over 200 meters in fewer than 100 years. Responsible for this is a lot of intentional engineering of equipment and hills, but perhaps the biggest change is thanks to one act of human daring. Watch to find out how!
Further reading:
Olympics.com
olympics.com/en/news/look-to-...
olympics.com/en/beijing-2022/...
Ski Jumping Hill Archive
www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/S...
The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...
Sports Medicine
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
The International Ski Federation
assets.fis-ski.com/image/uplo...
Scientific American
www.jstor.org/stable/24965846
Smithsonian Science Education Center
ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/...
Sports Engineering [journal]
link.springer.com/article/10....
USA Nordic Sport
usanordic.org/ski-jumping-the...
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[@karinshedd7334]

Hello! I produced this video. Chuck any questions about this piece below! Or about how us and Vox have very similar interests in niche* sports (*niche from a US-perspective, at least).

[@NotHPotter]

So is this video the Antz version or the Bug's Life? 😆

[@karinshedd7334]

@@NotHPotter ^^ this comment made me genuinely laugh out loud. We'll have to let the people decide.

[@karinshedd7334]

@@NotHPotter Also, speaking of, check out our older video on "Mockbusters" which is the surprisingly legal Antz/Bug's Life phenomenon...

[@JoshuaR.Collins]

what happened to your arm?

[@karinshedd7334]

@@JoshuaR.Collins I thought I'd start off 2022 with a nice long bike ride. 10 miles into that bike ride, another cyclist zoomed by me extremely quickly without announcing his presence just as I was clipping my shoes back into my pedals and getting ready to do a U-turn. Startled, I couldn't get my feet back out of the clips in time and I used my left hand to break my fall (a bad call, in retrospect). Minor fracture, so hopefully this is the last you'll see of the splint.

[@ivorything]

Between Vox's video earlier and this one, I now know everything about this sport and am ready to compete in the 2026 Games. Wish me luck!

[@nikkicastle3423]

Careful not to break your neck, I’m rooting for you!

[@karinshedd7334]

Check out our tiktok for a short video I made about "Eddie the Eagle" who basically did exactly what you want to do (minus the KZbin videos since it was the 1980s).

[@ivorything]

@@nikkicastle3423 they literally explain how it's actually a safe sport? I'll be fine thanks. See, I learned everything I need to know about it

[@ivorything]

It was a joke, you absolute dork.

[@VinesXSkijumping]

@@ivorything I would complain about the safety of flying on 2 pieces of desk, 10m above the ground with speed of 100km/h, but ok :)

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

I’m sure Cheddar and Vox had a happy little accident.

[@DingDimlewitz]

So glad you mentioned Jan Boklöv. The man is a legend. I remember how his jumps were longest, but he never won because of the low score. Then they changed the rules and he won the world cup total that year. However, he was at his best when being the underdog. One got the feeling he didn't like the pressure being the champ and he quit ski jumping 2-3 years later. But a legend still.

[@reineh3477]

He won even though they gave him low points. A few years later it was no point in giving low points since almost everyone was using it. When everybody used his style it got harder to win which might have been the reason he quit.

[@mauricescka]

it's interesting how this video is to about ski jumping like the one from vox 5 hours later

[@karinshedd7334]

Oh trust me, it took us by surprise as well.

[@Architect98]

I was literally wondering the exact same thing I just finished seeing the Vox video

[@karinshedd7334]

@@Architect98 I guess Feb. 7 is officially "learn more than you ever thought you'd learn about ski jumping" day.

[@dynomar11]

The Olympics are happening so it makes sense to make videos about skis

[@Architect98]

@@karinshedd7334 honestly it looks like such an incredible sport you literally fly hundreds of feet in the air

[@dynomar11]

It makes total sense that vox and cheddar both have a skiing video. The Olympics are happening right now. Coincidences exist still.

[@Kintabl]

There is no limit on how long can you jump. It's all depend on a hill size. Today, the largest hills allow about 250m jumps. Janez Gorišek (the large hill designer, the designer of Planica and Vikersund hills) already have a design for 500m hill. But he says that we must do baby steps. So we can see the construction of 300m hill here in Planica in the future. Planica was always a place where new goals were set in the ski jumping. First man that jump over 100m, was in Planica, the first man who jump over 200m, was in Planica.

[@am7ha7]

as an austrian im rly surprsed to see a ski jumping video from cheddar.

[@karinshedd7334]

As an American, I'm surprised I didn't know much about this extremely popular sport at all until I did this video!

[@justsamoo3480]

@@karinshedd7334 I don’t think this video even grasps the surface of how important this sport is in Slovenia. We traditionally hold the last event of the season on the biggest slope in the world. The event pretty much crashes the country for the whole weekend, especially in smaller towns. And it is for a reason: we are good at it. This video was just posted after Slovenia won gold in mixed teams at olympics. Our other two medals also came from female ski jumping: one gold and one bronze.

[@GdzieJestNemo]

had the same feeling. Someone outside of our little cligue (Norway, Austria, Germany, Swiss, Poland, Czech, Slovenia, Finland and Japan) even knows it exists? wow

[@karinshedd7334]

@@GdzieJestNemo What are the odds you and @justsamo can forward this to, oh, say, the entire population of your countries to give us a lil algorithm boost? Is there a country-wide email panlist in Slovenia? TYSM in advance

[@JoshuaKellerCH]

Well it's official now: Cheddar has overtaken Vox in making the more informing, funnier and overall more interesting educational videos on KZbin! Congrats! 🙂 👏

[@xBigBean]

lol if the world was new york maybe

[@techhelpportal7778]

And less political

[@szaszm_]

@@xBigBean I'm European (i.e. not new yorker) and enjoy both.

[@Pwn3dbyth3n00b]

Vox literally just posting this topic a few hours ago....

[@karinshedd7334]

Turns out this is fascinating enough that it warrants two separate videos!

[@jeffersonselikemnyame9516]

Although it seems they’re gliding just above the snow, it still captivates, how they’re legs do not break or something

[@karinshedd7334]

That right there is one of the things that blew my mind when I started watching these.

[@cheddar]

Right? It's actually a much safer sport than people assume.

[@R4ttleSn4ke93]

It is saver than it seems at first, but to compare it with curling is very odd. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGavmaprasl0rMk

[@SampoSaarela]

The level where they start is also adjusted very very carefully for the better jumpers so they don't fly too long. Check some jump, like Ahonen WR (fell) in Planica. That year he was head and shoulders above everybody and that was the last jump of the year so he went all in but the starting level was way too high. He took the flight down from about 10 meters vertical and landed on almost level. Broke his tail bone and shit. If he would have flown that to the end, it would have been easy 250+ and probably death.

[@tobiwan001]

The US is good in summer Olympics, but not really Winter Olympics. That’s why they have to introduce new snowboard events all the time to keep the US audience interested.

[@j0ckel617]

I believe the university of Leipzig calculated, that with the right hill construction there is no large difference in flight speed and impact pressure between a 250m hill and a 500m one, the only large exception would be airtime

[@DirtmopAZ]

Need more videos with you and fewer to none with the New York voice over guy

[@yash_9698]

As a Canadian I want to let you know that we officially got a medal in ski jump I knew you’re American KZbin channel but we officially got one it since 1924 in North America and it’s first Canada medal 🥉and it’s makes Olympic debuts as mix ski jump event

[@karinshedd7334]

And it's a bronze!! Welcome to the club, Canada! As our icy (or, icier) northern neighbors, it seems like you definitely would've had one already, but I'm very happy for you nonetheless.

[@flyingsquirrel2620]

5:55 Yeah, these ski jumpers are just like us!

[@HoffmannGirl8]

I just got back from competing in women’s ski jumping at Beijing Olympics this year and loved seeing more interest in ski jumping and it’s technique! Thank you guys for spreading awareness for the sport I love!

[@alansaxena7934]

I guess I learned a lot about the basics of ski jumping from Vox and Cheddar coincidental video

[@GabGotti3]

You and Vox posted ski jumping videos the same day. Whoa 🤯

[@sankimalu]

When Swedes tell me something is better done their way, I usually agree...

[@erockem]

I see Karin, I click and watch regardless of the topic. No disappointments yet.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

thirst

[@erockem]

@@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368 , lol. its lo-fi if that makes sense. No extra graphics / fluff just for the sake of it. Just direct, to the point info.

[@VArsovski10]

A very old passion of my teenage days.. Not to jump, but to watch.. I especially loved the Championships in the end of the season where 8 nations with 4 jumpers each compete in 2 rounds for the most points total And even the approach was different back at the time, for example (in general) Norway always wanted to maximise the distance of jumps and Japan always tried maximise style points until later things got relatively maximised on both sides of the totals and became more sophisticated but a bit more repetitive I guess can thank YT for the suggestion but weird how this was recommended 🤔

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

You got Derek'ed! Steve Mould and Stand Up Maths can tell you all about that. Still, it is a different slice off the same cake on offer here. Bravo.

[@SampoSaarela]

Hello, I usually like your videos a lot but you put the hill size second when it should be first. Also you said in the beginning that points are gained or lost for the starting level, wind and style. The wind points have been there only about a decade or so.

[@agnia85]

I love ski jumping. It's a huge sport in Poland (to watch)

[@karinshedd7334]

Ah! Is Kamil Stoch a big deal over there?

[@agnia85]

@@karinshedd7334 He is, but the success of this sport in Poland in terms of viewing numbers belongs to Adam Małysz. He started it all with his amazing 2000/2001 season of winning. Since then there was Stoch, Kubacki, Żyła so we're really lucky to watch it each winter. I still remember Małysz' ski jumping rivalry with Martin Schmidt and Sven Hannavald. Those were the days. There are still millions of Poles who watch the world cup each weekend.

[@karinshedd7334]

@@agnia85 BRB, Googling Adam Malysz ski jump videos.

[@kbieniu7]

​@@karinshedd7334 I would say that Adam Małysz is probably the most known sportsman in Poland. At least, I have such feeling, personally. Moreover, when I was a kid, I remember that a popular thing was to build small ~0.5m high snow ramps somewhere on sides of smaller ski tracks. We could at least for a short moment feel almost like Małysz, haha!

[@douglasboyle6544]

I was just talking about the evolution of Ski Jumping with my mom a few days ago, I'm going to have to send this video her way! I can't believe we didn't get the clip of the "Agony of Defeat" guy in a video about the history of Ski jumping but I guess that's probably down to you being too young to remember ABC's Wide World of Sports and my age showing. Regardless, you've quickly become my favorite content producer/presenter on Cheddar, and whatever happened to your arm I hope it's not serious and it heals soon!

[@karinshedd7334]

Busted haha. I am too young to remember the Agony of Defeat, although I did run across it in my research! In retrospect, I'm not sure why I didn't include it. I guess just to focus on other stuff! Time constraints, you know how it is.

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

So how big were the ramps that they used back in those days? I bet the current ones are bigger and thus allow faster speeds with more falling down the hill to get distance

[@SilverSlayer23]

Knitted uterus and Apple earphones in the background? ... Right on!

[@desertstormer7556]

Can't wait when we can use this as a mode of transportation

[@pattongilbert]

Ayyy!! Vox/Cheddar collaboration, anyone? (Probably just a total coincidence but funny that they are both about the same thing released around the same time)

[@karinshedd7334]

^^^ Apparently we need to cover our collusion tracks better (*for legal purposes, I am obviously kidding). Turns out ski jumping is just equally fascinating to us both!

[@cheddar]

Just a coincidence. Each brings a little something unique though!

[@pattongilbert]

@@cheddar Yep! :) You guys focused more on the specifics while Vox was more just the history part.

[@pattongilbert]

@@karinshedd7334 Haha.😂 I guess so!

[@ericwright8592]

Ok now I just want to see ski jumpers wear those flying/gliding suits to glide super far!

[@AC-im4hi]

2032 is a summer olympic year so if we could medal then that would be truly impressive

[@c.w.8200]

I'm Austrian and ski jumping is the only sport I regularly watch, ski jumpers and skiers are super stars here. I've heard people say it's more of a religion than a sport 😁

[@Harikusa]

I really like this new-ish "youtuber?" for the channel.

[@blackkissi]

seems like Vox and Cheddar both bad the same idea for today's video :)

[@SlackActionBumble]

I just want to see more old timey ski jumpers spazzing out flailing around in the air like "oops I made a terrible mistake"

[@karinshedd7334]

That was truly the most entertaining part of this whole production process.

[@hippopotamusbosch]

⛷ I wonder if @SciShow is putting out a Ski Jumping video today?

[@karinshedd7334]

COMPLETE THE TRIFECTA.

[@Darth_Sai]

Gotta love this woman, being an American and beginning with metric ,you represent the crème de la crème of the empowered American women.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

thirst

[@ZYvetica]

Vox had the same video idea ^^ oh well, happens!

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Surprised the jumpers don't flap their arms for more lift.

[@l1nus0nl1neproductions9]

Interesting ”coincident” that vox also did a video on this topic…still fascinating tho Btw 🤔 if 90km/h = 56mph, does that mean that You would ruthly drive 80km/h on a 45mph speed limited stroad? …Jesus! No wonder ther dangerous to live by

[@yass123]

I love this Karin 😍

[@esclatvia4382]

8:18 I don't know if she knows but that's the year when summer Olympics will happen

[@koppadasao]

Who's Bock-love? I think his name is Boklöv, as in book-leaf, or if you want, he's a page

[@sinsayne_5137]

are cheddar and vox related channels?

[@karinshedd7334]

No, but apparently we have very similar people working at each.

[@prabhushankar8520]

Good.

[@kanedyedstrips3274]

Fire

[@karinshedd7334]

and ice.

[@afhdfh]

Is that a plushy uterus on the wall in the background?? :D

[@karinshedd7334]

Indeed! It's a prop from a previous video of mine.

[@GabGotti3]

This is much better than the Vox one

[@queeny5613]

Wow

[@skylineXpert]

I learned what i needed to know about skiing from Goofy

[@NeonNijahn]

They should just add wing suits.

[@Pyszu]

I think I have a new crush

[@JustMusic75]

You made science cool again!

[@kbieniu7]

3:10 - Zakopane!

[@Gebri3l]

They should combine wing suits with this.

[@rustymustard7798]

Exactly!

[@Ripz-TnT]

There's apparently limits to the size of clothing in the sport for this same reason. A few people got disqualified today cuz their clothes were too big.

[@Gebri3l]

@@Ripz-TnT it can still be done outside of the competitions.

[@Ripz-TnT]

@@Gebri3l Wouldn't that just be the sport of Wingsuiting?

[@adnankaisarkhan2837]

Cheddar x Vox production!

[@AvB.83]

As others have said already, the limit is pretty much determined by the hill. There is a video by german TV station SWR ("So weit können Skispringer maximal fliegen"), sadly yet without english subtitles, where they are quoting scientists who calculated all the air resistance, distance, angles etc., coming to the result that with the right angle of the hill, going from 233 meters to 500 meters would only result in an increase in landing velocity of about 1.5%. Their suit & the skies basically work as the worst wingsuit ever, and they reach terminal velocity before the current world record mark. As far as I know there are also rules that limit the size of the hill, but if anyone with enough money to modify an existing slope (I'm suprised Red Bull didn't already do this, but Elon Musk, if you're watching this, buy a mountain and convert it into the greatest ski jumping hill of all times) or with a mountain big enough gets in on it, there will be athletes willing to try it. Although when it comes to the size of the mountains you build those ramps on, you can't go too high above sea level, or else the lack of air will prevent long jumps.

[@rustymustard7798]

Yeah i agree with a bunch of the comments here, this sport needs wingsuits!

[@Ryan.zelenski]

Thank you for putting your face on the internet 😊

[@karinshedd7334]

Thanks for watching my face on the internet!

[@BassBanj0]

We all know it's because Red Bull gives you wings

[@ScrappyPower]

Wait, what? Vox make a video about the same thing literally a few hours before you! Was there some kind of collaboration here? If not, who copied who?

[@karinshedd7334]

Hi! So neither of us copied the other. Given that these videos take at least a few weeks to produce, what likely happened is that each of us in our respective team meetings thought that some Winter Olympics-themed videos would be nice. And this topic seems to have a particular appeal given that it's fairly niche for American audiences and very visually interesting.

[@tomtheplummer7322]

I hate when they start adding style points to stuff that farthest, fastest, highest, heaviest, etc. should be the only measurement for winning.

[@Cloud7050]

Hehe Vox just posted a video about this

[@Mr3344555]

Are Vox and Cheddar the same company?

[@geropereyrairaola7984]

C'mon, Vox just uploaded the SAME video on this very particular unpopular topic, coincidence? Or enigma of the Mystical??

[@shirtsVskins]

This is soooooo 6 hours ago

[@Taradaktyl1]

As a ski jumper

[@SnailSlugSlut]

2032 is Summer Olympics

[@karinshedd7334]

Omg you're right....how embarrassing of me to not just add 12 instead of 10 like a FOOL

[@markthomasson5077]

I wonder why the skis have a rectangular cross section, surely a wing section would be better…may not allowed?

[@raymondmeyers8983]

There isn’t a Winter Olympics in 2032

[@matfhju]

Yess skii jumping is suuper safe, as long as you land propperly. Jokes aside when somone starts out training to doo skii jumps like these, they train on smaler jumps first, there is also a lott of practice in the gym they then gradually increase the sice of the hill along with their skill. So when they are on these bigg monster jumps. They have already learned everything nesseseary to do this madness safely.

[@ThinkTwice2222]

Assuming you don't Quit on your team

[@deedeedoit5901]

Vox posted it first though

[@AlexxTheGreat18]

I really like her! The girl in the video. She's really cool!!! Great way of making vids.

[@FedericoTrentonGame]

idk why this one felt too much patronizing in the exposition compared to previous cheddar videos or it's just my impression?

[@Kassap.72]

There will be no winter games in 2032 🤣

[@munozrick]

So you injured your left arm trying a jump? ;)

[@TheNoerdy]

Man they must be bummed that Vox beat them lol

[@karinshedd7334]

Nah! Now we can all ride the ski jump hype wave together.

[@bowbow1034]

No mention of Michael Phelps in lots of medal category is stupid

[@ThePapaja1996]

womens have newer been allowed to compete in nordic compination in os.

[@anonymousme4583]

I kinda like the presenter now, with the humor and stuff, i was slightly against it when it started, the format. 🙂

[@vladrazym9955]

Farther or fUrther?

[@maxi-g]

please no facecam of the host

[@isaacstone7899]

Swimmers who have more fat more floats, skate figure changed rule no longer accept flip. I think gymnastics beam and floor should change rules too, they need to land once. They can’t make up balance after twice jumping land.

[@NeonNijahn]

They should just add wing suits

[@rustymustard7798]

Hell yeah!

[@Hanfmeister]

laughing in german

[@swaggery]

How can ski jumping be as safe as curling. I'm sure having your face sandpapered by snow pass you at nearly 100 km/h doesn't feel great.

[@liefschneider3123]

RIGHT?!? WTF was that comment. I could maybe get behind if they said something like hockey, snowboarding, etc, but curling?? No, I find that completely insulting and I don't even ski jump.

[@YASIRALIVIRK]

E

[@Autogeneratedusername333]

Okay so nobody thinks she looks like Britney Spears

[@danielmotamedi8048]

I stayed because of the excessively patriotic opening

[@greenmilklatte]

Why's she talking like William Shatner tho🙃

[@daisywally7276]

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[@anneliesegeorge1130]

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[@Kokoben1]

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[@1SlipperyPenguin]

Who is she

[@mosesmilliman]

comment

[@m0s3]

Uh they just disqualified some women … in this sport

[@pancholoco17]

US , not americans, thanks... Stop refering to your country as if it represents the whole continent.

[@northdwarf]

No. It IS NOT as SAFE as curling!

[@liefschneider3123]

I know right?!? WTF was that comment?

[@DudeStone]

You don't know wtf is going on you're just an analyst not an athlete block me please so I don't waste my time doing it

[@flyhigh2174]

can she stop adding her remarks after every other sentence. So annoying