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  1. Lee Schlichtemeier

    Mr. Norcic:

    I am interested in the measurement techniques applied to the wind direction and velocity that are used in ski jumping. The reason for this is that I am an international-rated judge of a skydiving discipline, specifically Canopy Piloting. Wind measurements are critical in our sport and I would like to know the technical details and protocols for wind measurements in ski jumping so I might compare them with our systems.

    Thank you.

    Lee Schlichtemeier

    1. info@usanordic

      Lee,

      It has long been known in ski jumping that headwind can greatly improve the chances that a ski jumper will jump farther than the same jump with no wind, or even tailwind. The competition jury is in place to make sure that athletes have enough speed to jump long distances, but no too much speed as to out jump the landing hill. This means that they must take the wind conditions into account while setting the start position of the athletes. For years, the competition management would simply wait until the wind was within a consistent range for the athlete before giving them the \”green light\” in order to help make the competition as fair as possible. The problem is that the wind can change quickly, and there was previously no way to account for that. Currently, at the World Cup level (and most continental cup competitions) the landing area has around 8 wind sensors on either side. (Larger hills have more sensors). As an athlete passes each sensor while in flight, the wind speed and direction is recorded. After landing, the sensors that the athlete passes are ignored. Studies have been carried out (Prior to the competition) on each hill to get a good idea of how many meters + or – an athlete gains or looses due to the wind conditions. If you would like more detailed information, please let us know and we will direct you accordingly.

      Thank you!

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