The hill size (HS) is the most important measurement for the size of a ski jumping hill. It is defined as the distance between the takeoff table and the end of the landing area, which is called hill size point. It is not measured as a straight line but on the surface of the hill.[1] A typical slope inclination at hill size distance is 32° for normal hills, 31° for large hills, and 28° for ski flying hills.[2]
In 2004, the hill size became the official measurement for the size of hills, replacing the construction point (K-point, formerly known as the critical point), which however remains the basis for issuing points.[3]
The world's largest hills are Vikersundbakken in Vikersund, Norway and Letalnica Bratov Gorišek in Planica, Slovenia with hill size of 240 meters. The hills normally mark the hill size physically with a horizontal line across the hill.
Classification
Ski jumping hills ar classified by hill size as follows:[4]
| Class | Hill size | Respective construction point |
|---|---|---|
| Small hill | <50 | <45 |
| Medium hill | 50–84 | 45–74 |
| Normal hill | 85–109 | 75–99 |
| Large hill | ≥110 | ≥100 |
| Ski flying hill | ≥185 | ≥170 |
Nearly all competitions in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup use large hills and ski-flying hills, with the largest being Mühlenkopfschanze in Germany. In addition, there is a bi-annual FIS Ski-Flying World Championships, which is held in one of the world's five ski flying hills: Vikersundbakken in Norway, Letalnica Bratov Gorišek in Slovenia, Čerťák in the Czech Republic, Heini Klopfer Ski Jump in Germany and Kulm in Austria. These all have a hill size of at least 185.[5] In the FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup, and FIS Women's Ski Jumping Continental Cup, both normal and large hills are used. In the Winter Olympics, there is one competition in the normal hill, one in the large hill, and a team competition in the large hill.
References
- ^ Hans-Heini Gasser (FIS): Jumping Hills: Construction Norm 2018 (PDF), p. 4 (abbreviations), p. 5 (figure). Hill size is the distance between T (takeoff) and L (end of the landing area), measured at the surface of the hill.
- ^ Planica i Vikersund z HS240. FIS ujednolica przepisy o rozmiarach obiektów – Skijumping.pl
- ^ "Hoppbakkene bort fra K-punkt til HS-punkt" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 29 June 2004.
- ^ The International Ski Competition Rules, Book III: Ski Jumping, Edition November 2021, p. 46.
- ^ International Ski Federation. "Ski flying". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.