View source for Ski flying

{{Short description|Sport discipline derived from ski jumping}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox sport
| name = Ski flying
| image = Simon Ammann World Cup Ski flying Vikersund 2011.jpg
| imagesize = 290
| caption = [[Simon Ammann]] flying down the hill in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]], 2011
| union = [[International Ski Federation]]
| first = 15 March 1936, ''[[Bloudkova velikanka]]'', [[Planica]], [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] (now Slovenia)
| firstlabel = First contested
| team = Teams of four
| category = {{plainlist|
* Turn-based [[individual sport]]
* [[Winter sport]]
* [[Nordic skiing]]
}}
| mgender = No
| equipment = [[Ski]]s<br>[[Ski suit]]<br>[[Helmet]]<br>[[Goggles]]
| venue = [[Ski jumping hill]] (185&nbsp;m or larger)
| country/region = {{plainlist|
* Slovenia
* Germany
* Austria
* Norway
* United States (1970–1994)
* Czech Republic
}}
| olympic = No
| world = [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1972|1972]]–present
}}

'''Ski flying''' is a [[winter sport]] discipline derived from [[ski jumping]], in which much greater distances can be achieved. It is a form of competitive [[individual sport|individual]] [[Nordic skiing]] where athletes descend at high speed along a specially designed takeoff ramp using [[ski]]s only; jump from the end of it with as much power as they can generate; then [[gliding flight|glide]] – or 'fly' – as far as possible down a [[ski jumping hill|steeply sloped hill]]; and ultimately land within a target zone in a stable manner. Points are awarded for distance and stylistic merit by five judges. Events are governed by the [[International Ski Federation]] (''Fédération Internationale de Ski''; FIS).

The rules and scoring in ski flying are mostly the same as they are in ski jumping, and events under the discipline are usually contested as part of the [[FIS Ski Jumping World Cup]] season, but the hills (of which there are only five remaining, all in Europe) are constructed to different specifications in order to enable jumps of up to 66% longer in distance. There is also a stronger emphasis on [[aerodynamics]] and harnessing the wind, as well as an increased element of danger due to athletes flying much higher and faster than in ski jumping.

From its beginnings in the 1930s, ski flying has developed its own distinct history and since given rise to [[list of longest ski jumps|all of the sport's world records]]. The first hill designed specifically for ski flying was built in Yugoslavia in 1934, after which both Germany and Austria built their own hills in 1950. This was followed by Norway in 1966, the United States in 1970, and Czechoslovakia in 1980. From the 1960s to 1980s, a friendly rivalry between the European venues saw world records being set regularly, together with hill upgrades and evolutions in [[ski jumping techniques|technique]] to fly longer distances. The [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships]] was first contested in [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1972|1972]] in [[Planica]].

Ski flying remains at its most popular in Norway and Slovenia,<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/news-multimedia/news/article=ebu-and-fis-extend-partnership-for-ski-flying-world-championships-2020.html "EBU and FIS extend partnership for Ski Flying World Championships to 2020"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2018.</ref> where the most recent world records over the past three decades have been set in front of audiences numbering 30,000–60,000. It has been called the [[Super Bowl]] of winter sports.<ref>[https://www.usanordic.org/ski-flying-the-super-bowl-of-winter-sports/ "Ski Flying, the Super Bowl of Winter Sports"]. USA Nordic. Retrieved 19 June 2021.</ref>

==History==
===1930s–1940s===
====Breaking the 100&nbsp;metre barrier and the birth of ski flying====
[[File:Reportažni avtomobil RTV v Planici 1963.jpg|thumb|220px|The first ever ski flying events were held at ''[[Bloudkova velikanka]]'' in [[Planica]], Kingdom of Yugoslavia (pictured in 1963)]]
The origins of ski flying can be traced directly to 15 March 1936 in [[Planica]], Slovenia (then a part of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]), when 18-year-old Austrian [[Josef Bradl|Josef "Sepp" Bradl]] became the first man in history to land a ski jump of over {{convert|100|m|ft}}. His world record jump of {{convert|101.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} was set at ''[[Bloudkova velikanka]]'' ("Bloudek giant"), a new hill designed and completed in 1934 by engineers [[Stanko Bloudek]] and Ivan Rožman, together with Joso Gorec. A year earlier, [[Olav Ulland]] had crossed the 100&nbsp;m barrier in [[Trampolino Gigante Corno d'Aola|Ponte di Legno]], Italy, but touched the snow with his hands, which rendered his jump – and world record – unofficial.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110423035905/http://skiinghistory.org/ulland.html "Hall of Famer Olav Ulland dead at 92"]. International Skiing History Association. Archived from [http://skiinghistory.org/ulland.html the original] on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2021.</ref>

With jumps now in the triple digits, Bloudek enthused: "That was no longer [[ski jumping]]. That was ski flying!"<ref name=heritage2011>MacArthur, Paul J. (March–April 2011). [https://books.google.com/books?id=OijwKxr1ER0C&pg=PA20 ''Skiing Heritage Journal''], pp. 20–25, at [[Google Books]]. International Skiing History Association. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> It was with these words that ski flying took on a life of its own. Such was the awe and disbelief at these massive jumps, the units of measurement were trivialised by the media, who suggested that the metre used in Yugoslavia was shorter than elsewhere in Europe.<ref name=stone>Stone, Harry (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=DBu8tZV2o6MC&pg=PA78 ''Ski Joy: The Story of Winter Sports''], p. 78, at [[Google Books]]. [[AuthorHouse]]. Retrieved 24 May 2015.</ref>

Bradl later spoke fondly of the jump which made him an icon in the sport:

<blockquote>The air pushed violently against my chest; I leaned right into it and let it carry me. I had only one wish: to fly as far as possible! ... [After landing the jump], many thousands of curious eyes looked up at the judges' tower. I could hardly believe it when an additional '1' popped up on the scoreboard!<ref name=sepp>Maurer, Lutz (12 March 2011). [http://www.nachrichten.at/sport/mehr_sport/Sepp-Bradl-Bubis-Sprung-in-die-Geschichte;art109,572345 "Sepp Bradl: Bubis Sprung in die Geschichte"] (in German). ''[[Oberösterreichische Nachrichten]]''. Wimmer Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2015.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Die Luft drückte gewaltig gegen meine Brust, ich legte mich richtig drauf und ließ mich von ihr tragen. Ich hatte nur den einen Wunsch: immer so weiterfliegen! ... Viele tausend Augen starrten gespannt hinauf zum Kampfrichterturm. Ich konnte es fast nicht glauben, als neben der normalen Anzeigetafel eine 'Eins' herausgeklappt wurde!"''<ref name=sepp/>}}</blockquote>

====Dispute between the FIS and Planica====
[[File:Josef Bradl.JPG|thumb|150px|[[Josef Bradl|Josef "Sepp" Bradl]] was the first ski jumper to land a jump of more than {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}}]]
In the early 1930s, prior to the construction of ''Bloudkova velikanka'', the [[International Ski Federation|FIS]] had deemed ski jumping hills with a [[construction point|K-point]] (German: ''Konstruktionspunkt'') of {{convert|70|m|ft|abbr=on}} to be the absolute largest permissible.<ref name=heritage2006>B. Allen, E. John (March 2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=fFgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 ''Skiing Heritage Journal''], pp. 34–39, at [[Google Books]]. International Skiing History Association. Retrieved 29 May 2015.</ref> Athletes who chose to compete on hills with a K-point of more than {{convert|80|m|ft|abbr=on}} were outright denied a licence to jump,<ref name=heritage2011/> and events allowing for distances beyond {{convert|90|m|ft|abbr=on}} were strongly discouraged – even denounced – on the grounds that they were unnecessarily dangerous and brought the sport into disrepute.<ref name=stone/> Bloudek and his team nonetheless went ahead and flouted the rules in creating a so-called "mammoth hill" specifically designed for previously unimaginable distances.<ref name=heritage2006/> ''Bloudkova velikanka'' originally had a K-point of 90&nbsp;m, by far the largest of any hill at the time, but was upgraded in less than two years to {{convert|106|m|ft|abbr=on}} in eager anticipation of the 100+ m jumps to come. In 1938, exactly two years to the day of his milestone jump, Josef Bradl improved his world record by a wide margin to {{convert|107|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

After a period of wrangling and increasing public interest in the novelty of this new 'extreme' form of ski jumping, the FIS relented. In 1938, a decision was made at the fifteenth International Ski Congress in [[Helsinki]], Finland, to allow for "experimental" hill design, thereby officially recognising ski flying as a sanctioned discipline.<ref name=heritage2006/><ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/about/fis-structure/congress/article=helsinki-1938.html "15th Helsinki (FIN) 1938"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924060158/http://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/about/fis-structure/congress/article=helsinki-1938.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 20 May 2015.</ref> Despite this reluctant recognition, the FIS still frowned upon the practice of aiming predominantly for long distances over style, and presently refuses to publish lists of world records in an official capacity.<ref name=heritage2011julaug>James, Kathleen (July–August 2011). [https://books.google.com/books?id=t8b6EsoPuj8C&pg=PA3 ''Skiing Heritage Journal''], p. 3, at [[Google Books]]. International Skiing History Association. Retrieved 10 June 2015.</ref> Furthermore, the rules for ski flying would not be fully established until after [[World War II]].<ref name=heritage2011/>

In 1941, with the K-point increased further to {{convert|120|m|ft|abbr=on}}, the world record was broken five times in Planica: it went from {{convert|108|m|ft|abbr=on}} to {{convert|118|m|ft|abbr=on}} in a single day, shared between four athletes. After World War II had passed, [[Fritz Tschannen]] matched the K-point with a jump of 120&nbsp;m in 1948.<ref name=heritage2011/> This marked the last time Planica would hold the world record for almost two decades, as emerging new hills would soon provide stern competition.

===1950s–1960s===
====New hills across Europe====
[[File:Franc Pribošek in 1936 at Planica.jpg|thumb|left|220px|[[Franc Pribošek]] in Planica, 1936]]
A challenger to Planica arrived in 1949 with the construction of ''[[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze]]'' ("Heini Klopfer ski flying hill") in [[Oberstdorf]], [[West Germany]]. Designed by former ski jumper turned architect [[Heini Klopfer]], as well as then-active ski jumpers [[Toni Brutscher]] and [[Sepp Weiler]], the hill had a K-point of 120&nbsp;m to match that of ''Bloudkova velikanka''. The FIS, still wary of the rising popularity of ski flying and wanting to keep it in check, refused to sanction the construction of the hill, having previously denounced the 1947 and 1948 events in Planica.<ref name=heritage2006/>

The stance of the FIS eased once again, as the inaugural event in Oberstdorf was given approval to be staged in 1950. During this week-long event, an estimated crowd of altogether 100,000 witnessed the world record fall three times, with Dan Netzell claiming the final figure of {{convert|135|m|ft|abbr=on}}. [[Tauno Luiro]] eclipsed it the following year by jumping {{convert|139|m|ft|abbr=on}}, a world record which would stay in place for almost ten years until Jože Šlibar jumped {{convert|141|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 1961.<ref name=heritage2011/> The previous two decades of Planica holding a near-monopoly over the world record now seemed a distant memory, as it would instead be Oberstdorf's turn to do the same.

Also in 1950, a ski flying hill was built at [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] in [[Tauplitz]]/[[Bad Mitterndorf]], Austria.<ref name=heritage2006/> Peter Lesser first equalled the world record there in 1962, improving it three years later to {{convert|145|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Another hill entered the scene in 1966, when [[Vikersundbakken]] ("Vikersund hill") in [[Vikersund]], Norway was rebuilt to ski flying specifications, having originally opened as a ski jumping hill in 1936.<ref name=heritage2006/> On this newly rebuilt hill the world record was first equalled, then broken twice to end up at {{convert|154|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 1967. Although hills in Norway were still at the forefront of ski jumping, their prominence in ski flying was short-lived, as it would be the last time Vikersund would hold a world record until four decades later.

Seeking to co-operate on hill design and event organisation, the venues at Kulm, Oberstdorf and Planica formed the KOP working group in 1962 (KOP being an abbreviation of Kulm/Oberstdorf/Planica).<ref name=ski>Brady, M. Michael; Ward, James (February 1970). [https://books.google.com/books?id=QlwcfilVhMwC&pg=PA50 ''Ski''], pp. 50–52, at [[Google Books]]. [[Universal-Tandem Publishing|Universal Publishing and Distributing Corporation]]. Retrieved 19 January 2016.</ref> This group would go on to consult with the FIS in all aspects of ski flying, celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2012.<ref>[http://kop-skiflying.org/index.php/geschichte.html?file=tl_files/Dokumente/KOP%20Chronik.pdf "50 Years KOP"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134735/http://kop-skiflying.org/index.php/geschichte.html?file=tl_files%2FDokumente%2FKOP%20Chronik.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }} (PDF). Internationale Skiflugvereinigung KOP. Retrieved 29 June 2015.</ref> In 1953, Kulm hosted the first International Ski Flying Week, which would be the premier event in ski flying until 1972.<ref name=isfw>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/files/SJ_20120415.pdf "Skiflying Week Winners (European / Non-World Cup)"] (PDF). skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 13 April 2016.</ref>

====Breaking the 150&nbsp;metre barrier====
[[File:VikersundbakkenWorld Cup Ski flying 2011.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Vikersundbakken]], 2011]]
In 1967, in Oberstdorf, [[Lars Grini]] became the first to reach {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Planica triumphantly reclaimed its world record in 1969 with a new hill named ''[[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Velikanka bratov Gorišek]]'' ("Giant by brothers Gorišek"). This was the brainchild of Slovenian brothers [[Janez Gorišek|Janez]] and [[Vlado Gorišek]], both engineers, who opted to design a new hill with a K-point of {{convert|153|m|ft|abbr=on}} instead of enlarging the adjacent ''Bloudkova velikanka'', which was showing signs of deterioration.<ref name=heritage2011/> Today, Janez is affectionately called the "father" of modern ski flying and a revered figure in Slovenia.<ref>[http://www.norvegia.hu/Norsk/slovenia/Greeting-from-the-Ambassador1/#.VVkcetggu5w "Ambassador's Greeting"]. norvegia.hu. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2015.</ref> ''Bloudkova velikanka'' was subsequently recategorised as a ski jumping hill.

At the opening event of ''Velikanka bratov Gorišek'', five world records were set: [[Bjørn Wirkola]] and [[Jiří Raška]] traded it among themselves four times, until [[Manfred Wolf]] ended their run with a jump of {{convert|165|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It can be said that competition between hill locations, all vying for world record honours, truly began at this time. The 1960s remains the decade with the highest amount of world records since the advent of ski flying, with seventeen in total being set on the hills in Oberstdorf, Planica, Kulm and Vikersund. By contrast the 1950s had the fewest with four, all being set in Oberstdorf.

===1970s===
====Planica versus Oberstdorf====
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J0223-0031-001, Johanngeorgenstadt, Henry Glass.jpg|thumb|left|220px|[[Henry Glaß]], 1970]]
The world record stayed in Planica for four years, during which the K-point at ''Velikanka bratov Gorišek'' was upgraded to 165&nbsp;m in time for the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1972|inaugural Ski Flying World Championships in 1972]], which eventually superseded International Ski Flying Week. This new event was sanctioned a year earlier by the FIS at their 28th International Ski Congress in [[Opatija]], Croatia (then a part of Yugoslavia).<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/about/fis-structure/congress/article=opatija-1971.html "28th Opatija (YUG) 1971"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924072152/http://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/about/fis-structure/congress/article=opatija-1971.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 26 May 2015.</ref> Much like in 1938 when the discipline received official recognition from the FIS, another milestone had been reached as ski flying was now granted its own world championship-level event on par with the [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|Ski Jumping World Championships]], having spent almost four decades as a mere 'special attraction' alongside its older and more prestigious sibling.<ref name=heritage2011/>

With no world records set at the 1972 event, the organisers in Oberstdorf got to work by upgrading their hill to a K-point of {{convert|175|m|ft|abbr=on}} for the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1973|1973 Ski Flying World Championships]].<ref name=oberstdorf/> Janez Gorišek was brought in to oversee the project following Heini Klopfer's death in 1968. With the gauntlet laid down, the results were showcased immediately when [[Heinz Wossipiwo]] set a world record of {{convert|169|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Oberstdorf. Determined to claim the world record for himself, [[Walter Steiner]] – the reigning Ski Flying World Champion – jumped {{convert|175|m|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|179|m|ft|abbr=on}} but crashed heavily on both attempts, sustaining a [[concussion]] and a fractured rib.<ref name=herzog1>''[[The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner]]''. 1974.</ref> He would finish the event with a silver medal, behind winner [[Hans-Georg Aschenbach]].

A year later in Planica, in front of a 50,000-strong crowd, Steiner finally achieved the world record he had been striving for, landing a jump of 169&nbsp;m to equal that of Wossipiwo in 1973. Spectators were astonished and the event organisers momentarily bewildered, as Steiner had landed well beyond the markers used to indicate distance alongside the hill, which only went as far as the existing K-point of 165&nbsp;m. For the first time since their respective hills had been built, the competition was levelled between Oberstdorf and Planica. On the next day of the event in the latter, Steiner tried to go even further: he landed at {{convert|177|m|ft|abbr=on}} but fell down on what was almost flat ground, although this time he managed to walk away (albeit on unsteady legs) with only cuts to his face.<ref name=herzog1/>

====Safety issues arise====
{{See also|List of ski flying accidents}}
[[File:Heini Klopfer Skiflugschanze.jpg|thumb|180px|The inrun and table at ''[[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze]]'' in [[Oberstdorf]], 2008]]
All these increasingly long distances came at a price, as illustrated by filmmaker [[Werner Herzog]] in his 1974 documentary ''[[The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner]]''. During both the aforementioned events in Oberstdorf and Planica, several athletes including Steiner had far exceeded the limits of the hill by 'out-jumping' it or 'running out of slope'. Jumps were much further than in the 1950s, during which the old [[ski jumping techniques#Kongsberger|Kongsberger technique]] was still in use. The results were now potentially fatal each time: athletes were landing only metres away from completely flat ground, or the equivalent of [[falling (accident)#Height and severity|falling from a multi-storey building]] with forward momentum.<ref name=herzog2>[[Hari Kunzru|Kunzru, Hari]] (16 April 2011). [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/apr/16/werner-herzog-films-hari-kunzru "Werner Herzog, the adventurous spirit"]. ''[[The Guardian]]''. [[Guardian Media Group]]. Retrieved 1 June 2015.</ref> Furthermore, only a wool cap and goggles – or no headgear at all – were worn; an antiquated feature left unchanged from the very earliest days of ski jumping more than 150 years prior. In 1979, at their 32nd International Ski Congress in [[Nice]], France, the FIS mandated helmets to be worn by athletes at all ski jumping and flying events.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/about/fis-structure/congress/article=nice-1979.html "32nd Nice (FRA) 1979"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924060207/http://www.fis-ski.com/inside-fis/about/fis-structure/congress/article=nice-1979.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 1 June 2015.</ref>

In Herzog's documentary, Steiner is shown to reflect with trepidation in Oberstdorf:

<blockquote>Ski flying has reached the point where it's beginning to present real dangers. We've just about reached the limit, I believe, as far as speed is concerned. ... Maybe I'd prefer to turn back [and] go back to flying off 150- or 130-metre hills, but it's the thrill of flying so far that nevertheless gives me a kick.<ref name=herzog1/>{{refn|group=nb|Quoted directly from English subtitles.}}</blockquote>

Further down the hill and pointing to a wooden marker indicating Steiner's failed efforts, Herzog explains solemnly:

<blockquote>This mark is, in fact, the point where ski flying starts to be inhuman. Walter Steiner was in very great danger. If he'd flown {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} more, he'd have landed down here on the flat. Just imagine, it's like falling from a height of {{convert|110|m|ft|abbr=on}} onto a flat surface: to a certain death.<ref name=herzog1/>{{refn|group=nb|Quoted directly from English subtitles.}}</blockquote>

In Planica, Herzog quoted Steiner as having said that he felt like he was in an arena with 50,000 people waiting to see him crash.<ref name=herzog1/> On the third day of the event, while talking to journalists after a jump, Steiner appeared angered at the organisers' pressure on him to set more world records at the expense of his well-being:<ref name=si>Verschoth, Anita (17 October 1977). [https://www.si.com/vault/1977/10/17/622750/in-its-way-a-great-leap-forward "In Its Way A Great Leap Forward"]. ''[[Sports Illustrated]]''. [[Time Inc.]] Retrieved 27 June 2015.</ref> "They let me jump too far four times. That shouldn't happen. It's scandalous of those Yugoslav judges up there who are responsible."<ref name=herzog1/>{{refn|group=nb|Quoted directly from English subtitles.}}

The stalemate between the venues did not last long, as four world records were set in Oberstdorf within a span of four days in 1976, bringing the official figure up to {{convert|176|m|ft|abbr=on}} set by [[Toni Innauer]] at the end of the event.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235609/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/in/toni-innauer-1.html "Toni Innauer"]. [[Sports Reference]]. Retrieved 29 May 2015.</ref> Three years later, Planica drew level once again when [[Klaus Ostwald]] equalled the world record. Elsewhere, in the Western Hemisphere, the United States opened its own ski flying venue in 1970: [[Copper Peak]] in [[Ironwood, Michigan]], had a K-point of 145&nbsp;m, therefore not designed for world record distances from the outset. As of 2024 it remains the only ski flying hill to have been built outside of Europe.<ref name=heritage2011/><ref name=heritage2006/>

===1980s===
====Harrachov joins in, Planica versus Oberstdorf continues====
[[File:Calgary-1988.jpg|thumb|220px|A stamp depicting [[Matti Nykänen]] in 1988]]
Planica and Oberstdorf briefly had a new challenger when the [[Čerťák]] K165 hill in [[Harrachov]], Czech Republic (then a part of [[Czechoslovakia]]), was opened in 1980. For one year, all three venues shared the world record when [[Armin Kogler]] jumped 176&nbsp;m at Harrachov's opening event. He improved this to {{convert|180|m|ft|abbr=on}} in [[1980–81 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1981]], this time in Oberstdorf. Notably, at the 1980 Harrachov event, 16-year-old rookie [[Steve Collins (ski jumper)|Steve Collins]] won all three competitions with jumps consistently close to world record figures.<ref name=collins>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131056/http://usasjstoryproject.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/usasj-story-project-dec-31-bakke.html "USASJ Story Project- Dec 31 Bakke"]. USA Ski Jumping Story Project. 31 December 2012. Archived from [http://usasjstoryproject.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/usasj-story-project-dec-31-bakke.html the original] on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2017.</ref> At the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1983|1983 Ski Flying World Championships]], [[Pavel Ploc]] brought the world record back to Harrachov (which had since been upgraded to K185) by jumping {{convert|181|m|ft|abbr=on}};<ref name=holland>West, Don (late 1999). [https://web.archive.org/web/20150627062200/http://www.skijumpeast.com/wldrecjp.htm "Pictures, and a chat with Mike Holland about his World Record Ski Jump"]. skijumpeast.com. Archived from [http://www.skijumpeast.com/wldrecjp.htm the original] on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref> this remains the last time a world record was set there.

The issue of safety in ski flying had resurfaced. In only a single day at the aforementioned 1983 event, the hill in Harrachov – a location named "Devil's Mountain" – became notorious for causing many violent accidents. [[Horst Bulau]] crashed and suffered a concussion,<ref name=bulau>Cleary, Martin (29 March 1983). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19830329&id=6a4yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9u4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3836,4251078&hl=en "Jumper Bulau already pointing to winning crown next season"] at [[Google News Archive]]. ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]''. Retrieved 26 May 2015.</ref> while [[Steinar Bråten]] and [[Jens Weißflog]] also crashed.<ref name=holland/><ref name=nrk>[http://www.nrk.no/sport/25-ar-siden-skandalerennet-1.4548217 "25 år siden skandalerennet"] (in Norwegian). [[NRK]]. Retrieved 26 May 2015.</ref> Tapio Mikkonen crashed heavily in 1980,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSqml1KWodY "Tapio Mikkonen-Harrachov 1980 Horrible Crash!"] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> as did Ploc in [[1984–85 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1985]]<ref name=ploc>[http://www.harrachov.cz/clanky-detail.asp?NewsID=629 "Pavel Ploc a Malevil Cup"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529065135/http://www.harrachov.cz/clanky-detail.asp?NewsID=629 |date=29 May 2015 }} (in Czech). harrachov.cz. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> and Iztok Melin in [[1988–89 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1989]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psacquX1ZjE "Iztok Melin Harrachov 1989 DANGEROUS FALL (remaster)"] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> All escaped serious injury, but it was a chilling precursor of more to come.

Over the next few years, the one-upmanship continued as the world record was again traded between Planica and Oberstdorf. In [[1983–84 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1984]], [[Matti Nykänen]] jumped {{convert|182|m|ft|abbr=on}} twice on the same day in Oberstdorf. By improving this to {{convert|185|m|ft|abbr=on}} the next day, Nykänen became the first athlete since [[Reidar Andersen]] in 1935 to set three world records in the space of 24 hours. It would be the end of an era as this was the last time a world record was set in Oberstdorf; altogether twenty were set there.

In [[1984–85 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1985]], to coincide with that year's [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1985|Ski Flying World Championships]], Planica underwent another upgrade to increase the K-point to 185&nbsp;m. World records were again shattered as a result. [[Mike Holland (ski jumper)|Mike Holland]] first jumped {{convert|186|m|ft|abbr=on}} to become the first American world record holder since Henry Hall in 1921.<ref name=heritage2006/><ref name=holland/> Nykänen would follow this up by landing a metre further. In the final round of that event, and in a show of dominance as he closed in on his second Ski Jumping World Cup title, Nykänen wowed the crowd with a jump of {{convert|191|m|ft|abbr=on}} to punctuate his title win and effectively bring the Planica–Oberstdorf rivalry to a close.<ref name=heritage2011/>

Mike Holland later described his own jump:

<blockquote>The world record jump was very smooth. It felt like I was lying on my stomach on a glass coffee table, watching a movie projected on a screen underneath the table. Although the flight was very smooth, it seemed like the movie projector was running the film faster than intended.<ref name=holland/></blockquote>

====Safety issues reach their peak====
[[File:Ulf Findeisen - Kulm 1986.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Ulf Findeisen]] plummeting towards the hill in Kulm, 1986]]
The [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1986|1986 Ski Flying World Championships]] in Kulm highlighted the dangers of the sport in a most graphic way. In the second competition of the event, [[Andreas Felder]] equalled the world record to win the gold medal, ahead of Nykänen who won bronze. All of this was overshadowed by a series of horrific accidents which took place earlier. In treacherous [[crosswind]] conditions, [[Masahiro Akimoto (ski jumper)|Masahiro Akimoto]] lost control moments after takeoff, falling suddenly from a height of {{convert|9|m|ft|abbr=on}} onto his back. He suffered a fractured ankle in addition to chest and shoulder injuries.<ref name=kulm1986article>Hoff, Jørgen B. et al. (10 January 2014). [http://www.vg.no/sport/hopp/morgenstern-til-sykehus-etter-grusomt-fall-i-kulm/a/10142452/ "Morgenstern til sykehus etter grusomt fall i Kulm"] (in Norwegian). ''[[Verdens Gang]]''. Schibsted. Retrieved 3 June 2015.</ref> A few minutes later, [[Rolf Åge Berg]] frighteningly lost control at the same height, at an estimated takeoff speed of {{convert|112|kph|mph}},<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6qFA2msTb8 "Ski Flying and crashing Ski Jumping at its best and most dangerous"] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at time 0:31–0:35. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> but was able to land safely on both skis.

Immediately afterwards, [[Ulf Findeisen]] fell out of the air on his jump, crashing down face-first from 9 m and flipping head over heels repeatedly along the slope, only coming to a stop several seconds later. [[Al Trautwig]], commentating for American TV network [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], likened Findeisen to "a ragdoll" after the fall. Former ski jumper [[Jeff Hastings]], co-commentating, said: "I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach, Al... I can't believe this. I've never seen ski flying like this... So many falls."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6qFA2msTb8 "Ski Flying and crashing Ski Jumping at its best and most dangerous"] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at time 1:04–1:16. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> Findeisen was barely conscious and had to be stretchered away, later going into [[cardiac arrest]] but surviving.<ref name=kulm1986article/>

In the next round of the competition, Berg attempted another jump but was not as fortunate this time: he fell out of the air, just as before, and crashed almost identically to Findeisen. One of Berg's skis, which had come loose after impact and was still attached to his foot, flailed around and hit him in the face – exposed due to his goggles detaching – as he was sliding to a stop. His injuries, including concussion and a broken [[anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]], were career-ending.<ref name="adressa.no">[http://www.adressa.no/100Sport/hopp/article412126.snd "Nordmann falt i samme bakke som Morgenstern"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522222434/http://www.adressa.no/100Sport/hopp/article412126.snd |date=22 May 2015 }} (in Norwegian). ''[[Adresseavisen]]''. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> At this point, Trautwig began calling into question the nature of the sport: "Jeff, we talk about the fear and why the ski flyers are scared... I'm really starting to ask, why we're here and why they're doing it."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6qFA2msTb8#t=0h4m52s "Ski Flying and crashing Ski Jumping at its best and most dangerous"] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at time 4:52–4:59. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> [[Ernst Vettori]], who was awaiting his own jump, withdrew from the event after witnessing the falls.<ref>[https://www.news.at/a/ernst-vettori-rampenlicht-folgt-innauer-oesv-sportdirektor-264049 "Ernst Vettori steht wieder im Rampenlicht: Folgt Innauer als ÖSV-Sportdirektor nach"] (in German). ''[[NEWS (Austrian magazine)|NEWS]]''. VGN Digital. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2021.</ref>

Ski flying endured a static era beginning in [[1986–87 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1987]], when [[Piotr Fijas]] set a world record of {{convert|194|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Planica. With height over the hills (athletes were reaching {{convert|15|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Planica)<ref name=letalnica>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/SLO-Slovenia/Planica/0475-Letalnica/ "Letalnica, Planica"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref> and takeoff speeds (Pavel Ploc reached {{convert|115.6|kph|mph|abbr=on}} in Harrachov in 1983)<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVvW5gaXKcA "Pavel Ploc - 181.0 m - Harrachov 1983"] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved 29 May 2015.</ref> at an all-time high, as well as distances approaching {{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}}, the FIS took a stance against record-hunting for safety reasons. From Felder's world record in 1986 onwards, the FIS implemented a rule in which distance points would not be awarded beyond 191&nbsp;m; the jump would still count, but no points further than that could be achieved. Per this rule, Fijas' jump was officially scaled down to 191&nbsp;m by the FIS, but the KOP group (led by the organisers in Kulm, Oberstdorf and Planica) independently recorded the actual figure.<ref name=upi1994-15>Bagratuni, John (15 March 1994). [http://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03/15/Skiflyers-aim-for-first-ever-200-meter-flight-UPI-Sports-Feature/5499763707600/ "Skiflyers aim for first ever 200-meter flight"]. [[United Press International]]. Retrieved 25 June 2015.</ref> Neither Kulm nor Planica would hold a ski flying event for several years, leaving Oberstdorf and Vikersund to host the Ski Flying World Championships in [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1988|1988]] and [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1990|1990]], respectively. At those events, world record distances and major incidents were avoided.

===1990s===
====New safety measures====
[[File:Certakbynight.jpg|thumb|220px|The ski jumping and flying hills at [[Čerťák]] in [[Harrachov]], 2011. The modern curvature of the reprofiled slope can be seen on the flying hill (top), which used to be a much steeper drop.]]
The dangers of ski flying were still on full display at the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1992|1992 Ski Flying World Championships]] in Harrachov, where [[Andreas Goldberger]] suffered a similar crash to the ones which occurred in Kulm in 1986. On the first day of the event, a few seconds into his second jump, dangerous wind conditions forced Goldberger to lose control at a height of around 9&nbsp;m and a speed of more than {{convert|107.4|kph|mph|abbr=on}}, sending him plummeting face-first onto the hill below. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital, having sustained a broken arm and collarbone,<ref name=spox>Köckeis, Christoph (14 March 2014). [http://www.spox.com/de/sport/mehrsport/wintersport/1403/Artikel/andreas-goldberger-im-interview-skiflug-wm-harrchov-weltrekord-severin-freund-kamil-stoch-noriaki-kasai-gregor-schlierenzauer.html "Andreas Goldberger im Interview: "Scheiße, was ist los mit der Welt""] (in German). spox.com. Retrieved 28 May 2015.</ref> and a concussion.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Jiří Raška]]'s first-round jump, from the Eurosport broadcast in [[Čerťák|Harrachov]] on 22 March 1992.</ref> [[František Jež]] also crashed, but was able to walk away with some help.<ref name=frantisek>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrhDSzQbcgU "Frantisek Jez - Crash - Harrachov 1992"] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved 4 February 2016.</ref>

The second and final day of the event was stopped due to worsened weather, culminating in a high-speed fall by [[Christof Duffner]] just as he landed a world record-equalling jump of 194&nbsp;m, albeit rendered [[list of longest ski jumps#Invalid world record distances|invalid]] because of the fall. With the event cancelled, Goldberger's efforts from earlier were enough to earn him a silver medal behind eventual winner [[Noriaki Kasai]], who became the first non-European Ski Flying World Champion. Goldberger was able to return to top-level competition within less than a year.

Protective wind nets by the side of the hill were later installed in Harrachov for [[1995–96 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1996]] to minimise the effects of crosswind, along with major reprofiling of the slope to comply with FIS safety regulations.<ref name=harrachov/> This reprofiling – particularly at the hill's highest point, known as the ''knoll'' – was critical in reducing the fearsome height reached by athletes after takeoff, as high as {{convert|18|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 1980.<ref name=collins/> Thanks to these modifications, athletes no longer jumped with as much height as before and no major accidents have occurred in Harrachov since 1992.

Speaking about his experience at the 1983 Ski Flying World Championships in Harrachov, Mike Holland said:

<blockquote>Climbing over the knoll, I thought 'this is SO damned high, I shouldn't be this high.' Since I wasn't ready for such height and speed, I threw out my arms at the end of the flight and let myself down {{convert|4|m|ft|abbr=on}} short of the world record.<ref name=holland/></blockquote>

====Technique changes: parallel to V-style====
{{See also|Ski jumping techniques}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-M0204-0010, Schmiedefeld, Hans-Georg Aschenbach.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Hans-Georg Aschenbach]] using the [[parallel style]], 1973]]
It was during this time that the entire sport of ski jumping underwent a significant transition in technique. Until the early 1990s nearly all athletes used the [[parallel style]] (or Däscher technique), in which the skis are held close together and parallel to each other.<ref name=heritage2011/> This had been the norm since the 1950s; Matti Nykänen created a variation in the 1980s with the skis [[yaw (rotation)|pointed diagonally to the side]] in a crude attempt to increase [[surface area]], yielding more distance.<ref name=snowcountry>[[Hal Higdon|Higdon, Hal]] (March–April 1991). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Mrc-0qjwPfAC&pg=PA48 ''Snow Country''], pp. 48–51, at [[Google Books]]. Retrieved 23 May 2015.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYZUXir2MiA#t=0h3m35s "World Ski Jumping Record - Mike Holland, Planica"] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at time 3:35–3:54. Retrieved 30 June 2015.</ref> However, this came largely at the expense of stability and balance, akin to 'walking a tightrope' in mid-air and leaving athletes at the mercy of the elements. Akimoto, Findeisen, Berg and Goldberger's accidents were all caused by unpredictable gusts of wind that made them lose control at the highest and fastest stage of their jumps, exacerbated by an outdated technique ill-suited to the new extremes of ski flying, as well as the prevalence of older hills featuring very steep slopes.<ref name=upi1994-15/>

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, [[Jan Boklöv]] pioneered the [[V-style]]: skis were instead spread outwards in an [[aerodynamics|aerodynamic]] "V" shape, with the athlete's body lying much flatter between them. This created yet more surface area and [[lift (force)|lift]], instantly enabling distances of up to ten per cent further. It also had a favourable effect of granting more stability in the air, although the peak speed was some {{convert|10|kph|mph|abbr=on}} slower than the parallel style. At first this new technique was looked upon unfavourably by the judges, who made it an issue to downgrade style points for those who used it. Nevertheless, within a few years, with Boklöv having won the [[1988–89 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1988/89 Ski Jumping World Cup season]] and other athletes promptly adopting the technique, the judges' stance quietly eased and the V-style became the ubiquitous standard still used today.<ref name=heritage2011/>

The V-style itself had a transitional period of its own, going from a narrower "V" in the early to mid-1990s<ref>[http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/takanobu-okabe-of-japan-competes-in-the-ski-jumping-large-news-photo/453764201 "Takanobu Okabe of Japan competes in the Ski Jumping Large Hill during the Lillehammer Olympic on February 20, 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway"]. [[Getty Images]]. 20 February 1994. Retrieved 6 April 2017.</ref> – which retained some features of the parallel style – to a much wider one at the end of the decade. Some athletes preferred to cross the back of the skis to exaggerate the "V" angle,<ref>[http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/tommy-ingebrigsten-of-norway-during-the-mens-ski-jumping-news-photo/1558419#feb-1999-tommy-ingebrigsten-of-norway-during-the-mens-ski-jumping-in-picture-id1558419 "Tommy Ingebrigsten of Norway during the Mens Ski Jumping Event in the Skiing World Championships in Ramsau, Austria"]. [[Getty Images]]. 26 February 1999. Retrieved 6 April 2017.</ref> while others leaned even more forward so that their body lay almost flat between the skis;<ref>[http://www.gettyimages.de/detail/nachrichtenfoto/kazuyoshi-funaki-of-japan-competes-in-the-team-k120-nachrichtenfoto/72286005 "Kazuyoshi Funaki of Japan competes in the Team K120 Ski Jumping event at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in Park City, Utah"]. [[Getty Images]]. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 4 February 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/jakub-janda-of-the-czech-republic-competes-during-the-news-photo/461046542 "Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic competes during the qualification jump of the Four Hills competition of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup (Vierschanzentournee) in Bischofshofen on January 5, 2015"]. [[Getty Images]]. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.</ref> both variations remain in use. The V-style is still not immune to failure if the air pressure under one ski is lost, but the results are much less catastrophic than with the parallel style; the latter had resulted in more head-first landings, whereas the V-style sees somewhat 'safer' landings on the back or shoulders. According to Mike Holland, "If you were hit by a gust of wind in the air, you would just flip over mid-flight", in reference to the parallel style.<ref>[https://www.usanordic.org/ski-jumping-the-evolution-of-human-flight/ "Ski Jumping: The Evolution of Human Flight"]. USA Nordic. Retrieved 8 April 2021.</ref>

====Breaking the 200&nbsp;metre barrier====
[[File:SFC Vikersund 2012 Robert Kranjec saturday.jpg|thumb|left|220px|[[Robert Kranjec]] using a wide [[V-style]] with skis almost crossed at the back, 2012]]
In 1994, ski flying returned to a newly independent Slovenia, where the hill in Planica had been reprofiled with the aim of allowing for jumps of more than 200&nbsp;m. The FIS was strongly against this and initially threatened to cancel the event on the grounds that its regulations on hill design had been violated. Negotiations between the organisers in Planica and the FIS managed to defuse the situation, allowing that year's [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1994|Ski Flying World Championships]] to take place.<ref name=upi1994-17>[http://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03/17/Finlands-Nieminen-first-man-beyond-200-meters/1907763880400/ "Finland's Nieminen first man beyond 200 meters"]. [[United Press International]]. 17 March 1994. Retrieved 25 June 2015.</ref> Before the event, [[Espen Bredesen]] said: "Of course I want to be the first [to reach 200&nbsp;m], but I think that {{convert|210|m|ft|abbr=on}} or {{convert|215|m|ft|abbr=on}} are also possible."<ref name=upi1994-15/>

With most athletes having switched to the V-style, the sport was about to reach one of its biggest ever milestones. During the training round on the opening day of the event, [[Martin Höllwarth]] jumped {{convert|196|m|ft|abbr=on}} to edge the world record ever closer to 200&nbsp;m.<ref name=upi1994-17/> This was the first time a world record had been set using the V-style, with Piotr Fijas' being the last to use the parallel style. Andreas Goldberger became the first ski jumper in history to cross the 200&nbsp;m barrier when he landed at {{convert|202|m|ft|abbr=on}} but failed to maintain his balance as he squatted down and touched the snow with his hands, rendering his jump an [[list of the longest ski jumps#Invalid world record distances|unofficial world record]].<ref name=spox/> The official honours went to [[Toni Nieminen]] only a short time later, who cleanly landed a jump of {{convert|203|m|ft|abbr=on}} to claim the world record.<ref name=heritage2011/>

On the next day during the second training round, Christof Duffner almost had his moment of glory when he jumped {{convert|207|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but fell upon landing just as he had done two years earlier in Harrachov. In that same training round, Espen Bredesen claimed the world record for himself with a clean jump of {{convert|209|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>Zeume, Hans-Jürgen (19 March 1994). [http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/skifliegen-in-planica--norweger-bredesen-stand-209-m---nach-weissflog-sagte-auch-thoma-die-wm-ab--wenn-man-oben-steht--zittert-der-ganze-koerper--17406304 ""Wenn man oben steht, zittert der ganze Körper""] (in German). ''[[Berliner Zeitung]]''. Berliner Verlag. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref> The restrictive rule concerning jumps beyond 191&nbsp;m, in place since 1986, was subsequently abolished by the FIS.<ref name=upi1994-15/> However, as the rule was still in place at the time of Nieminen and Bredesen's jumps, their additional distances were nullified. This handed [[Jaroslav Sakala]] (with a jump of 185&nbsp;m) the Ski Flying World Championship at the end of the event, which was shortened to only a single competition round due to strong winds forcing cancellation of the other. [[Jinya Nishikata]] and [[Johan Rasmussen]] each suffered heavy crashes due to these winds.<ref>Jentzsch, Uwe (21 March 1994). [https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/476195.jaroslav-sakala-ist-neuer-flugkoenig.html "Jaroslav Sakala ist neuer Flugkönig"] (in German). ''[[Neues Deutschland]]''. Neues Deutschland Druckerei und Verlags GmbH. Retrieved 12 February 2021.</ref>

In 2014, Nieminen spoke about the jump that cemented his name in the history books:

<blockquote>It was the kind of jump in which, even when arriving [at the bottom of the hill] in the landing position and not knowing at all what lies ahead, I remember that my legs were trembling. That's how terrified I was. ... Overcoming your own fears is the best feeling. The nature of the sport is that one has to challenge themselves. That's why this jump has remained a highlight of my career.<ref name=nyrhinen>Nyrhinen, Matti (11 January 2014). [http://www.mtv.fi/sport/hiihtolajit/makihyppy/artikkeli/nieminen-hyppasi-mensa-pelosta-sekaisin-jalat-tarisi-keulalla/3737770 "Nieminen hyppäsi ME:nsä pelosta sekaisin – "Jalat tärisi keulalla""] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701073243/http://www.mtv.fi/sport/hiihtolajit/makihyppy/artikkeli/nieminen-hyppasi-mensa-pelosta-sekaisin-jalat-tarisi-keulalla/3737770 |date=1 July 2015 }} (in Finnish). [[MTV3|MTV]]. Retrieved 27 June 2015.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Se oli sellainen hyppy, että vielä keulalle kun tuli laskuasennossa, eikä tiennyt yhtään mitä on vastassa, niin muistan kun jalat tärräsivät. Niin paljon hirvitti. ... Siitä juuri tulee ne parhaat fiilikset, että pystyy voittamaan omat pelot. Lajin luonne on sellainen, että on pakko haastaa itseään. Siksi tämä hyppy on jäänyt uralta kohokohtana mieleen."''<ref name=nyrhinen/>}}</blockquote>

====Planica dominates====
[[File:SNP Vikersund 2012 individual Andreas Kofler.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Andreas Kofler]] using a narrower "V" angle and skis uncrossed, 2012]]
Beginning with Fijas's world record in 1987, Planica enjoyed a very long period of exclusivity. Much like in the 1930s and 1940s, no other hills would come close to reclaiming the accolade for 24 years, despite nearly all receiving K-point upgrades to 185&nbsp;m. Only Copper Peak remained unchanged at K145, staging its last event to date in 1994 with a hill record of {{convert|158|m|ft|abbr=on}} shared between [[Werner Schuster (sportsman)|Werner Schuster]] and Mathias Wallner. Since then, the hill has served as a popular tourist attraction in which sightseers are able to access the top of the inrun via an elevator.<ref>Fry, John (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=FOhrjSuy6rsC&pg=PA213 ''The Story of Modern Skiing''], pp. 213, at [[Google Books]]. [[University Press of New England]]. Retrieved 18 June 2015.</ref> In 2013, following almost two decades of disuse as a sporting venue, it was announced that the hill at Copper Peak would be renovated as the world's largest ski jumping hill, additionally capable of staging summer events.<ref name=newcopperpeak>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Articles/0140-Copper+Peak+to+be+reinvented+as+world%E2%80%99s+largest+summer+ski+Jump "Copper Peak to be reinvented as world's largest summer ski Jump"]. skisprungschanzen.com. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2015.</ref>

With seven years between Fijas and Höllwarth's world records, it was the longest drought of unbroken records since that of Tauno Luiro from 1951 was broken by Jože Šlibar in 1961. The margin between Höllwarth and Nieminen's world records was {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}}, the largest since Sepp Weiler and Dan Netzell in 1950, which was {{convert|8|m|ft|abbr=on}}. In Planica the hill was reprofiled again in 1997, and the world record was broken a further four times in the remainder of the decade, culminating with Tommy Ingebrigtsen jumping {{convert|219.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} in [[1998–99 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1999]] to send ski flying into the new millennium.<ref name=spiegel>[http://www.spiegel.de/sport/sonst/skifliegen-rekordflug-aus-der-zweiten-reihe-a-69277.html "Skifliegen: Rekordflug aus der zweiten Reihe"] (in German). ''[[Der Spiegel]]''. Spiegel-Verlag. 16 March 2000. Retrieved 24 June 2015.</ref>

===2000s===
Further changes in technique, equipment and hill profiles have seen the world record increase by more than {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}} over the past two decades. In [[1999–2000 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2000]], the world record in Planica was improved by {{convert|5.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with jumps of {{convert|224.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} by [[Thomas Hörl]]<ref name=spiegel/> and {{convert|225|m|ft|abbr=on}} by Andreas Goldberger.<ref name="rponline">[http://www.rp-online.de/sport/goldbergers-rekord-von-okabes-sturz-ueberschattet-aid-1.1546237 "Goldbergers Rekord von Okabes Sturz überschattet"] (in German). ''[[Rheinische Post]]''. 18 March 2000. Retrieved 27 May 2015.</ref> The latter stood for three years until being equalled by [[Adam Małysz]] in [[2002–03 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2003]],<ref>[http://www.rp-online.de/sport/hautamaeki-verbessert-skiflug-weltrekord-aid-1.1575824 "Malysz-Riesensatz schon wieder übertroffen: Hautamäki verbessert Skiflug-Weltrekord"] (in German). ''[[Der Spiegel]]''. Spiegel-Verlag. 20 March 2003. Retrieved 25 June 2015.</ref> but his achievement was only temporary. On the same day, and in a span of the next four, [[Matti Hautamäki]] set a [[hat-trick]] of consecutive world records of {{convert|227.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, {{convert|228.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|231|m|ft|abbr=on}};<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/2877761.stm "Finn breaks ski jump record"]. ''[[BBC Sport]]''. [[BBC]]. 23 March 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2015.</ref> much like Matti Nykänen had done in 1984. When interviewed after the event, Hautamäki said that "The longer one stays in the air, the more fun it is."<ref name=yle>[http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2007/02/21/matti-hautamaesta-tuli-maailman-kovin-loikkija "Matti Hautamäestä tuli maailman kovin loikkija"] (in Finnish). ''[[Ylen aamu-tv]]''. [[Yle]]. 27 March 2003. Retrieved 2 July 2015.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Mitä kauemmin pysyy ilmassa, sen hauskempaa."''<ref name=yle/>}}

Despite improvements in safety since the 1990s, Planica still saw several violent accidents occur in consecutive years: [[Valery Kobelev]] (1999), [[Takanobu Okabe]] (2000), [[Robert Kranjec]] (2001) and [[Tomasz Pochwała]] (2002) all crashed at the top of the knoll due to sudden losses of ski pressure.<ref name="rponline"/><ref>Elster, Kristian (23 January 2008). [http://www.nrk.no/sport/scheies-verste-hoppfall-1.4538048 "Scheies verste fall i hoppsporten"] (in Norwegian). [[NRK]]. Retrieved 23 May 2015.</ref><ref>Lopatič, Jaka (14 January 2014). [http://www.siol.net/sportal/zimski_sporti/skoki/2014/01/kranjec_po_groznem_padcu_v_planici_gladovno_stavkal.aspx "Kranjec po grozljivem padcu v Planici gladovno stavkal"] (in Slovene). ''[[Siol]]''. [[Telekom Slovenije]]. Retrieved 30 June 2015.</ref><ref>[http://pictures.reuters.com/archive/RP3DRHXRFAAD.html "Sport Skijumping"]. ''[[Reuters]]''. [[Thomson Reuters]]. Retrieved 30 June 2015.</ref>

Before the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2004|2004 Ski Flying World Championships]], the hill was renamed to ''Letalnica bratov Gorišek'' ("Flying hill by brothers Gorišek"). In [[2004–05 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2005]], the venue continued its dominance of ski flying when the world record was shattered four times on the same day.<ref>[http://data.fis-ski.com/pdf/2005/JP/3131/2005JP3131RTRIA.pdf "Results Trial Round Sun 20 Mar 2005"] (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 24 June 2015. In this trial round, Ingebrigtsen jumped 231&nbsp;m and Romøren jumped 234.5&nbsp;m.</ref><ref name=bjorn>[https://www.espn.com/olympics/news/story?id=2017779 "Norway's Romoeren sets ski flying world record"]. [[ESPN]]. 20 March 2005. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref> Tommy Ingebrigtsen, [[Bjørn Einar Romøren]], and Matti Hautamäki all traded records of 231&nbsp;m, {{convert|234.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|235.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} respectively, with Romøren emerging victorious with a jump of {{convert|239|m|ft|abbr=on}} to claim the final figure. Commentating for Finnish broadcaster [[MTV3]], former world record holder Toni Nieminen remarked forebodingly after Romøren's jump that "the landing area is now practically completely flat ground."<ref>Commentary by [[Toni Nieminen]] following [[Bjørn Einar Romøren]]'s second-round jump, from the [[MTV3]] broadcast in Planica on 20 March 2005.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Voidaan sanoa että laskeutumispaikka on käytännössä jo täysin tasamaalla."''}}

Some minutes later, [[Janne Ahonen]] went for broke when he caught a massive [[lift (soaring)#Thermals|thermal updraft]] and stretched out a jump of {{convert|240|m|ft|abbr=on}}, only to fall from a dangerous height and slam down hard onto near-flat ground; his world record was rendered unofficial. MTV3 commentator Jani Uotila called it "A horrendous jump! This is all getting too dangerous now!",<ref>Commentary by Jani Uotila following [[Janne Ahonen]]'s second-round jump, from the [[MTV3]] broadcast in Planica on 20 March 2005.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Kaamea hyppy! Nyt menee jo liian vaaralliseksi tämä touhu!"''}} while co-commentator Nieminen explained that "When one comes down on flat ground, the impact is really hard."<ref>Commentary by [[Toni Nieminen]] following [[Janne Ahonen]]'s second-round jump, from the [[MTV3]] broadcast in Planica on 20 March 2005.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Kun tullaan tasamaalle, niin toi isku on todella kova."''}} Ahonen was momentarily knocked out, but sustained no injuries. He was stretchered away and able to wave to the crowd, and returned later in the event to step onto the podium for winning his second consecutive World Cup title.

In 2013, Ahonen revealed that the consequences of not reining in the jump prematurely in the way he did would have likely resulted in broken legs, or worse:<ref name=goldengoal>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f81uN2f9u84#t=0h3m50s "Interview with Janne Ahonen on "Golden Goal""] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at time 3:50–4:04. Retrieved 21 February 2016.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Verbatim transcription: "It will be like, 250&nbsp;m, if I doesn't take it down. ... After 250, I will be a dead man."<ref name=goldengoal/>}}

<blockquote>In the initial flight phase I thought, 'Oh damn, now we're going far.' Half way down the slope I got a warm feeling that, 'Yes, now it's a world record. This is certain to be a new world record.' Then as I flew further I realised, 'Oh no, this is not going to end well. This is really not going to end well. I'm going to break my legs at the least.' ... In reality I came down at {{convert|245|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but there was no more distance measuring equipment there. Experts have calculated that had I not brought down my jump, it would've flown at least {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=ahonen2013>[https://www.mtv.fi/sport/muut-lajit/uutiset/artikkeli/planica-22-2432013/4140484 "Ahonen: "Planicassa olisi kiva voittaa""] (in Finnish). [[MTV3|MTV]]. March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2018.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''"Alkuilmalennossa tuli ajatus, että ei vitsi, nyt lennetään pitkälle. Puolessa välissä rinnettä tuli lämmin ajatus, että jees, nyt tulee maailmanennätys, ihan varmasti tulee uusi maailmanennätys. ... Sitten lensin vielä pykälän eteenpäin, niin tajusin, että voi ei, nyt käy huonosti, nyt käy todella huonosti, jalat katkeaa vähintään. ... Tosiasiassa tulin alas 245 metrin kohdalla, mutta siellä ei ollut enää mittalaitteita. Asiantuntijat ovat laskeneet, että ilman sitä minun alasottoa hyppy olisi lentänyt ainakin 250 metriä."''}}</blockquote>

===2010s===
====Major hill upgrades begin, Vikersund re-emerges====
[[File:20150927 FIS Summer Grand Prix Hinzenbach 4865.jpg|thumb|150px|In 2015, [[Peter Prevc]] was the first to land a jump of {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}}]]
In the aftermath of the Planica event and following numerous near-flat ground landings, it became clear that ski flying had once again outgrown an older hill and needed enlarging in the years to come. In 2005, almost immediately after the conclusion of the World Cup season, talks were under way to upgrade the hill in Vikersund.<ref name=norwayduel>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Articles/0050-The+ski+flying+duel+in+Norway "The ski flying duel in Norway"]. skisprungschanzen.com. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 27 May 2015.</ref> This became a reality in mid-2010, when the FIS announced major rule changes at the 47th International Ski Congress in [[Antalya]], Turkey, to allow for ski flying hills to be constructed to their largest sizes yet.<ref name=heritage2011/>

Vikersund was the first to undergo renovation to increase its K-point from 185&nbsp;m to {{convert|195|m|ft|abbr=on}}, making it the largest flying hill in the world for several years,<ref name=vikersundnew>[http://www.newsinenglish.no/2011/02/11/jumpers-fly-off-worlds-biggest/ "Jumpers fly off world's biggest"]. Norway's News in English. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2015.</ref> and the first one equipped for [[floodlight|floodlit]] night events. [[Janez Gorišek]], known for his expertise in ski flying hill design, was the leader of this project. Anticipating a renewed world record rivalry, organisers in Vikersund welcomed the healthy competition with Planica.<ref name=vikersundnew/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150527062609/http://www.za-progiem.pl/12683/vikersund-not-afraid-to-planica/ "Vikersund not afraid to Planica"]. za-progiem.pl. 14 June 2014. Archived from [http://www.za-progiem.pl/12683/vikersund-not-afraid-to-planica/ the original] on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref> The new facility was given a rousing introduction at its opening event in [[2010–11 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2011]], when [[Johan Remen Evensen]] jumped {{convert|243|m|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|246.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, returning the world record to Vikersund for the first time since 1967. This served as a preparation event for the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2012|2012 Ski Flying World Championships]], which went on to draw a crowd of 60,000.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150909020515/http://www.vikersund.no/en/about-vikersund/history/ "History"]. vikersund.no. Archived from [http://www.vikersund.no/en/about-vikersund/history/ the original] on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref>

====Breaking the 250&nbsp;metre barrier====
Another K-point modification in Vikersund (this time to 200&nbsp;m)<ref>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Articles/0167-Vikersundbakken+now+a+K200 "Vikersundbakken now a K200"]. skisprungschanzen.com. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2018.</ref> resulted in the coveted 250&nbsp;m barrier being reached in [[2014–15 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2015]], with [[Peter Prevc]] landing a clean jump right on the mark to claim another historic milestone in the sport.<ref name=prevc250>Flanagan, Aaron (14 February 2015). [https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/ski-jump-world-record-watch-5165963 "Ski jump world record: Watch Peter Prevc jump 250 Metres in phenomenal World Cup jump"]. ''[[Daily Mirror]]''. [[Trinity Mirror]]. Retrieved 23 May 2015.</ref> Prevc's triumph was short-lived when [[Anders Fannemel]] broke this figure only a day later, landing a jump of {{convert|251.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=fannemel>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150216150053/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/skiing/11415244/Ski-jump-watch-Anders-Fannemel-set-the-new-world-record.html "Ski jump: watch Anders Fannemel set the new world record"]. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. [[Telegraph Media Group]]. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> At the same event, prior to Fannemel's jump, [[Dmitry Vassiliev]] crashed hard onto near-flat ground at {{convert|254|m|ft|abbr=on}} in a similar way to Janne Ahonen in Planica a decade earlier; this nonetheless gave Vassiliev unofficially the furthest distance ever reached in ski flying to date.<ref name=vassiliev>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=fannemel-incredible-feeling.html "A. Fannemel: "It's an incredible feeling""]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.</ref>

====Further hill upgrades====
Between 2015 and [[2016–17 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2017]], upgrades from K185 to K200 were also completed in Kulm, Planica, and Oberstdorf. In [[2017–18 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2018]], the [[hill size]]s on all active flying hills were upgraded to 235–240&nbsp;m,<ref name=38forum>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Articles/0194-The+38th+Forum+Nordicum+in+Klingenthal+%28Deutschland%29+-+What+is+important+for+the+Olympic+winter%3F "The 38th Forum Nordicum in Klingenthal (Deutschland) - What is important for the Olympic winter?"]. skiskisprungschanzen.com. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.</ref> making them fully equipped for jumps exceeding those distances (previous hill records were broken at each opening event), as well as having improved facilities for athletes and spectators. Harrachov remains the only hill, at K185, to have not been upgraded in any major way since the 1990s. Although the new hills are much larger than ever before, they generally feature longer and less steeply angled slopes, designed purely for the V-style and with the knowledge of 80 years' worth of world record progression.

Inrun tables have also been placed further back from the knoll and flight curves made shallower in order to allow athletes to glide more efficiently and safely along the contour of the slope. This has significantly reduced such precarious heights over the knoll as was the case in the early 1990s and prior: in that era, athletes using the parallel style would jump in a more upward trajectory off the table, reaching vast heights but at the expense of distance; and rather than glide, they instead plummeted towards the slope.<ref name=popularmechanics>Leehrsen, Charles (February 1980). [https://books.google.com/books?id=m9UDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91 ''Popular Mechanics''], pp. 91–95 at [[Google Books]]. [[Hearst Corporation]]. Retrieved 30 May 2015.</ref> Today, Kulm and Planica remain extremely steep in the flight phase;<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after Antti Aalto's first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 24 March 2017.</ref><ref name=ammann2016>[http://i.imgur.com/2p1C2JV.jpg "Simon Ammann, individual competition 3, round 2, Planica, 20 March 2016"] on [[Imgur]]. Retrieved 2 March 2016.</ref><ref name=goldstrom2018kulm>Commentary by David Goldstrom during the competition build-up, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 13 January 2018.</ref> Oberstdorf and Vikersund, by comparison, have longer slopes and do not enable as much height over the knoll.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom during the competition build-up, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 24 March 2017.</ref>

At the end of the 2015 World Cup season, following Prevc and Fannemel's world records, then-FIS race director Walter Hofer stated that the limit had been reached on the newest hills, and that no further expansion to their size was expected in the near future.<ref name=hofer>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=walter-hofer-every-crash-one-too-many.html "Walter Hofer: "Every crash is one too many""] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328203226/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=walter-hofer-every-crash-one-too-many.html |date=28 March 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.</ref> He also noted in 2011 that the FIS rules on hill sizes would likely remain unchanged for another decade.<ref name=vikersundnew/> Despite this, Janez Gorišek has made plans for a {{convert|300|m|ft|abbr=on}} hill in Planica, albeit put on hold until the FIS rules are again changed.<ref name=vikersundnew/> Fannemel said in 2015 that he believed {{convert|252|m|ft|abbr=on}} was the limit in Vikersund, but that the world record could be broken again in Planica.<ref name=vassiliev/>

====Beyond 250&nbsp;metres====
[[File:Robert Johansson (NOR) 2019.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Robert Johansson]] set a world record of 252&nbsp;m in 2017]]
In [[2015–16 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2016]], rookie athlete [[Tilen Bartol]] came close to setting a new world record during a trial round in Planica, but crashed in a very dangerous way onto near-flat ground at 252&nbsp;m and almost broke his neck.<ref>Brakstad, Thomas; Schmidt, Stig Øystein (16 March 2016). [https://www.nrk.no/sport/tilen-bartol-med-monsterhopp-pa-252-meter-1.12857378 "18-åring slo verdensrekorden i Planica – men falt"] (in Norwegian). [[NRK]]. Retrieved 8 March 2018.</ref><ref>Bartok, Miha (16 March 2016). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQC33pL3ew "Planica 2016 - Tilen Bartol 252m CRASH"] on [[YouTube]]. Retrieved 8 March 2018.</ref> In 2017, [[Robert Johansson (ski jumper)|Robert Johansson]] landed an official world record of 252&nbsp;m in Vikersund, which was broken only half an hour later by [[Stefan Kraft]] with a jump of {{convert|253.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, only half a metre short of Dmitry Vassiliev's unofficial distance from 2015.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norway-takes-the-home-win-kraft-the-world-record.html "Norway takes the home win, Kraft the world record"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319033515/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norway-takes-the-home-win-kraft-the-world-record.html |date=19 March 2017 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.</ref> The Vikersund event was staged as the finale of the [[Raw Air 2017|inaugural Raw Air tournament]], which was won by Kraft.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=kamil-stoch-and-stefan-kraft-celebrate-wins-vikersund.html "Kamil Stoch and Stefan Kraft celebrate wins in Vikersund"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322190623/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=kamil-stoch-and-stefan-kraft-celebrate-wins-vikersund.html |date=22 March 2017 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.</ref> The event also saw an unprecedented number of jumps surpassing 230&nbsp;m and 240&nbsp;m, new national records, and new personal best distances by exceptionally many athletes.

Kraft said of his world record:

<blockquote>I knew the ramp in Vikersund can jump pretty darn far. It was an incredible flight and it was important that I was able to do it. During the flight, I thought "it's now or never".<ref name=kraft/></blockquote>

Although his achievement initially came under scrutiny, as it appeared that he touched the snow with his backside as he was forced to squat down on essentially flat ground,<ref>Åmotsbakken, Helge (18 March 2017). [https://vikersund.no/stefan-kraft-slo-2535-meter/ "Stefan Kraft slo tilbake med 253,5 meter"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321081724/https://vikersund.no/stefan-kraft-slo-2535-meter/ |date=21 March 2017 }}. vikersund.no. Retrieved 20 March 2017.</ref><ref name=kraft>[http://www.eurosport.co.uk/ski-jumping/world-record-broken-twice-as-norway-claim-team-world-cup-gold_sto6099224/story.shtml "World record broken twice as Norway claim team World Cup gold"]. [[Eurosport]]. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.</ref> slow-motion replay confirmed that his landing was valid with only millimetres to spare.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom during the competition build-up, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 19 March 2017.</ref> A week later, Planica caught up to Vikersund with a plethora of more personal bests, and three athletes – including Kraft, twice – landing jumps of, or beyond, 250&nbsp;m. [[Kamil Stoch]] would set a hill record of 251.5&nbsp;m, with the season finale competition drawing an attendance of 16,500.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=stefan-kraft-takes-overall-world-cup-2016.html "Stefan Kraft takes overall World Cup 2016/17"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328045947/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=stefan-kraft-takes-overall-world-cup-2016.html |date=28 March 2017 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017.</ref> In 2018, in Planica, [[Gregor Schlierenzauer]] equalled the world record of 253.5&nbsp;m but touched the snow with his hands upon landing.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=johann-andre-forfang-wins-the-qualification-123260.html "Johann Andre Forfang wins the qualification"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406041049/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=johann-andre-forfang-wins-the-qualification-123260.html |date=6 April 2018 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.</ref>

In 2024, [[Red Bull]] organised a two-day event on a specially constructed hill in [[Hlíðarfjall]], Iceland, in which [[Ryōyū Kobayashi]] made four jumps to unofficially eclipse the world record: {{convert|256|m|ft|abbr=on}}, {{convert|259|m|ft|abbr=on}}, {{convert|282|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and finally {{convert|291|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>Woodyatt, Amy (25 April 2024). [https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/25/sport/ryoyu-kobayashi-ski-jump-iceland-intl-spt/index.html "Ryōyū Kobayashi flies 291 meters through the air in landmark ski jump, but his effort wasn't 'in line with FIS regulations'". [[CNN]]. Retrieved 26 April 2024.</ref>

In 2025, [[Domen Prevc]] set a new official world record in Planica, landing a jump of {{convert|254.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prevc produces "amazing" world record as Lanisek wins in Planica |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news/2024-25/prevc-produces-astounding-world-record-as-lanisek-wins-in-planica |work=FIS |date=March 30, 2025}}</ref> This eight-year gap between world records was the longest since Martin Höllwarth broke Piotr Fijas' record (set in 1987) in 1994.

==Differences from ski jumping==
Unlike ski jumping, which can be contested in the summer on specially equipped hills with plastic surfaces, ski flying is strictly a [[winter sport]] and not part of the [[Winter Olympic Games|Winter Olympics]]; no world records have therefore been set in the history of the Olympics.<ref name=seattletimes>Judd, Ron (13 December 2009). [http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/olympics/ski-jumping-and-nordic-combined-winter-olympics-spectators-guide/ "Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined | Winter Olympics Spectator's Guide"]. ''[[The Seattle Times]]''. [[The Seattle Times Company]]. Retrieved 18 May 2015.</ref> Also in contrast to ski jumping, athletes are not able to practice on ski flying hills out of season, as they are sanctioned only for competition events.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] after Sabirzhan Muminov's qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 27 January 2023.</ref> Among the [[Alpine states|Alpine countries]] there was an unwritten [[gentlemen's agreement]] forbidding athletes under the age of 18 to participate in ski flying events,<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Lukáš Hlava]]'s second-round jump of the team competition, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 17 January 2016.</ref><ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Domen Prevc]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Salpausselkä (ski jump)|Lahti]] on 19 February 2016.</ref> but an exception was made for 17-year-old [[Domen Prevc]] in 2017.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Domen Prevc]]'s second-round jump of the team competition, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 28 March 2021.</ref>

Rather than being considered a separate sport on its own, ski flying is essentially an offshoot of ski jumping involving larger hills and longer jump distances. Former US national ski jumping coach Larry Stone has said, "It's the same thing, just bigger. You're going faster and flying higher... Basically, it's just a real big jump."<ref name=heritage2011/> Ski jumping coach Thomas Thurnbichler has said, "In [an athlete's] first years of ski flying, I think everybody up there is a little scared. And everybody who says he's not is just a liar! [laughs]"<ref>Post-competition interview with Thomas Thurnbichler, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 19 March 2023.</ref> Former ski jumper [[Jernej Damjan]] has said that athletes have to specifically adapt their technique from ski jumping to ski flying,<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] after [[Justin Lisso]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 17 March 2023.</ref> as well as there being a lower margin for error compared to ski jumping.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before Fredrik Villumstad's qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 17 March 2023.</ref> He also says:

<blockquote>Ski flying is just a little bit different than ski jumping. ... It's really important that you keep all the speed and all the smoothness in your movement because every unnecessary move can make you lose the speed."<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Maximilian Steiner]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 27 January 2023.</ref></blockquote>

The competitive standard for distance in ski flying is in the range of 230–240&nbsp;m, with 254.5&nbsp;m being the absolute longest distance reached to date at an official competition, at [[Planica]] in Slovenia. By comparison, distances of {{convert|120|-|140|m|ft|abbr=on}} are the standard on most ski jumping hills, and the longest distance to date is {{convert|161.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, set at [[Mühlenkopfschanze]] in Germany.

===Hills===
{{See also|Ski jumping hill}}
The main difference between ski flying and ski jumping pertains to hill design, as mandated by the FIS. Historically, hills with a [[construction point|K-point]] (German: ''Konstruktionspunkt'') – or target landing zone – of more than 145&nbsp;m were classed as ski flying hills.<ref name=heritage2011/> As jump distances increased by the decade, so did a small number of unique hills at locations seeking to outdo each other in a friendly rivalry for world record honours. Since 1980, there have only been five of these hills in Europe and one in the US.

On all active ski flying hills, the K-point is set between 185–200&nbsp;m;<ref name=seattletimes/> far greater than the largest ski jumping hills, which only have K-points of up to {{convert|130|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The [[hill size]], which is the total length of the slope from the [[#Inrun|table]] down to a certain distance beyond the K-point, is set between 210–240&nbsp;m on ski flying hills; on ski jumping hills it is a maximum of {{convert|145|m|ft|abbr=on}}. In the landing zone, the angle of the hill is between 33.2–35&nbsp;degrees.{{refn|group=nb|[[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] has the shallowest angle; [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] has the steepest.}}

Seven ski flying hills in total were constructed between 1934 and 1980, with subsequent renovations being made in the decades since. Six are currently in use, but only five of them as flying hills.<ref name=heritage2011/> The joint largest hills in the world are Vikersundbakken in Norway and ''[[Letalnica bratov Gorišek]]'' in Slovenia. The joint second largest are [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] in Austria and ''[[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze]]'' in Germany. The smallest is [[Čerťák]] in the Czech Republic. Vikersundbakken and Letalnica are differently designed,<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Jarkko Määttä]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 16 March 2019.</ref> with Letalnica enabling much higher and faster jumps, with consequently a harder landing.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Robin Pedersen]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 22 March 2019.</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Opened
!Status
!Hill name
!Location
!K-point
!Hill size
!Hill record holder
!Hill record distance
!{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|1934
|{{active}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Bloudkova velikanka]]{{refn|group=nb|Recategorised as a ski jumping hill after ''[[Letalnica bratov Gorišek]]'' came into use.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Planica]]
|K130
|HS&nbsp;140
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Noriaki Kasai]]{{refn|group=nb|Last hill record holder until the venue fell into disuse; does not apply to the current version of the hill.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|147.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|<ref>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/SLO-Slovenia/Planica/0476-Velikanka/ "Velikanka, Planica"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref>
|-
|1936
|{{active}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Vikersundbakken]]{{refn|group=nb|Recategorised from a ski jumping hill to a flying hill after renovation in 1966.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Vikersund]]
|rowspan=4|K200
|HS&nbsp;240
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Stefan Kraft]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|253.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[File:Sport records icon NR.svg|20x20px|World record|alt=National record]]
|<ref name=vikersund>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/NOR-Norway/06-Buskerud/Vikersund/0005-Skiflygingsbakke/ "Skiflygingsbakke, Vikersund"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref>
|-
|rowspan=2|1950
|{{active}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Bad Mitterndorf]]
|rowspan=2|HS&nbsp;235
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Peter Prevc]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|244|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|<ref name=tauplitz>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/AUT-Austria/ST-Styria/Bad+Mitterndorf/0031-Tauplitz/ "Tauplitz, Bad Mitterndorf"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref>
|-
|{{active}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Oberstdorf]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Domen Prevc]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|242.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|<ref name=oberstdorf>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/GER-Germany/BY-Bavaria/Oberstdorf/0002-Skiflugschanze/ "Skiflugschanze, Oberstdorf"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 19 January 2018.</ref>
|-
|1969
|{{active}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Letalnica bratov Gorišek]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|SLO}} Planica
|HS&nbsp;240
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Domen Prevc]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|254.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[File:Sport records icon WR.svg|20x20px|National record|alt=World record]]
|<ref name=letalnica/>
|-
|1970
|{{site inactive}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Copper Peak]]{{refn|group=nb|Not in use since 1994. The organisers have since decided to renovate the facility with the capability of staging summer events.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Ironwood, Michigan]]
|K145
|HS&nbsp;175
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Werner Schuster (sportsman)|Werner Schuster]]<br>{{flagicon|AUT}} Mathias Wallner
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|158|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|<ref name=ironwood>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/USA-United+States/MI-Michigan/Ironwood/0575-Copper+Peak/ "Copper Peak, Ironwood"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref>
|-
|1980
|{{site inactive}}
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Čerťák]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Harrachov]]
|K185
|HS&nbsp;210
|style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Matti Hautamäki]]<br>{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Thomas Morgenstern]]
|style="text-align:left;"|{{convert|214.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|<ref name=harrachov>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/CZE-Czech+Republic/L-Liberec+Region/Harrachov/0149-Adidas+Arena+-+%C4%8Cer%C5%A5%C3%A1k/ "Adidas Arena - Čerťák, Harrachov"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref>
|}

====Proposals====
[[File:Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill.JPG|thumb|220px|The inrun at [[Copper Peak]] in [[Ironwood, Michigan]], 2008]]
There have been a number of proposed ski flying hills, most of which never reached the construction stage. Two were announced in 2007 in Finland, in [[Kemijärvi]] and [[Ylitornio]], but neither project was realized.<ref>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/FIN-Finland/LL-Lapland/Kemij%C3%A4rvi/1452-Suomu/ "Suomi, Kemijärvi"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 14 February 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/FIN-Finland/LL-Lapland/Ylitornio/0288/ "Ylitornio"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 14 February 2016.</ref> In Norway, prior to the renovation of Vikersund, there were serious talks about constructing a new ski flying hill at [[Rødkleiva#Ski flying hill proposal|Rødkleiva]] in [[Oslo]].<ref name=norwayduel/> The most recent proposal has come from China, together with German architects [[Graft (architects)|Graft]], who are in the development stages of a ski jumping and flying hill complex at the Wangtiane ski resort in the [[Changbai Mountains]].<ref>[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/CHN-China/Changbai+shan/1585-Wangtian%27e+Skiing+Resort/ "Wangtian'e Skiing Resort, Changbai shan"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 14 February 2016.</ref>

In the US, [[Copper Peak]], the only ski flying hill built outside of Europe, plans to reopen in October 2024. It would remain the smallest of the active hills, but the only one equipped for summer events and out-of-competition training.<ref name=copperpeakofficial>[https://copperpeak.net/the-future-of-copper-peak/ "The Future of Copper Peak"]. copperpeak.net. Retrieved 6 April 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/01/copper-peak-the-largest-ski-jump-in-the-western-hemisphere-is-set-to-reopen-after-decades-of-disuse.html | title=Copper Peak, the largest ski jump in the Western Hemisphere, is set to reopen after decades of disuse | date=18 January 2023 }}</ref>

===Events===
{{See also|#Event details}}
The most prestigious event in ski flying is the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships|World Championships]], which was first held in Planica in [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1972|1972]] and has been staged biennially since [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1988|1988]], in a rotating schedule at all hills except Copper Peak. The World Championships replaced various incarnations of International Ski Flying Week, which ran from 1953 to 1989.<ref name=isfw/> Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded after two competitions, with the total points winner receiving the title of Ski Flying World Champion. A team competition was introduced in [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2004|2004]], in which medals are also awarded.

Ski flying events outside of the World Championships are a regular feature on the [[FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|Ski Jumping World Cup]] calendar, usually occurring on two or three hills; unusually, the [[2017–18 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2018 season]] staged events on four hills (one as part of the World Championships, three in the World Cup). Even more unusually, during the [[2020–21 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2021 season]], Planica hosted the World Championships near the start of the season, and the World Cup to conclude the season.

Because athletes almost always participate in both disciplines, points scored in ski flying also count towards the Ski Jumping World Cup standings. From [[1990–91 FIS Ski Flying World Cup|1991]] to [[2000–01 FIS Ski Flying World Cup|2001]], and from [[2008–09 FIS Ski Flying World Cup|2009]] onwards, an additional title and trophy for the [[FIS Ski Flying World Cup|Ski Flying World Cup]] has been awarded at the end of each season to the overall points winner of solely ski flying competitions, even if only one took place.<ref name=fiscompetitionrules/>

==Rules and technique==
Ski flyers<ref name=usaskijumping>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150101113149/http://www.usaskijumping.org/news/post/ski-flyers-to-soar-again-at-copper-peak-in-2014 "Ski flyers to soar again at Copper Peak in 2014"]. USA Ski Jumping. Archived from [http://www.usaskijumping.org/news/post/ski-flyers-to-soar-again-at-copper-peak-in-2014 the original] on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref> take off at speeds of {{convert|96|–|110|kph|mph|abbr=on}},<ref>[http://medias2.fis-ski.com/pdf/2017/JP/3820/2017JP3820RL.pdf "Flying Hill Individual Sun 19 Mar 2017"] (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017. The lowest inrun speed during this competition was measured at 95.9&nbsp;km/h.</ref><ref>[http://data.fis-ski.com/pdf/2017/JP/3943/2017JP3943RL.pdf "Official Results Fri 24 Mar 2017"] (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017. The highest inrun speed during this competition was measured at 109.6&nbsp;km/h. Due to having the longest inrun length of all ski flying hills, Planica has by far the highest takeoff speeds.</ref> flying as high as {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the slope,<ref name=ammann2016/><ref name=goldstrom2018kulm/><ref>[http://www.slovenia.si/visit/features/planica/ "Planica"]. slovenia.si. Retrieved 2 April 2017.</ref> accelerating to {{convert|120|–|133|kph|mph|abbr=on}} before landing,<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Dmitry Vassiliev]]'s qualification jump, from the [[British Eurosport]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 15 February 2015.</ref><ref>[[Daniel Huber (ski jumper)|Daniel Huber]]'s landing speed was measured at {{convert|133|kph|mph|abbr=on}} on landing for his qualification jump in [[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze|Oberstdorf]] on 18 March 2022.</ref> and spending almost ten seconds in the air.<ref>Desabris, Jonathan (21 March 2017). [https://www.tetongravity.com/video/ski/video-of-speed-flying-world-record-is-incompressible "Video of Ski Flying World Record is Incomprehensible"]. [[Teton Gravity Research]]. Retrieved 2 April 2017.</ref> All these figures are considerably less in ski jumping. David Goldstrom, longtime commentator for [[Eurosport]], has likened the appearance of ski flying to that of "flying like a bird".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqu6SydAV0w#t=0h1m5s "Martin Trunz - 172.0 m - Harrachov 1992"] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at time 1:05–1:13. Retrieved 26 May 2015.</ref>

===Event organisation===
The FIS ''race director'', ''assistant race director'', and ''jury'' (the latter consisting of the ''chief of competition'', ''technical delegate'', and ''assistant technical delegate'')<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Shōhei Tochimoto]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Trampolino dal Ben|Predazzo]] on 13 January 2019.</ref> are a core team of personnel in charge of an entire event. Sandro Pertile has been the FIS chief race director of ski flying and ski jumping events since 2020.<ref>[https://www.fis-ski.com/en/ski-jumping/ski-jumping-news-multimedia/news/2019-20/sandro-pertile-the-new-man-in-ski-jumping "Sandro Pertile: The new man in Ski Jumping"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]] 3 June 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2020.</ref> [[Borek Sedlák]], himself a former ski jumper, has been the assistant race director and second-in-command since 2017. However, neither Pertile nor Sedlák are involved in the jury's decision-making with regards to [[#Pre-takeoff phase|gate]] changes;<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Clemens Aigner]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze|Bischofshofen]] on 6 January 2019.</ref> they may consult with the jury, but the latter's decision is final. The jury is served by different representatives for each competition.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Karl Geiger]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Wielka Krokiew|Zakopane]] on 20 January 2019.</ref>

Spectators at the venue watching from [[jumbotron|large screen displays]], as well as viewers watching on TV, are able to see [[instant replay]]s and on-screen graphics provided by the FIS, which display a multitude of detailed information.<ref>[http://i.imgur.com/TBIvWxm.jpg "Jernej Damjan, individual competition 3, round 2, Planica, 26 March 2017"] on [[Imgur]]. Retrieved 26 March 2017.</ref><ref>[http://i.imgur.com/8e0tGKb.jpg "Robert Kranjec, individual competition 3, round 2, Planica, 20 March 2016"] on [[Imgur]]. Retrieved 20 February 2017.</ref>

===Inrun===
[[File:Planica 2015 (16865497746).jpg|thumb|220px|An athlete descending the inrun, with the start gate visible at the top. The length of fabric propped up alongside by event personnel is to prevent the ice within the ski tracks from melting due to sunlight.]]
A ski jump or ski flight begins from the ''inrun'', a [[inclined plane|ramp structure]] at the top of [[ski jumping hill|the hill]] in the form of a tower, or set naturally against the hill formation. Access to this area is via [[ski lift]] or on foot. The inrun is {{convert|117.4|–|133.8|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length,{{refn|group=nb|[[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] has the shortest inrun length at 117.4&nbsp;m; [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] has the longest at 133.8&nbsp;m.}} inclined at an angle of 35–38.7&nbsp;degrees.{{refn|group=nb|[[Čerťák|Harrachov]] has the shallowest inrun angle at 35°; [[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze|Oberstdorf]] has the steepest at 38.7°.}} Since the late 1980s, when the [[V-style]] began enabling jumps dangerously close to flat ground, the full length of a ski flying inrun has never been used due to safety reasons.<ref name=heritage2006/> At the bottom of the inrun – specifically the very tip or edge of the structure – is the ''table'', which is set at a height of {{convert|2.42|–|4.75|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the hill surface.{{refn|group=nb|[[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] has the lowest table height at 2.42&nbsp;m; [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] has the highest at 4.75&nbsp;m.}} Contrary to popular misconception, the table is declined downwards instead of upwards,<ref name=popularmechanics/> with the angle of decline set between 10.5 and 11.25&nbsp;degrees.{{refn|group=nb|[[Čerťák|Harrachov]] has the shallowest table decline at 10.5°; [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] has the steepest at 11.3°.}}

===Pre-takeoff phase===
Near the top of the inrun, an athlete sits on a ''start gate'' – a metal or wooden beam – and awaits their signal to jump via a set of traffic lights (green, amber, and red).<ref name=wsjusa>[http://www.wsjusa.com/ski-jumping-101/ "Ski Jumping 101"]. [[Women's Ski Jumping USA]]. Retrieved 29 June 2015.</ref> These lights are operated directly by the assistant race director. An athlete may enter the gate when amber is shown.  The assistant race director may choose to hold amber for a maximum of sixty seconds, after which green or red must be shown. If red is shown after an athlete has entered the gate, the jury will have deemed the wind conditions to be unfavourable for a safe jump. The athlete must then carefully exit the gate as they had entered it and await another opportunity to jump. Failure to dismount the gate within five seconds of being shown a red light, or jumping without having been given the signal to go, will disqualify the athlete.<ref name=fisrules>[http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/Skijumping/04/32/51/ICRSkiJumping2013_marked-web_English.pdf "The International Ski Competition Rules (ICR)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924091547/http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/Skijumping/04/32/51/ICRSkiJumping2013_marked-web_English.pdf |date=24 September 2015 }} (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. October 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2015.</ref>

Wind speed is measured using [[anemometer]]s<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Halvor Egner Granerud]]'s first-round jump of the mixed team competition, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Mühlenkopfschanze|Willingen]] on 3 February 2023.</ref> in metres per second (m/s) in the form of [[headwind and tailwind|head-, tail-]] and [[crosswind]] components. In ski flying there are ten separate wind sectors that are measured along the hill, with five in a staggered arrangement on each side; in ski jumping there are seven or less sectors. A hard limit, or ''corridor of tolerance'', of 2&nbsp;m/s (6.5&nbsp;ft/s)<ref>Clarey, Christopher (11 February 1998). [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/11/sports/xviii-winter-games-ski-jumping-japan-s-great-expectations-become-frustrations.html "The XVIII Winter Games: Ski Jumping; Japan's Great Expectations Become Frustrations"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[The New York Times Company]]. Retrieved 10 February 2018.</ref><ref>Filipowska, Renata (2010). [https://suw.biblos.pk.edu.pl/downloadResource&mId=155638 "Description of a ski jumper's flight"] (PDF). [[Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology]]. Retrieved 10 February 2018.</ref> is permitted in any one sector at a time: if the limit is exceeded, all pending jumps are halted until winds settle to an acceptable level.<ref name=belson>Belson, Ken (12 February 2014). [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/sports/olympics/technology-gives-ski-jumping-hills-a-boost.html "Technology Gives Ski Jumping Hills a Boost"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[The New York Times Company]]. Retrieved 15 June 2015.</ref> Weather conditions must be optimal in order to jump competitively and safely, therefore they are actively monitored by the jury, who continuously collaborate with the race directors in making decisions on how an event will progress.<ref name=fisrules/> The resulting delays may last anywhere from under a minute, to many tens of minutes depending on how variable the conditions are. Athletes are not made aware of the conditions, whilst coaches are able to view them in real-time on a monitor.<ref>Post-competition analysis by [[Jernej Damjan]], from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 29 January 2023.</ref>

The position of the start gate determines the takeoff speed, or ''inrun speed'', creating a difference of as much as {{convert|10|kph|mph|abbr=on}} depending on whether the gate is set higher (thereby lengthening the inrun) or lower (shortening the inrun); the difference in height between individual gates is {{convert|0.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Ema Klinec]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Holmenkollbakken|Oslo]] on 4 February 2016.</ref> Personnel assigned to handle the gate are called ''starters''. Based on the jury's decision, the gate position – of which there are several available numbers – is subject to being adjusted accordingly, including between each jump. In especially tricky conditions, athletes may sometimes be forced to exit and re-enter the gate multiple times before they are cleared to jump.<ref>[[Associated Press]] (10 February 2018). [http://www.espn.co.uk/olympics/winter18/story/_/id/22391220/andreas-wellinger-claims-olympic-gold-normal-hill-ski-jumping "Andreas Wellinger claims Olympic gold in normal hill ski jumping"]. [[ESPN]]. Retrieved 20 March 2018.</ref> If an athlete is shown two consecutive red lights, they are allowed to unclip from their skis and wait for a ''test jumper'' or ''V-jumper'' (German: ''Vorspringer'') to further assess the conditions. The practice of gates being adjusted too often has become highly unpopular for athletes and audiences since the introduction of mid-round gate adjustments in 2010 (see [[#Wind and gate compensation]]).<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom and viewers' comments via e-mail during the second competition round, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 19 March 2017.</ref><ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom throughout the competition, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze|Oberstdorf]] on 19 January 2018.</ref>

If conditions are normal and a green light is shown, the athlete's coach – who is situated in a coaches' section lower down the inrun with a flag in hand – gives them the final signal to go;<ref name=fisrules/> coaches may sometimes have to whistle or give a shouted confirmation in low-visibility conditions.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Daniel-André Tande]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 18 March 2017.</ref> Once given this signal, the athlete must commit to their jump within ten seconds or else risk disqualification, and are no longer permitted to exit the gate. To begin descending the inrun, they drop down from the gate to a crouching position. Speed is rapidly picked up within seconds via built-in tracks, made from [[porcelain]] or [[ceramic]], into which the [[ski]]s are slotted. The athlete's streamlined crouch minimises [[drag (physics)|air resistance]] along the inrun,<ref name=spangler>[[Steve Spangler|Spangler, Steve]] (18 February 2010). [http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/blog/2010/02/18/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-the-science-of-olympic-ski-jumpers/ "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's the Science of Olympic Ski Jumpers"]. Steve Spangler Science. Retrieved 17 February 2016.</ref> whilst a further effort is made to reduce [[friction]] by not allowing the skis to bump too much against the sides of the tracks, as well as [[ski wax|wax]] being applied beforehand.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Dominik Peter]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 28 January 2023.</ref> Inrun speed is measured from the table using a [[radar gun]].

No [[ski pole]]s are used, and no assistance from others (such as being pushed from the gate) is allowed. In heavy snow conditions the tracks can become clogged up, which reduces inrun speed and may cause an unpredictable descent for athletes. At least 22 event personnel standing by the sides of the inrun are assigned to use [[leaf blower]]s to prevent the tracks from clogging up with snow.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Lovro Kos]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 28 January 2023.</ref>

===Takeoff and transition phase===
[[File:Planica 2015 (16684066127).jpg|thumb|220px|Leaving the table and about to enter the transition]]
Moments before being launched off the table, the athlete undergoes a sudden increase in [[g-force]] due to the curvature – or 'compression' – of the bottom of the inrun. They then initiate a very powerful, [[plyometrics|explosive jump]] that requires great leg strength.<ref name=snowcountry/><ref name=snowcountryjan98>[https://books.google.com/books?id=k-o-HmRiEFAC&pg=PA90 ''Snow Country''] pp. 90–91, at [[Google Books]]. January 1998. Retrieved 27 May 2015.</ref> At this instant the skis are opened up into a horizontal [[V-style|"V" shape]], legs straightened and spread apart, and arms held backwards as the athlete adopts their own unique flying position and enters the ''transition'', all in one fluid motion. This highly aerodynamic "V" essentially turns the athlete into a 'flying wing', all taking place in only a tenth of a second<ref name=wsjusa/> before the transition is then "closed"<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Stephan Leyhe]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Rukatunturi ski jumping hill|Kuusamo]] on 25 November 2018.</ref> and the flying position maintained until the end of the jump.

Timing is crucial and there is next to no margin for error at this phase.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Dawid Kubacki]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Audi Arena Oberstdorf|Oberstdorf]] on 29 December 2022.</ref> A jump that begins too early or late off the table can mean the difference between an excellent, average or poor effort.<ref name=Maughan>Maughan, Ronald J. (September 2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=c3hp-tNzNGgC&pg=PA350 ''The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine: An IOC Medical Commission Publication''] pp. 349–362, at [[Google Books]]. [[Wiley-Blackwell]]. Retrieved 3 February 2016.</ref> Each athlete has their own method of generating as much inrun speed as possible, depending on such intricacies as crouch depth, hip and knee angle, arm placement, or how far the torso is positioned over the knees.<ref>Analysis by [[Martin Schmitt]] during the competition build-up, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Große Olympiaschanze|Garmisch-Partenkirchen]] on 1 January 2016.</ref> Body weight is also a significant factor (see [[power-to-weight ratio]]), which has led to some athletes' health becoming a concern over the past two decades.<ref>Hersh, Philip (16 January 2002). [https://web.archive.org/web/20161124091947/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/16 January 2002/sports/0201160397_1_top-jumpers-alan-alborn-sven-hannawald "Are ski jumpers too thin?"]. ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. [[Tribune Publishing]]. Retrieved 18 January 2016.</ref><ref>Longman, Jeré (11 February 2010). [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/sports/olympics/12skijump.html "Battle of Weight Versus Gain in Ski Jumping"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[The New York Times Company]]. Retrieved 18 January 2016.</ref><ref>Futterman, Matthew (7 February 2014). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304626804579360660727087526 "2014 Sochi Olympics: Imperfect Bodies, Seeking Olympic Perfection"]. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''. [[News Corp (2013–present)|News Corp]]. Retrieved 18 January 2016.</ref>

Takeoff is the most dangerous stage of a jump, and is when accidents most often occur. The biggest challenge for the athlete is carrying the speed forwards from the inrun with sufficient height over the ''knoll'', and achieving the correct trajectory down the hill.<ref name=sportscience>Garrett Jr., William E. et al. (2000). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Cx22TcXodrwC&pg=PA44 ''Exercise and Sport Science''], pp. 44–45, at [[Google Books]]. [[Lippincott Williams & Wilkins]]. Retrieved 19 January 2016.</ref> The knoll is the highest point of the hill itself, from which it begins to slope downwards. On modern ski flying hills the table is placed considerably far back from the knoll, so as to reduce the steepness of the flight curve. Skilled athletes are able to aggressively 'snap' into the transition so as to clear the knoll with ease, thereby allowing them to focus completely on using their flying technique to maximise distance further down the hill.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Vincent Descombes Sevoie]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 13 February 2016.</ref> All athletes have greatly varying flight curves,<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] after [[Constantin Schmid]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 27 January 2023.</ref> each with their own advantages and disadvantages; a flight curve that is too steep or shallow (see [[angle of attack]]) is unfavourable. Those of the highest skill level can also consistently compensate for a lack of inrun speed with perfect timing off the table and an excellent transition.

There is a fine line between aggressiveness and over-aggressiveness at takeoff.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Andraž Pograjc]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 13 February 2016.</ref> One of the most common mistakes made by athletes, including those at world class level, is to raise the ski tips too much during the transition.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Yukiya Sato]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 27 January 2023.</ref> This excessive angle of attack causes the skis to act more as a [[spoiler (aeronautics)|spoiler]] than an efficient aerodynamic device to cut through the air,<ref>Nørstrud, Helge (2008). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Tu704QYtF4UC&pg=PA163 ''Sport Aerodynamics''] pp. 139–160, at [[Google Books]]. [[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer-Verlag Wien]]. Retrieved 3 February 2016.</ref> resulting in more height than distance. Conversely, if an athlete over-[[aircraft principal axes#Transverse axis (pitch)|rotates]]<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Domen Prevc]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Wielka Krokiew|Zakopane]] on 17 January 2021.</ref> and leans too far forward between their skis, they will sacrifice height as well as distance. In a well-executed jump, athletes will spend several seconds longer airborne than in ski jumping – up to five seconds more – which requires a different level of skill in order to sustain flight for a longer period, and showcases how the role of aerodynamics is magnified in ski flying. Not all athletes who excel in ski jumping are able do so in ski flying (see [[#Specialists]]), and it can be difficult for them to hone their skills in the latter due to the hills being off-limits when competitions are not staged.

===Flight phase and equipment===
[[File:Anders Jacobsen World Cup Ski flying Vikersund 2011.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Anders Jacobsen (ski jumper)|Anders Jacobsen]] in the flight phase]]
Once the athlete has taken flight, characteristics similar to that of a [[glider (aircraft)|glider]] come into force.<ref name=spangler/> Ski flyers are able to cover such tremendous distances and land safely primarily due to the skis they use, which are substantially wider and longer than their [[cross-country skiing|cross-country]] or [[Alpine skiing]] counterparts.<ref name=seattletimes/><ref>[http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/ski-jumping-101-equipment "Ski jumping 101: Equipment"]. [[NBC]]. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.</ref> Each ski is first clipped in securely at the front of the [[ski boot|boot]], which is placed nearer the tail end of the ski and has an exaggerated forward slant. The heel of the boot is then attached to a wedge on the ski using a hinged [[ski binding|binding]] peg and backup strap,<ref name=fisequipment>[http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/AlpineSkiing/04/31/04/Competitionequipment_1314_30.09.2013_clean_Neutral.pdf "Specifications for Competition Equipment and Commercial Markings"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213101404/http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/AlpineSkiing/04/31/04/Competitionequipment_1314_30.09.2013_clean_Neutral.pdf |date=13 February 2014 }} (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 24 June 2015.</ref> allowing the athlete to lean forward into their preferred aerodynamic position and spread the skis wide apart.<ref name=popularmechanics/>

Much like aircraft wings, the skis are flexible to an extent, resulting in them bending and vibrating significantly upon takeoff. Maintaining stability in the air is paramount: a loss of balance, or a differential pressure under the skis, can lead to disaster (see [[list of ski flying accidents]]). Some athletes have a tendency to [[yaw (rotation)|yaw]] over to one side of the hill, a technical defiency (often caused by uneven leg strength) which invariably shortens their jump distance.<ref>Commentary by Simon Golding after [[Anže Semenič]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze|Oberstdorf]] on 2 February 2019.</ref><ref>[http://i.imgur.com/nrqfwSo.jpg "Sebastian Colloredo, individual competition 1, round 1, Planica, 24 March 2017"] on [[Imgur]]. Retrieved 25 March 2017.</ref>

Skilful use of headwind and [[lift (soaring)#Thermals|thermal updrafts]] along various sections of the hill is used to generate additional [[lift (force)|lift]], creating pressure under the oversized skis and enabling athletes to effectively ride on a 'cushion of air'.<ref name=heritage2011/><ref name=stone/> Mastering the wind conditions is an overwhelmingly important part of ski flying. A reasonable amount of headwind is favourable to a long jump as it has the effect of keeping the athlete aloft and delaying their descent back onto the hill. Conversely, despite providing somewhat of a boost in speed,<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Daiki Ito]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Gross-Titlis-Schanze|Engelberg]] on 16 December 2018.</ref> a tailwind is unfavourable and tends to shorten a jump by pushing the athlete downwards towards the hill prematurely.<ref name=reuters2014>Ljunggren, David (15 February 2014). [https://web.archive.org/web/20180321130401/https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-skijumping-night/ski-jumping-its-2-am-do-you-know-where-your-athletes-are-idUKBREA1E07420140215 "Ski jumping - It's 2 AM: do you know where your athletes are?"]. [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 20 March 2018.</ref><ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] after [[Lovro Kos]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Mühlenkopfschanze|Willingen]] on 4 February 2023.</ref> Even more unfavourable are 'dead' conditions – or no wind at all – which can cause the air pressure to vanish unexpectedly in mid-jump and force the athlete to fall from a dangerous height.

In particular, a tailwind forms one of the most challenging aspects of clearing the knoll and achieving a competitive distance. A crosswind is just as challenging, as it can create dangerous instability in the air. Ideal headwind conditions can allow an athlete to 'catch' an updraft or 'bump'<ref>Commentary during [[Matti Hautamäki]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 23 March 2002.</ref> against it at various points of the hill – which always involves some degree of luck<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Karl Geiger]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Salpausselkä (ski jump)|Lahti]] on 21 February 2016.</ref> – and use it to glide even further, making for an impressive visual effect for audiences.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/EurosportDE/videos/1380472655356822/ "Ihr habt noch nie einen Menschen mit Skiern an den Füßen 253,5 Meter weit durch die Luft fliegen sehen?"] on [[Facebook]]. Event occurs at time 00:19. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.</ref>

To further aid athletes in gliding as aerodynamically as possible, they wear a one-piece fabric bodysuit more similar to a [[wingsuit flying|wingsuit]] than a [[ski suit]]. It is composed of five layers and is both loose-fitting and [[porosity#Porosity of fabric or aerodynamic porosity|porous]] enough to allow up to {{convert|52|L|gal}} of air to enter and {{convert|40|L|gal|abbr=on}} to pass through.<ref>Analysis by [[Andreas Goldberger]] during the mid-competition intermission, from the [[ORF (broadcaster)|ORF]] broadcast in [[Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium|Pyeongchang]], 16 February 2016.</ref> This generates yet more lift, but the amount of slack is stringently regulated by the FIS so as to not allow for excessive bagginess and thereby reducing its wingsuit-, sail- or parachute-like properties.<ref>Ljunggren, David (7 February 2014). [https://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics-ski-jumping-retirement-thoughts-ammann-back-more-100032388--spt.html "Olympics-Ski jumping-After retirement thoughts, Ammann back for more"]. [[Yahoo!]]. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> In the early 2000s, bodysuits had reached exceptionally baggy proportions,<ref>''[[Asahi Shimbun]]'' (27 January 2001). [https://www.gettyimages.ae/event/the-asahi-shimbun-108296450#/california-governor-arnold-schwarzenegger-shakes-hands-with-japanese-picture-id108296634 "Adam Malysz of Poland competes in day one of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Sapporo at Okurayama Jump Stadium on January 27, 2001 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan."]. [[Getty Images]]. Retrieved 20 March 2018.</ref> resulting in humorous comparisons to [[flying squirrel]]s;<ref name=heritage2011/> a ban on these baggy suits came into effect soon after. The level of slack for bodysuits is measured by FIS scrutineers at ''equipment control'', led by Christian Kathol, before and after each jump.<ref>[https://www.fis-ski.com/en/ski-jumping/ski-jumping-news-multimedia/news/2022-23/new-equipment-controller-in-ski-jumping "New equipment controller in Ski Jumping"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.</ref> If the level is exceeded, that athlete is disqualified due to an ''equipment violation''.<ref>Moores, Grace (16 February 2014). [http://thrivesports.com/2014/02/16/anders-johnson-disqualified-equipment-violation/ "Anders Johnson disqualified for equipment violation"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617194403/http://thrivesports.com/2014/02/16/anders-johnson-disqualified-equipment-violation/ |date=17 June 2015 }}. ''Thrive Sports''. Thrive Entertainment Network. Retrieved 15 June 2015.</ref> Gloves are also checked and cannot be oversized.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Alex Insam]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 17 March 2023.</ref>

===Landing phase and distance measurement===
[[File:SFC Vikersund 2012 Dimitry Vassiliev.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Dimitry Vassiliev]] in the landing phase]]
The ultimate aim is to land on, or ideally surpass, a line marked across the hill called the ''[[construction point|K-point]]'', ''critical point'', or ''calculation line''. In order to attain the most points from the style judges, athletes strive for a ''[[Telemark skiing|Telemark]]'' landing: instead of landing with simply both feet together (a ''two-footed'' landing), one foot is planted clearly in front of the other (without sliding the skis), the other knee bent, both feet held no more than four ski widths' apart, and the body held stable with a straight back and arms outstretched. This pose must be maintained until the ''outrun'' – a line at the very end of the hill, where the slope has fully flattened out – is reached.<ref name=wsjusa/> The exact placement of landing is measured between the athlete's front and back feet.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[David Kubacki]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze|Oberstdorf]] on 19 March 2022.</ref> Failing to make a Telemark landing results in a loss of style points. Considerably more points are lost if a landing fails before the outrun line, such as falling over or touching the ground with any part of the body except the feet. When the hill begins to flatten out, it becomes increasingly difficult to make a Telemark landing.

[[File:Telemark landing Miyanomori.jpg|thumb|220px|Telemark landing]]
Jump distance is measured from the edge of the table to the placement of landing by increments of 0.5&nbsp;m. This is done using electronic and video monitoring systems together with event personnel assigned to observe jumps by the side of the hill; the latter are known as ''distance measurers'' or ''backup judges'',<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Gregor Schlierenzauer]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium|Pyeongchang]] on 10 February 2018.</ref> who declare a visual approximation of each jump in case the digital technology fails.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Antti Aalto]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex|Lake Placid]] on 11 February 2023.</ref> If enough jumps exceed 95% of the [[hill size]] – the zone where the slope begins to flatten out – an immediate discussion is held between the jury and race director, which usually results in the start gate being lowered so as to reduce inrun speeds and therefore distances.<ref name=38forum/> For spectators and judges, increments of 5&nbsp;m are clearly indicated by rows of [[fir]] across the hill; a painted red line is used for the K-point, and a dashed red line for the hill size. Both sides of the hill are also marked highly visible in red to indicate the ''landing zone'', while the point beyond the hill size is marked in green on the sides. The current leading jump – the distance 'to beat' – is laser-projected as a bright green line across the hill, visible to everyone including TV viewers.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Philipp Aschenwald]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex|Lake Placid]] on 11 February 2023.</ref>
{{clear}}

==Scoring and judging==
===Distance points===
Ski flying uses [[FIS Ski Jumping World Cup#Scoring system|the same points system]] as ski jumping, but with two differences.<ref name=fisrules/> In ski jumping, an athlete who reaches the K-point receives 60 points as a base mark for distance; in ski flying it is 120 points. For every metre beyond the K-point, ''bonus points'' are awarded. In ski jumping, a metre has a value of 2 points for [[ski jumping hill#Classification|normal hills]] and 1.8 points for [[ski jumping hill#Classification|large hills]]; in ski flying, a metre is worth 1.2 points. These bonus points are then added to those received from reaching the K-point. Failing to reach the K-point instead results in a deduction of points from the base mark to the same aforementioned values. Examples:
* If an athlete lands a jump of {{convert|190|m|ft|abbr=on}} on a ski flying hill with a K-point of 185&nbsp;m, they will receive 126 points: 120 for reaching the K-point, plus 6 bonus points for {{convert|5|m|ft|abbr=on}} beyond that (5 × 1.2 = 6)
* If an athlete lands a jump of {{convert|187.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} on a hill with a K-point of 200&nbsp;m, they will receive 105 points: from 120 which would have been the K-point, their failure to reach it by {{convert|12.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} results in minus 15 distance points (12.5 × 1.2 = 15)

===Style points===
[[File:Buskerud Vikersund ski jumping hills - judges tower 2010-03-13 K185 1a.jpg|thumb|Judges' observation tower next to the hill in Vikersund, 2010]]
Another crucial element of scoring are ''style points'' awarded by the judges.<ref name=wsjusa/> Five representatives are selected from different countries, who are situated in an observation tower by the side of the hill. A new set of judges are selected for every competition. They each award points up to 20, in increments of 0.5, based on stylistic merit:
* An athlete's skis should be kept flat, steady and symmetrical during flight, avoiding excessive 'paddling' or an inward cant
* Good balance, an efficient body position and posture should be maintained with minimal arm movement
* The landing should be in a Telemark manner
* If a Telemark landing is not made, 2 style points are deducted
* If a landing is made but fails before the outrun line, a maximum of 5 style points must be deducted

Notably, both the highest and lowest judges' scores are omitted to cancel out any discrepancy, giving a maximum of 60 style points. A perfect jump on a K200 hill would therefore garner a minimum of 180 points (120 distance points + 60 style points) or more, depending on bonus points. However, such a scenario is only an example and not representative of the highly variable nature of the sport. Gaining one or more scores of 20 is very rare, and five is extremely rare. Generally, a good to excellent jump can be expected to receive judges' scores of 18 to 19.5. While a lower score for style puts an athlete at the risk of being less competitive, this may be mitigated or even nullified if they have attained substantial bonus points for distance.

For the [[2021–22 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2021–22 World Cup season]], judges began using [[instant replay]] to review landings after each jump.<ref>Pre-competition commentary by David Goldstrom from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze|Bischofshofen]] on 5 January 2022.</ref>

===Wind and gate compensation===
For the [[2009–10 FIS Ski Flying World Cup|2009–10 Ski Flying World Cup season]], beginning in Oberstdorf, and from thereon used at all ski flying and ski jumping events, a supplementary points system was introduced. This system takes into account the wind speed and direction during each jump, as well as mid-round start gate adjustments, in order to enable a more fair contest.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/document/General/04/23/02/July292009NewrulesatSkiJumpingandNordicCombinedSummerGrandPrix2009_Neutral.pdf "Important New Rules in Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222034642/http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/document/General/04/23/02/July292009NewrulesatSkiJumpingandNordicCombinedSummerGrandPrix2009_Neutral.pdf |date=22 February 2014 }} (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 10 February 2018.</ref> If a headwind is present, this is deemed as wind assistance and unfairly advantageous, with points therefore deducted as ''compensation''; if a tailwind is present, this is deemed to be a disadvantage and additional points are awarded instead. The amount of deduction or addition is calculated via linear [[coefficient]] using complex instrumentation which analyses the wind conditions at the time of a jump.<ref>Virmavirta, Mikko; Kivekäs, Juha (5 December 2011). [http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14763141.2011.637119?src=recsys&journalCode=rspb20 "The effect of wind on jumping distance in ski jumping – fairness assessed"]. [[Taylor & Francis]]. Retrieved 7 January 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.aipsmedia.com/index.php?page=news&cod=8995 "Ski Jumping Committee reviews suits, wind compensation and new host venues"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108002619/http://www.aipsmedia.com/index.php?page=news&cod=8995 |date=8 January 2017 }}. Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2017.</ref> The value of the points themselves are in minimum increments of 0.1, and this value varies from hill to hill.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Decker Dean]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 17 March 2023.</ref> More points are received for a tailwind than headwind.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom and [[Jernej Damjan]] after [[Antti Aalto]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Bloudkova velikanka|Planica]] on 25 February 2023.</ref>

The second aspect of the compensation system involves the start gate position. If the gate is changed at any point during a round after at least one athlete has jumped, all subsequent athletes are individually penalised with a points deduction based on how many positions the gate was moved up, or awarded additional points for the gate being lowered. In variable wind conditions requiring either a higher or lower inrun speed than originally anticipated, it is not uncommon for many gate changes to be made as a round wears on. In the era prior to gate compensation, athletes who had jumped before a gate adjustment had to quickly make their way back up the hill to jump again, which was always logistically difficult to arrange due to time constraints. Collectively the system is known as ''wind/gate compensation'', as points gained or lost due to the wind element are set against points gained or lost from gate changes, which is then reflected in an athlete's points score after a jump.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Maciej Kot]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Wielka Krokiew|Zakopane]] on 20 January 2019.</ref>

A less commonly used feature of gate compensation is that an athlete's coach may make a tactical decision to request the jury to lower the gate if they believe there is potential ground to be made in terms of points, at the cost of inrun speed;<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Richard Freitag]]'s first-round jump, from the Eurosport 1 broadcast in [[Mühlenkopfschanze|Willingen]] on 2 February 2018.</ref><ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Marius Lindvik]]'s qualification jump, from the Eurosport 1 broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 16 March 2018.</ref> only coaches are permitted to make this request, and only to a lower gate rather than a higher one.<ref>Commentary by [[Jernej Damjan]] before [[Domen Prevc]]'s second-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Kulm (ski flying venue)|Kulm]] on 28 January 2023.</ref>

==Event details==
A ski flying event consists of several preliminary stages, culminating in a competition to decide a winner and subsequent order.<ref name=fiscompetitionrules>[http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/Skijumping/03/20/44/WCRGLJ-Men-1314_E-D-withcover_Neutral.pdf "Rules for the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup (Men)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924073126/http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/Skijumping/03/20/44/WCRGLJ-Men-1314_E-D-withcover_Neutral.pdf |date=24 September 2015 }} (PDF). [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. Retrieved 23 November 2016.</ref> Within an event there are up to three competitions – individual, and sometimes team – all taking place on separate days. These competitions are contested somewhat differently depending on whether an event is staged as part of the [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships|Ski Flying World Championships]] or [[FIS Ski Flying World Cup|Ski Flying World Cup]]. In both events, a ''training'' round takes place on the opening day, as well as a ''trial'' round before each competition; these non-scoring rounds are practice or warm-up sessions, and athlete participation is optional.

===Individual competitions===
====Ski Flying World Championships====
In this event there is a ''qualification'' round on the opening day, in which up to 70 athletes each jump once to ensure their place for the competition. 40 of these places are available in the first competition, which is narrowed down to 30 for the second competition and remains that way. The ''starting order'' of jumps in the qualification round is based on the athletes' current rank within the [[FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|Ski Jumping World Cup]] standings in reverse order of points: the leader (who is assigned a distinctive yellow bib) jumps last. The result of qualification determines the order of jumps in the first competition round; the winner of the qualification receives prize money, and is again the last to jump.

The event proper is a tournament composed of two competitions, with two rounds each. In the very first round, all 40 qualified athletes complete a single jump. After points for distance and style are achieved, only the top 30 scorers from the first round proceed to the second, while the rest are eliminated from the event. In round two, the starting order is based on the results of the first round: the lowest scoring athlete jumps first, while the leader has the last jump of that competition. For the second competition, the starting order for round three uses the results from the first competition, with athletes again jumping in ascending order of points. After the fourth and final round, the athlete with the most points accumulated from both competitions is declared the Ski Flying World Champion.

====Ski Flying World Cup====
Events under the Ski Flying World Cup have several differences to the Ski Flying World Championships. The latter is an isolated, one-off event in the same vein as the [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|Ski Jumping World Championships]] and [[ski jumping at the Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]], whereas the Ski Flying World Cup is part of the overall Ski Jumping World Cup season, and uses the same points system. These points contribute towards both Ski Flying and Ski Jumping World Cup standings; the former being effectively a 'mini season' within the latter. A feature shared with the Ski Flying World Championships is that the starting order switches over from the Ski Jumping World Cup standings to the Ski Flying World Cup standings after the first qualification round of the latter, and remains that way for all subsequent events.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Martti Nõmme]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 16 March 2018.</ref>

Much like in the Ski Jumping World Cup, events are composed of usually one or two individual competitions (rarely three, as was the case in both Vikersund and Planica in [[2015–16 FIS Ski Flying World Cup|2016]]), with a qualification round before each one. If there are two competitions, qualification for the second takes place on the same day. The limit of 40 places per competition still applies (unless a cancelled ski jumping competition is rescheduled to a flying hill), but unlike the Ski Flying World Championships, if an athlete fails to qualify for one competition they still have the opportunity to make a fresh start and qualify for the others. Eliminated athletes from qualification can also apply to be test jumpers for the opportunity to gain further ski flying experience.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Junshirō Kobayashi]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 16 March 2018.</ref> If the very last competition of a World Cup season takes place on a ski flying hill, only the top-30 ranked athletes will participate as an 'invitational', with neither an elimination process after the first round, nor a qualification round.

To have a chance of winning a competition, two consistently good jumps must be made. If an athlete finds themselves in an uncompetitive position after the first round, their challenge in the second is to make up ground via the attrition of other athletes, their own distance and style points, and wind/gate compensation. For an athlete who had a poor jump in round one, it is possible for them to climb up the order in round two with an exceptional jump, and if other competitors fall by the wayside. Conversely, a high-scoring athlete may lose their advantage from round one if their second jump is not up to par.

===Cancellations===
[[File:SFC Vikersund 2012 Team podium.jpg|thumb|250px|Team competition podium ceremony in Vikersund, 2012. From left to right: Germany, Austria, Slovenia.]]
A common situation in ski jumping, and especially ski flying due to the magnified risks overall, arises when unfavourable weather conditions cause a competition to be cut short or cancelled completely; it is also not uncommon for an entire event to be cancelled. Reasons include strong winds, a lack of (or too much) snow, or poor visibility for athletes and judges.

In the case of a shortened competition, the scores from the first round (if completed) are used to determine the final result. This is called a single-round competition and still counts towards both the Ski Flying and Ski Jumping World Cup. For the World Championships, if one of the two competitions is cancelled, the final result will be based on the competition that took place.

===Team competitions===
As in ski jumping, team competitions are often included at ski flying events. These are contested as part of the World Cup, but points instead count towards a separate Nations Cup for teams; athletes' individual World Cup standings are unaffected, although points scored in individual competitions also count towards the Nations Cup. A national team is made up of four athletes selected by their head coach. There can be upwards of eight teams from different countries, providing they are able to field a full team of four.

Just like individual competitions, there are two rounds, but with a difference. Each round is divided into four rotations, in which a member of every team jumps once in the same order. Points are scored the same as they are in individual competitions, but an athlete's points for a jump are instead added to their team's total tally. The starting order of teams in the first round, and first three rotations of the second round, is based on their standings in the Nations Cup. Teams are narrowed down to eight for the second round based on points scored, with the same four athletes jumping in their order of rotation as before.

In the very last rotation, the starting order of teams switches to that of the points tally going in; the athlete on the leading team jumps last. The winning team is the one with the most points at the end of the competition, after which the top three final teams (or more in the event of a tie) participate in a podium ceremony.

==Specialists==
[[File:20150927 FIS Summer Grand Prix Hinzenbach 4619.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Stefan Kraft]] held the men's world record between 2017 and 2025]]
{{See also|List of longest ski jumps}}
A number of athletes have been regarded as ski flying specialists for their ability to consistently produce very long jumps and often world records. Those who are currently active with notable ski flying achievements include (as of 2023):
*[[Stefan Kraft]] – three-time Ski Flying World Cup champion; nicknamed "Air Kraft" by Eurosport.<ref>[http://video.eurosport.co.uk/ski-jumping/air-kraft-soars-to-ski-flying-win-at-oberstdorf_vid957736/video.shtml "Video - 'Air Kraft' soars to ski flying win at Oberstdorf"]. [[Eurosport]]. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.</ref>
*[[Domen Prevc]] – current world record holder with {{convert|254.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

Retired athletes who excelled at ski flying:
* [[Matti Nykänen]] – only five-time World Championship medallist (gold in [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1985|1985]]); only male five-time world record holder; described by [[Al Trautwig]] as "perhaps the most talented ski flyer around", and by [[Jeff Hastings]] as "the best 'aviator' out there today; he knows how to fly."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6qFA2msTb8#t=0h6m18s "Ski Flying and crashing Ski Jumping at its best and most dangerous"] on [[YouTube]]. Event occurs at times 1:52–1:55 and 6:18–6:21. Retrieved 6 February 2021.</ref> In a survey of contemporary athletes in 2018, Nykänen was voted the greatest ski jumper of all time.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Peter Prevc]]'s qualification jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Vikersundbakken|Vikersund]] on 16 March 2018.</ref>
* [[Matti Hautamäki]] – four-time world record holder; first to land a jump of 230&nbsp;m.
* [[Martin Koch (ski jumper)|Martin Koch]] – ski flying expert.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=martin-koch-giving-his-all-his-last-season.html "Martin Koch: Giving his all in his last season"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135556/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=martin-koch-giving-his-all-his-last-season.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref>
* [[Johan Remen Evensen]] – two-time world record holder; first to land a jump of 240&nbsp;m.
* [[Bjørn Einar Romøren]] – two-time world record holder.
* [[Tommy Ingebrigtsen]] – two-time world record holder.
* [[Walter Steiner]] – [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1972|1972]] and [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1977|1977 World Champion]]; former world record holder.
* [[Andreas Goldberger]] – [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1996|1996 World Champion]] and runner-up in [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1992|1992]]; two-time Ski Flying World Cup champion; former world record holder; first to unofficially land a jump of 200&nbsp;m.
* [[Sven Hannawald]] – [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2000|2000]] and [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2002|2002 World Champion]]; two-time Ski Flying World Cup champion.
* [[Roar Ljøkelsøy]] – [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2004|2004]] and [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2006|2006 World Champion]]; described by David Goldstrom as "one of the top ski flyers of his time."<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom after [[Andreas Wank]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 24 March 2017.</ref>
* [[Mike Holland (ski jumper)|Mike Holland]] – last American ski jumper to hold a world record; has said "Ski flying was my speciality."<ref name=holland/>
* [[Robert Kranjec]] – [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2012|2012 World Champion]]; two-time Ski Flying World Cup champion; widely acknowledged as a ski flying expert.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=ski-flying-expert-robert-kranjec-takes-his-first-win-this-season.html "Ski flying expert Robert Kranjec takes his first win this season"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216012557/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=ski-flying-expert-robert-kranjec-takes-his-first-win-this-season.html |date=16 February 2016 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=sfwc-all-eyes-harrachov.html "SFWC: All eyes on Harrachov"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140043/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=sfwc-all-eyes-harrachov.html |date=24 September 2015 }}. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.sloveniatimes.com/kranjec-lives-up-to-ski-flying-reputation "Kranjec lives up to ski-flying reputation"]. ''[[The Slovenia Times]]''. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.</ref>
* [[Jurij Tepeš]] – ski flying expert.<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norwegians-fly-gold-the-team-event.html "Norway flies to gold in Ski Flying Worlds Team Event"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220082145/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norwegians-fly-gold-the-team-event.html |date=20 February 2016 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.</ref>
* [[Noriaki Kasai]] – [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 1992|1992 World Champion]].
* [[Gregor Schlierenzauer]] – three-time Ski Flying World Cup champion; holds the most Ski Flying World Cup wins, with 14.
* [[Peter Prevc]] - [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2016|2016 World Champion]]; three-time Ski Flying World Cup champion; former world record holder; first to land a jump of 250&nbsp;m.

==Women in ski flying==
[[File:20230211 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Women Hinzenbach Nika Prevc 850 6801.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Nika Prevc]] has held the women's world record since March 2025]]
Women have also had a limited presence in ski flying. Since March 2025, the [[list of longest ski jumps#Women|women's world record]] has stood at {{convert|236|m|ft|abbr=on}}, set by [[Nika Prevc]] in Vikersund.<ref>[https://www.fis-ski.com/en/ski-jumping/ski-jumping-news-multimedia/news/2022-23/ema-klinec-wins-ski-flying-and-raw-air "Ema Klinec wins ski flying and RAW AIR"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.</ref> A previous record of 200&nbsp;m, set by [[Daniela Iraschko-Stolz]] in Kulm, stood for two decades from 2003 to 2023.<ref name=heritage2009>Rempel, Byron (March 2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=iaHYqVNDprwC&pg=PA16 ''Skiing Heritage Journal''], pp. 16–21, at [[Google Books]]. International Skiing History Association. Retrieved 8 July 2015.</ref> Also in Kulm, [[Eva Ganster]] set an unprecedented six world records for women (an amount since unmatched by any woman or man) in a span of five days in 1997, bringing her personal best to a final figure of {{convert|167|m|ft|abbr=on}}. After women were first allowed to participate in the World Cup in the [[2021–22 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2011–12 season]], former World Cup champions [[Sarah Hendrickson]], [[Sara Takanashi]], and [[Maren Lundby]] all expressed a desire to try ski flying,<ref name=hendrickson>Rakic, Riikka (3 December 2014). [http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/snow/stories/1331693297663/interview-with-ski-jumper-sarah-hendrickson "Former child prodigy Hendrickson writes history"]. [[Red Bull]]. Retrieved 19 February 2016.</ref><ref name=planica2016>[http://www.planica.si/index.php?t=News&id=1271&l=en "Perfect end of the season - double win for Slovenia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323190903/http://www.planica.si/index.php?t=News&id=1271&l=en |date=23 March 2016 }}. planica.si. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref><ref>Holuch, Luis (2 February 2017). [http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Articles/0189-Luis+on+Ski+Jumping+Hill+Tournament%3A+the+dream+of+flying+-+%28possibly%29+becomes+reality "Luis on Ski Jumping Hill Tournament: the dream of flying - (possibly) becomes reality"]. skisprungschanzen.com. Retrieved 8 February 2017.</ref> but no serious progress was made until 2021.

In 2004, four female athletes – [[Anette Sagen]], [[Helena Olsson Smeby]], [[Line Jahr]], and [[Lindsey Van]] – were invited to perform test jumps prior to the men's [[2003–04 FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup|2004 Continental Cup]] event in Vikersund. However, this was initially blocked by [[Torbjørn Yggeseth]], founder of the World Cup and a member of the FIS technical committee at the time, on the grounds that it was too dangerous to allow women on ski flying hills. Sagen challenged this and eventually won the right to jump from the hill, along with her fellow athletes. Both Sagen and Smeby jumped {{convert|174.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>Jones, Molly (19 March 2015). [http://www.norwegianamerican.com/sports/anette-sagen-retires-from-ski-jumping/ "Anette Sagen retires from ski jumping"]. The Norwegian American. Retrieved 31 December 2016.</ref> Van completed two more jumps in Vikersund in 2009, after which ski flying test jumps for women were discontinued.<ref name=pinelli>Pinelli, Brian (18 April 2022). [https://www.infobae.com/aroundtherings/articles/2022/04/18/female-ski-jumpers-poised-to-ski-fly-in-norway/ "Female ski jumpers poised to 'Ski Fly' in Norway"]. ''[[Infobae]]''. Daniel Hadad. Retrieved 16 May 2022.</ref>

On 17 April 2021, the FIS held a vote on a proposal to allow women on flying hills in time for the [[2021–22 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2022 Raw Air tournament]] in Vikersund.<ref>Søreide, Frode (17 April 2021). [https://www.nrk.no/sport/kvinnene-far-ikkje-hoppe-skiflyging_-_-vi-blir-rett-og-slett-motarbeida-1.15460546 "Kvinnene får ikkje hoppe skiflyging: – Vi blir rett og slett motarbeida"] (in Norwegian). [[NRK]]. Retrieved 16 May 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.svt.se/sport/backhoppning/skidflygning "Svenska backhopparen efter beskedet: "Väldigt tragiskt""] (in Swedish). [[Sveriges Television|SVT]]. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.</ref> The proposal was turned down by a vote of 9–7 against. Included amongst the nations who voted against were Austria, Germany and Poland; Norway were strongly in support. [[Jessica Jerome]], Lundby and Hendrickson were disappointed with the decision, whilst Bertil Pålsrud (a member of the FIS equipment committee) said he was confident of Vikersund staging a ski flying event for women in 2023. In the meantime, it was announced that women would compete for the first time on the world's largest ski jumping hill in [[Mühlenkopfschanze|Willingen]] during the [[2021–22 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2021–22 World Cup season]]. Due to its size, Willingen has been described as essentially a "small flying hill", which would serve as preparation for women's ski flying events.<ref>[https://www.fis-ski.com/en/ski-jumping/ski-jumping-news-multimedia/news/2020-21/no-ski-flying-yet-for-the-women-next-winter "No Ski Flying yet for the women next winter"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.</ref><ref>Albert, Jason (27 April 2021). [https://fasterskier.com/2021/04/ski-flyings-glass-ceiling/ "Ski Flying's Glass Ceiling"]. FasterSkier. Retrieved 16 December 2021.</ref>

A year later, on 13 April 2022, the FIS Sub-Committee voted unanimously in favour of women participating in ski flying. Their proposal was to stage a competition in Vikersund for the top 15 female ski jumpers, as part of the 2023 [[Raw Air]] tournament.<ref>[https://www.fis-ski.com/en/ski-jumping/ski-jumping-news-multimedia/news/2022-23/women-shall-get-to-ski-fly "Women shall get to ski fly"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.</ref> Responding to this news, Lindsey Van said, "It is a huge step forward in the progression of the sport – there have only been seven women to go ski flying in the history of the sport, so it's a big deal. Ski flying is the pinnacle of the sport."<ref name=pinelli/> [[Ema Klinec]] went on to win the first ever women's ski flying competition in Vikersund, during which the women's world record was broken four times – Klinec achieving this twice, with jumps of 203&nbsp;m and 226&nbsp;m.

==Norway–Slovenia rivalry==
Ever since its inception in 1936, ski flying has centred around Slovenia, and more recently Norway. The very first recorded jumps of 100 and 200&nbsp;m, together with a total of 41 world records, have been set on two different hills in the [[Alps|Alpine]] valley of [[Planica]]: ''[[Bloudkova velikanka]]'', which has since been re-established as a ski jumping [[ski jumping hill#Classification|large hill]], and its successor ''[[Letalnica bratov Gorišek]]'', dubbed the "monster hill".<ref name=doublevictory>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=double-victory-for-slovenia-68768.html "Double victory for Slovenia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124181837/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=double-victory-for-slovenia-68768.html |date=24 November 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.</ref> Since [[1996–97 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|1997]], with very few exceptions, the [[FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|Ski Jumping World Cup]] has traditionally held its season finale in Planica. This takes place usually on ''Letalnica'', but is occasionally moved to ''Bloudkova'' (most recently in [[2013–14 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2014]], during renovation at ''Letalnica'').

After being renovated in 2011, [[Vikersundbakken]] in the Norwegian town of [[Vikersund]] has been the world's pre-eminent ski flying hill, and the rivalry with Planica was renewed after more than twenty years of the latter's dominance of world records.<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom before [[Kamil Stoch]]'s first-round jump, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 26 March 2021.</ref> Six world records have been set in Vikersund, which has also been dubbed the ''Monsterbakken'' ("monster hill").<ref>Commentary by David Goldstrom during the pre-qualification build-up, from the [[Eurosport 1]] broadcast in [[Letalnica bratov Gorišek|Planica]] on 22 March 2018.</ref> All world records from 1987 onwards have been set exclusively in Planica and Vikersund.

Slovenian athletes were highly successful in Planica between [[2011–12 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2012]] and [[2015–16 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup|2016]], holding a near-lockout on the top spot in individual and team competitions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150415000000*/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/other/slovenia-wins-ski-flying-team-event-at-season-ending-world-cup-meet-in-planica-297126261.html "Slovenia wins ski flying team event at season-ending World Cup meet in Planica"]. ''[[Winnipeg Free Press]]''. 21 March 2015. Archived from [http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/other/slovenia-wins-ski-flying-team-event-at-season-ending-world-cup-meet-in-planica-297126261.html the original] on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.rtvslo.si/news-in-english/slovenia-wins-on-the-wings-of-the-wind-in-planica/361083 "Slovenia wins on the wings of the wind in Planica"]. [[Radiotelevizija Slovenija]]. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/videos/video=majestic-prevc-sets-planica-showdown-fis-ski-jumping-highlights.html "Majestic Prevc sets Planica showdown | FIS Ski Jumping Highlights"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526075342/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/videos/video=majestic-prevc-sets-planica-showdown-fis-ski-jumping-highlights.html |date=26 May 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=tepes-wins-final-freund-claims-the-overall-title.html "Tepes wins final, Freund claims the overall title"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20150324103213/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=tepes-wins-final-freund-claims-the-overall-title.html |date=24 March 2015 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=peter-prevc-crowns-perfect-season.html "Peter Prevc crowns perfect season"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322143015/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=peter-prevc-crowns-perfect-season.html |date=22 March 2016 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.</ref> The four-day event in 2016 drew a total of 110,000 spectators, many of them Slovenians celebrating [[Peter Prevc]]'s World Cup title victory.<ref name=planica2016/> Since 2016, Norway has led the way in individual and team competitions,<ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norway-dominates-team-competition-84321.html "Norway dominates team competition"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409054404/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norway-dominates-team-competition-84321.html |date=9 April 2017 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norway-the-best-team-planica.html "Norway the best team in Planica"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128032101/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=norway-the-best-team-planica.html |date=28 January 2018 }}. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.</ref> having won four gold medals (three team, one individual) at the Ski Flying World Championships, and dominating 2018 in terms of the World Championships and Ski Flying World Cup.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180324201357/http://www.fis-ski.com/ski-jumping/news-multimedia/news/article=team-norway-also-dominates-planica.html "Team Norway also dominates in Planica"]. [[International Ski Federation|FIS]]. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.</ref>

When distances beyond 200&nbsp;m were first reached in 1994, Norwegian athletes have been the most preeminent world record setters, with eleven records set by seven athletes as of March 2017. Norwegian and Slovenian athletes in particular have gained a reputation for being experts at ski flying.

==Accidents==
{{Main article|List of ski flying accidents}}
Due to the extreme speeds and heights involved, coupled with potentially hazardous and unpredictable wind conditions, ski flying has long had a reputation for being highly dangerous. It has been described as an [[extreme sport]]<ref>Bennett, Dashiell (11 February 2011). [http://www.businessinsider.com/ski-flying-extreme-sports-2011-2?IR=T "Forget Ski Jumping: Ski Flying Is Your New Favorite Extreme Sport"]. ''[[Business Insider]]''. Retrieved 21 May 2015.</ref><ref>St. Louis, Julie (21 February 2013). [http://www.turnagaintimes.com/currentissue/2013-02-21/junior-ski-jumper.html "Girdwood 10-year-old ski jumper to compete at Junior Nationals for second year in a row"]. ''Turnagain Times''. Retrieved 10 February 2017.</ref> and in terms such as "simply insane",<ref>[http://www.gondyline.com/skiflying.php "Ski Flying: the what how where & why"]. gondyline.com. Retrieved 8 July 2015.</ref> "ski jumping on [[Red Bull]]",<ref>Scoggins, Chip (10 February 2018). [https://www.startribune.com/ski-jumpers-are-brave-souls-who-admit-they-re-crazy/473665743/ "Ski jumpers are brave souls who admit they're crazy"]. ''[[Star Tribune]]''. Retrieved 28 February 2021.</ref> and the "gnarlier, even more dangerous, faceplant-ridden cousin" of ski jumping.<ref>Hooton, Christopher (14 February 2014). [https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/ski-flying-the-gnarlier-even-more-dangerous-faceplantridden-1980s-cousin-to-sochis-jumps-9138387.html "Ski flying: the gnarlier, even more dangerous, faceplant-ridden 1980s cousin to Sochi's jumps"]. ''[[The Independent]]''. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 8 July 2015.</ref> Although there have been no recorded fatalities, many serious accidents – known as "falls" or "crashes" – have occurred throughout its history on every hill. Some of these have been career-ending, such was the case for [[Rolf Åge Berg]] in 1986 and [[Lukas Müller (ski jumper)|Lukas Müller]] in 2016.

As jumps have increased in distance, sometimes the absolute hill limit – designated as the ''fall line''<ref name=fisrules/> – is exceeded. This is known as "out-jumping the hill",<ref name=hendrickson/><ref>Strauss, Michael (11 February 1973). [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/02/11/archives/martin-sets-mark-wins-us-skijumping-title-veterans-class-senior.html "Martin Sets Mark, Wins U. S. Ski Jumping Title"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[The New York Times Company]]. Retrieved 20 January 2018.</ref><ref>Wencer, David (1 February 2014). [https://torontoist.com/2014/02/historicist-all-ski-jumpers-are-not-intent-on-suicide/ "Historicist: "All Ski Jumpers Are Not Intent on Suicide""]. ''Torontoist''. Ink Truck Media. Retrieved 20 January 2018.</ref><ref>[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/01/01/Lightweight-Jens-Weissflog-of-East-Germany-who-began-his/2210473403600/ "Lightweight Jens Weissflog of East Germany, who began his..."]. [[United Press International|UPI]]. 1 January 1985. Retrieved 20 January 2018.</ref><ref>Lynch, Mike (13 October 2010). [http://www.lakeplacidnews.com/page/content.detail/id/502911/Frenette-breaks-jump-record.html?nav=5007 "Frenette breaks jump record"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217092600/http://lakeplacidnews.com/page/content.detail/id/502911/Frenette-breaks-jump-record.html?nav=5007 |date=17 December 2010 }}. ''Lake Placid News''. Retrieved 20 January 2018.</ref><ref>Thomas, Louisa (12 February 2014). [http://grantland.com/the-triangle/quantum-leap-the-story-of-womens-ski-jumping-in-five-soaring-moments/ "Quantum Leap: The Story of Women's Ski Jumping in Five Soaring Moments"]. ''[[Grantland]]''. [[ESPN]]. Retrieved 20 January 2018.</ref> "landing on the flat", or in the worst case a "flat-ground crash", which occurs when an athlete jumps too far beyond the safety of the slope and lands near, or onto, completely flat ground.<ref name=popularmechanics/>

==In other media==
* From 1970 to 1998, [[Vinko Bogataj]]'s crash in Oberstdorf was featured prominently on the opening montage of ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|ABC's Wide World of Sports]]'' in the United States
* The career of [[Walter Steiner]] and his quest for a ski flying world record was documented in the 1974 film, ''[[The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner]]'', by filmmaker [[Werner Herzog]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Tekma ob 25-letnici planiške mamutske skakalnice, sobota (3).jpg|Spectators lining the hill in Planica, 1960
File:Tekma ob 25-letnici planiške mamutske skakalnice, petek.jpg|An athlete about to descend the inrun in Planica, 1960
File:Tekma v smučarskih poletih na Kulmu 1962 (9).jpg|A ski flyer over the knoll in Kulm, 1962
File:World SkyFly Record landing point at Vikersundbakken.jpg|A marker board indicating [[Johan Remen Evensen]]'s world record in Vikersund, 2011
File:Čerťák HS205.JPG|The inrun tower in Harrachov, 2013
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[FIS Ski Flying World Championships]]
* [[FIS Ski Flying World Cup]]
* [[List of longest ski jumps]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|1|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Jahn, Jens; Theiner, Egon (2004). ''Enzyklopädie des Skispringens'' (in German). Kassel: Agon Sportverlag. {{ISBN|3-89784-099-5}}.
* Thoresen, Arne (2007). ''Lengst gjennom lufta'' (in Norwegian). Oslo: Versal. {{ISBN|978-82-8188-030-6}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ski flying}}
* [http://www.fis-ski.com/ FIS official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160402091921/http://kop-skiflying.org/ KOP official website] {{in lang|de}} (archived)
* [http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Startpage/ Ski jumping hill archive], featuring detailed information about all ski jumping and flying venues worldwide
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xKjPBjcVZ0 Spectator view of Stefan Kraft and Kamil Stoch's jumps at Planica in 2017] on YouTube

{{Ski flying hills}}
{{FIS Ski Flying World Cup}}
{{FIS Ski Jumping World Cup seasons}}
{{Skiing}}

[[Category:Ski flying| ]]
[[Category:Games and sports introduced in 1936]]
[[Category:Individual sports]]
[[Category:Ski jumping|Flying]]