Ski jumping techniques

The Kongsberger technique (Norwegian: Kongsbergknekk) was created by Jacob Tullin Thams and Sigmund Ruud in Kongsberg, Norway. Developed after World War I, the technique was characterised by the athlete's upper body being bent at the hip, with arms extended at the front in the manner of a "superhero", and skis held parallel to each other. Sometimes the arms would be waved or 'flapped' around vigorously in a bird-like manner. This technique extended jumping lengths from to over , and was used in ski jumping until being superseded by the Windisch and Däscher techniques in the 1950s. ==Windisch==

using the Windisch technique, 1958 The Windisch technique, created by Erich Windisch in 1949, was a modification of the Kongsberger technique. The athlete's arms are instead placed backwards toward the hips for a closer, more aerodynamic lean. ==Parallel/classic/Däscher==

using the parallel style, 1973 The parallel style, classic style, or Däscher technique was created by Andreas Däscher in the 1950s, as a modification of the Kongsberger and Windisch techniques. ==V-style==

using the V-style, 1997 The V-style, sometimes called the Graf–Boklöv technique, remains the sport's most recent significant technique change, with the ski tips spread outwards in a highly aerodynamic "V" shape. It became the predominant jumping technique following the Däscher/parallel style, which was last used in the early 1990s. Graf discovered the technique as a child in 1969, but it was not taken seriously by his contemporaries. He was nonetheless aware that the V-style was highly effective, as his jumps became considerably longer. In the early 1980s, Steve Collins used a modified variation of the V-style, or "delta style", with the ski tips held together in front instead of at the rear. Collins was the youngest winner of a World Cup event at the age of fifteen, but his technique never caught on. During this era, any technique aside from the parallel style was considered inappropriate by FIS judges. Although it enabled much longer jumps – up to ten percent more than the parallel style – judges made it an issue to award poor marks to those who used it. The V-style only became recognised as valid by judges in the early 1990s, following wins and high rankings by Jan Boklöv, Jiří Malec and Stefan Zünd, who insisted on using the technique despite receiving low style points. By the mid-1990s it had become the predominant style of jumping used by all athletes, and was therefore no longer penalised as it had proven to be both safer and more efficient than the parallel style. The efficiency of the V-style can be elevated with a low body weight, which carries several health risks. ==H-style==

using the H-style, 2017 In the H-style, the skis are spread very wide apart and held parallel in an "H" shape, with minimal or no V-angle. A lesser-used technique as of 2018, it is prominently used by Domen Prevc, Léa Lemare, and Nika Križnar. ==See also==