4 2 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDSHow high off the
Ski jumpers glide down a 400-foot hill, hitting
speeds up to 60 mph. Then they launch
themselves into the air, soaring farther than
the length of a football field before touching
down. It’s a majestic sight to behold, as a
human defies gravity and flies through the air
at the impressive altitude of.. .about 15 feet.
Yeah. If you look closely, you’ll see that the end
of the takeoff hill isn’t shaped like a ramp. It’s
straight, so skiers get airborne in a relatively
straight line. Then they follow the arc of the
landing hill, never more than 10 or 15 feet off
the ground. That’s not to say the sport isn’t
thrilling or dangerous. But the illusion of
flight is largely just that: an illusion.Forget burning questions. How about
these 20 freezing questions related to
the upcoming Beijing Olympics?
Ski Jumping