Aerodynamic study of ski jumping suits

Advancements of science and technology have progressively been implemented in speed sports especially in ski jumping. Aerodynamics plays a vital role in the overall performance of ski jumping. Although some studies have been conducted on the skier's body and ski positions, scant or no study on aerodynamic behaviors of the ski suits and skier has been reported in the open literature. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study are to design and develop a full scale experimental setup and evaluate the aerodynamic performance of skier and ski jumping suits with different fits along with skies, boots, goggles, helmet and gloves. The results indicated that the tight fit suit provides an extra aerodynamics advantage over a normal fit suit. As a result the jumping length can be increased to win the competition.