How to watch ski jump at the Winter Olympics: A guide to understanding and appreciating the sport

The United States, historically, is not great at ski jumping. The last medal the U.S. team won in ski jumping was back in 1924, which [does quick math] is basically forever ago when you’re using the modern Olympics as the scale. The closest they’ve come since is a fourth-place finish in 1984, which was before the author of this explainer was born.

Ski jumping has also, historically, been an event dominated by men. That’s changed this decade, however, as women are now ski jumpers in the Olympics, too, with the 2018 Winter Olympics being the second go-around for women in this event. New York Times Magazine has a whole feature on women’s ski jumping previously being prohibited but now being allowed, if you would like a deeper dive on the subject. And why wouldn’t you, considering that the very idea that it took until this decade for women to be allowed to jump while wearing skis is ridiculous?

There will be four different ski jumping events, beginning on Feb. 8 and concluding on Feb. 19. You’re going to have to wake up early in the morning to watch skiers jumping, though: Men’s qualification for normal hill starts on Feb. 8 at 7:30 a.m. ET. Then on Feb. 10, the men will jump at 7:35 a.m. ET in the Normal Hill event, and then the medal round will be held at 8:30 a.m. ET.

On Feb. 12, the women will get their shot at the Normal Hill at 7:50 a.m. ET, then their medal round will begin at 8:35 a.m. ET.

On Feb. 17, action switches to the Large Hill, with the men up first again at 7:30 a.m. ET, and the medal round starting at 8:15 a.m. ET (qualifying takes place on Feb. 16 at 7:30 a.m.).

The last event will be on Feb. 19: men’s Team Large Hill. That also begins at 7:30 a.m. ET, with the medal round at 8:25 a.m. ET (training takes place on Feb. 18 at 6 a.m.).

You can follow along via NBC’s live stream of events, or check in on FuboTV.

You don’t need to quit your job; I just told you about how ski jumping is on early in the morning. Also, it’s like, for a week. Have some perspective.

I understand your excitement, though! Super talented athletes going very, very fast down a large hill (and sometimes a normal hill), and then jumping in ways that you couldn’t do on purpose if you tried unless you happen to be one of the athletes competing this year, in which case, good luck on whichever size hill you jump off.

Wait, there are rules? I picked this sport because I knew what the word “ski” and the word “jumping” meant and figured this was self-explanatory.

Fine, fine. There are different sized hills, as we’ve been over, and skiers (Jumpers? Ski jumpers???) need to at least reach a target with their jump. They’re scored on things like how long the jump is and how flashy it is, as well as some adjustments for the elements like wind. You can’t just get carried away by a big gust of wind and hang in the air not doing anything cool; that’s no way to impress the judges.

Also, there are rules about clothing, because aerodynamics is a thing.

It’s going to be tough to beat “women couldn’t jump off this hill while wearing skis” for weird rules, but at least that one is gone.

Ask them when the women will be allowed to jump off the large hill now that they’ve been allowed to jump off hills at all.

Nita Englund has been America’s finest ski jumper on the women’s side since the previous Winter Olympics back in 2014, and she had two top-10 finishes in 2017’s Olympic test event.

On the men’s side, there is Kevin Bickner, who now holds the record for longest jump in U.S. ski jump history. Also, he apparently started ski jumping when he was 9, so, no, it’s too late for you to have Olympic aspirations.

America has not medaled in nearly a century, so this event is like, half-an-eagle. Never mind, that’s morbid. A half-eaten apple pie.

Then again, pretending something America has been bad at doesn’t exist is one of the most American things. How many eagles would break the AMERICA RATING scale? That’s how many eagles ski jumping is.

Ski jumpers look like they are actually flying and it’s mesmerizing, especially in gif form.