As a water sports enthusiast you may have heard about London Jump Night which  includes the worlds best in Water Ski Jumping. You’ll not only be amazement at size of the jump but the speed at which they hit the ramp. Unlike slalom and trick skiing the main aim of jump skiing is to spend the longest period ‘out of the water’ in trying to achieve the maximum distance possible from the ramp.

For maximum stability whilst on the water/ramp, ski jumping involves two long skis which are both wide and equipped with tail fins. As to achieving the longest distance you might think why not just increase the speed but to ensure fairness a rule has been written stating a maximum speed for each competitive division (age/gender) so is solely based on the skier’s individual performance.

To help increase the speed many jumpers have varying degrees of ‘cut in’ from the slowest single, to three quarter and the fastest being double cut. Utilising this technique a male jumper can achieve speeds of more than 60mph at the ramps base with a jump more than 240ft off a 6ft ramp whereas women jumpers can jump over 170ft from a 5ft ramp.

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