Ski jumpers are typically only about 10–15 feet (roughly 3–4.5 meters) above the snow during the main part of their flight.

Quick Scoop: How high are ski jumpers?

Even though it looks like they’re soaring way up in the sky, the jump is designed so the athlete stays relatively close to the slope the whole time. The landing hill is curved to closely follow the jumper’s flight path, which keeps them from ever getting more than about 10–15 feet (around one story of a building) off the surface.

A few key points:

  • Typical maximum height above the hill: about 10–15 feet (3–4.5 m).
  • Horizontal distance traveled: over 300 feet (about 90–110 m) on large hills, sometimes more than 360 feet.
  • Approach speed: around 60 mph (about 95 km/h) before takeoff on big hills.

So visually, think of a jumper gliding a long way out, like a human “plane,” but only about the height of a basketball hoop or a bit higher above the slope, not like a parachutist far up in the air.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.