Those little “trees” or green markers on ski‑jump hills are there to help jumpers judge distance and depth while they’re flying through the air.

Why the trees are there

  • In mid‑air, a ski jumper sees mostly flat, featureless snow, which makes it hard to tell how close they are to the ground.
  • The green plants or pine branches act as visual reference points , letting jumpers know where the landing zone is and how far they still have to fly.
  • They also serve as distance markers , similar to runway lights for a plane, so jumpers can adjust their body position and timing for a safe, controlled landing.

What kind of “trees” they are

  • Often they are small pine trees, pine boughs, or even fake green plants stuck into the snow at regular intervals along the hill.
  • Pine is common because it’s flexible and won’t hurt jumpers if they land near them, while still being visible against the white snow.

How jumpers use them

  • As the athlete soars down the hill, they glance at the line of green markers to gauge speed and altitude, much like pilots use runway lights to judge height before touchdown.
  • This visual cue helps prevent late or early landings, which can cause crashes or unstable landings on the steep in‑run and landing slope.

In short: the trees aren’t decoration—they’re a safety and navigation aid that helps ski jumpers “see” the ground when everything else looks like a white blur.

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