Ylitornio home pages: www.ylitornio.fi ÎYlitornion kunta ÎAavasaksan mäkikeskus ÎPreliminary report 1 A STEP INTO THE FUTURE FOR SKI JUMPING AND NORDIC COMBINED 1. General • The popularity of ski jumping is at the top level among the sporting community worldwide, and especially in the countries practising the sport. Among winter sports, it is the second most interesting sport right after alpine skiing. • Ski jumping sports are practised in approximately 25 countries globally. • The sport is practised professionally at the top level. • External conditions are hampering the sport globally in the so-called large hill and ski flying hill competitions. Every autumn ski jumpers seek “snow hills”. A ski centre such as Aavasaksa will create stable conditions for practising ski jumping, and, therefore, bring cost savings to families and Finnish ski jumping clubs. Furthermore, foreign clubs and national teams are certain to take advantage of such a ski jumping centre. • The safety of the sport cannot be guaranteed due to the conditions, nor has the situation been alleviated by equipment rules. • The climate is warming, and, as a consequence, ski jumping venues are facing several problems. The sport is endangered. Can we afford this? • Ski jumping should follow the progress of the venues for ice hockey and skating, which were once practised outdoors. These sports have moved indoors or to covered venues as far as international competitions are concerned. • The Aavasaksa ski jumping project is supported by the head coaches of all countries (Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, Czech Republic, Slovenia, France, Russia, Canada, Poland, South Korea, and Italy). The best ski jumpers from the World Cup, and the sport directors of Austria and Norway, and several other ex-top jumpers, such as the ex-chairman of the FIS ski jumping committee, have supported the realisation of the project with their signatures. 1.1. The State of Ski Jumping • Ski jumping must follow the ski jumping regulations set by FIS, the International Ski Federation. These regulations have been broken on several occasions, for example in proven uphill speed situations, and on the part of wind corridors (the latter factor may not always be fully controlled.) • The lift characteristics of the ski jumpers’ suits give unequal chances to jumpers in windy conditions. • Wind conditions have too large an impact on competition results. Wind will form a threat to professional sports in the future. The appreciation of ski jumping is crumbling. • The conduct of competitions is guided by big money (financiers, sponsors), and the sport itself is being turned into a circus attraction. 1.2. The Safety of Ski Jumping • The Safety of ski jumping has been improved by the renewal of the equipment (stronger skis, evolved bindings, complete suit and obligatory helmet) and the hill profiles, and by hill course-making machines, protective rails surrounding the hill profile, renovation of hills, and the inspections made by the persons (competition organisations/nominated persons) responsible for the condition of the hills generally appointed for ski jumping competitions. • Ski jumping’s safety risks, such as wind, are mainly caused by factors independent of people. Wind nets providing only partial protection from wind have been constructed for some hills. Functional wind nets have only been installed on the Lahti large hill. • The safety of competitors must come first. Jumping with too great a speed directs the safety risk, especially for the top jumpers. Some sportsmen have been injured or have lost their chance for success due to a fall. Safety is affected by the inrun speed together with the prevailing wind direction and speed factors. 1.3. The Condition Factors in Ski Jumping • It has been generally acknowledged that ski jumping is a winter sport. • However, the sport is also practised during the summer on artificially surfaced jumping hills. Ski jumping has not made a breakthrough as a summer sport, however. • Global warming is an established fact. It will cause additional problems for hill localities during the early season international competitions (World Cup and Continental Cup level competitions). • During recent years, competitions have been cancelled due to the lack of snow on several occasions. Excessive snowfall has similarly hindered the carrying out of competitions. Snowfall has also put jumpers in an unequal situation during competitions. • The Jury of international competitions has not been able to control the condition factors, even aided by modern weather radar equipment. • Weather conditions cause disappointments and financial losses to the general public and the organisers. 2 Preliminary Statement for Aavasaksa Ski Jumping Centre 2.1. General • The construction project is a complex, long-term and co-operative whole. The construction project is divided into several phases, and the contents of this preliminary statement will correspond with the multiphase requirement survey. The other phases are project planning, construction planning, construction and transition. • During the requirement survey phase, the project’s necessity and practicality are established, and its requirements and possibilities are examined. The results of the survey work are collected into a requirement survey on the basis of which a project planning decision is made. The requirement survey consists of a preliminary 1. construction program, 2. schedule, 3. cost and 4. profitability estimate. • For the client/orderer, the requirement survey is perhaps the most economically significant phase. It is at this time that the construction decision is made, and it always entails a significant investment. • The requirement survey phase will clarify how the orderer’s space requirements (in this case the location of the ski jumping centre) can be satisfied. • The requirement survey will examine the aspects related to acquiring building permission, and clarify the construction location’s public transportation, geotechnical and other suitability for the project. • A preliminary schedule and financial plan are drafted during the requirement survey phase. At the same time, the portion of self-funding is analysed and other sources of funding are mapped out. 2.2. Aavasaksa as a Venue • There is a solution to the problems of ski jumping venues: the ski jumping hill should be built under a covered space. • The upper portion of the Aavasaksa ski flying hill is inside a tunnel along a 40 to 50 (horizontal length) meter length of the top section of the hill, and opens up at the start of the hill’s bend (R1) into a rock cutting, which has a light-permeable covering. The rock cut widens shortly before the take-off table and the total width at the cut is approximately 120 meters.The purpose of the alternative roofing is to achieve at least a partial light-permeable covering that merges with the environment in the best possible manner. • The roof construction is designed as a hanging or arched structure, which enables the longest possible visibility from the bottom of the landing area to the lower part of the hill. The covered area continues up to the so-called fall limit. The actual planning will include snow load durability for the cover and water removal. • In Finnish Lapland, the subzero weather periods begin as early as September or October. Thanks to frost and a separate cooled area, winter conditions can be created in the ski jumping centre for 8 to 9 months of the year. All three hills, with the exception of the upper portion of the ski flying hill, will have a cooling pipe system to ensure the preservation of snow. The material of the end gliding section opening after the cover can be grass. Optionally, the end gliding area can also be cooled. The economic efficiency of this will be verified by an energy financial assessment. • The wind problems will be solved by covering, as will problems related to the melting or softening of snow. Equal gliding and snow conditions will be created for the upper portion of the hill. • In competitions, the most skilled jumpers will win (due to conditions) when jumping indoors. Safety will improve as the inrun speed can be adjusted correctly for the jumpers. • The computational basis for the preliminary survey of the hill profile is adapted from the normal K 185 profile defined by the Finnish hill construction committee’s FIS representative, Architect Pentti Värälä. The actual planning following the preliminary survey stage can simulate the point evaluated flight curve of an optimal jump, which is compared to the profile of the plan in the H/N area. Applying the fold and radial values of the base, this can used to realise as natural a lower hill profile between the P-K points as possible. In that case, the jumper will not rise too high on his flight path, even on long jumps. On the other hand, the lower hill profile in question won’t allow reaching the hill’s HS point too easily. From the above, it follows that the hill will be safe for jumps as long as 240-245 meters. • As an elevator system, the jumpers will be provided with elevators to the inrun level of the ski flying hill, from where there is access to the large and/or normal hill. The intention is to use escalators for the upper hill transport system, provided their cost will not exceed the ROA values (=cost estimate based on construction components). There are several alternatives. • Only a waiting space will be built for the jumpers in the upper part of the ski flying hill, since the actual break/restrooms and other facilities are places under the hill knoll. • The centre will provide the opportunity to arrange international ski jumping and Nordic combined sports training in the actual performance environment. The possibility of establishing a sports gymnasium is being evaluated. The Finnish Ski Association should bear its responsibility for the basic education of young athletes, following the example of the French Ski Association.