Logan Sankey jumps during the first round of the ski jump at the December Nordic Ski Jump & Mix Olympic Competition in Lake Placid, NY
Dustin Satloff / Getty
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Dustin Satloff / Getty
Logan Sankey jumps during the first round of the ski jump at the December Nordic Ski Jump & Mix Olympic Competition in Lake Placid, NY
Dustin Satloff / Getty
Logan Sankey climbs the steep, metal stairs to the top of the Olympic ski jump in Lake Placid, NY
Sankey zipped up his suit, slid over the ramp and took off, down the ramp, and hovered in the air.
Along with her longboard and skillful technique, Sankey’s suit plays an important role in her jump. On this day of November, she wears a generic black and white suit.
“It’s not about the shape or it’s not about how we can use it to fly further,” says Sankey, from Steamboat Springs, Colo.
For years, every female ski jumper around the world was required to have extra cloths sewn around her hips. The International Ski Federation (FIS), which sets competition standards for the sport, says the additional hip panels are intended to better fit women’s bodies.
But Sarah Hendrickson never bought that explanation. Hendrickson is a two-time Olympic champion skier from Park City, Utah.
“They’re trying to figure out ways to accentuate our hips and curves a little more,” says Hendrickson.
Anders Johnson says sewing the side panels is also tricky. Johnson coaches the U.S. women’s ski jump team and makes their costumes.
“From one person making the suit, it’s just more pieces,” says Johnson. “More pieces means more sewing and it’s silly.
Sarah Hendrickson reacts after a jump in 2017 in Park City, Utah. She was supposed to wear a hip plate, before the change to the uniform rule.
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
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Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
In it Specifications for 2020, FIS has removed the additional hip panels on the women’s clothing and says the change makes it easier to sew and change them. Now they are much more like men’s suits.
The fight for equality goes beyond ski suits
Some female divers see the move as progressive, but Sankey says there are still some big battles ahead for women in the sport.
Sankey said: “It’s not that the suit is changed and then everyone says, ‘It’s equal in ski jumping! “.
“It’s like, okay, we have clothes that are a bit more functional, but like, let’s change the other areas as well.”
Technically, women receive about 70-80% less prize money than men and have fewer events and fewer opportunities to compete, both in the annual World Cup and the Olympics.
Canadian diver Abigail Strate is competing in Beijing at her first Olympics, which she says is exciting, but she’s also disappointed that there are only two ski jump events Women can compete and four events men can compete.
“It’s more of an opportunity to win an Olympic medal, it’s more of a chance to put yourself out there and present yourself as an athlete,” the strategist said.
The women’s ski jumpers will compete for gold in the final round of individual events on Saturday, which begins at 6:35 a.m. ET.
Ski jumping only became an Olympic sport for women in 2014
The International Ski Federation says the sport’s female side is still in its infancy. While men have ski jumping at the Olympics since the first Winter Olympics almost a century ago, women were not allowed to compete until 2014.
Hendrickson made that historic first jump for women at the Sochi Olympics. She is now retired from the sport, but serves on the FIS athletes committee promoting opportunities for female ski jumpers.
“I sit in board meetings with 98 per cent male and just try and respectfully give an opinion on what is going on and how the sport is evolving,” said Hendrickson.
Ski jumping has become more popular among women and young girls in recent years, but Hendrickson says that growth is not the same thing. Some athletes are still working part-time jobs to cover travel costs.
What she and others want today in women is equal pay, equal opportunities to compete. They say they earned it.
