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Abstract
This paper argues that the sport of ski jumping possesses the untapped potential to empower women. It also recommends ways in which this potential should be realised. The untapped potential of ski jumping lies in the notion that, under two independent conditions, women are able to jump as far as men. The first condition is that women start from a higher gate than men. The second is that women and men start from the same gate, but compete on a ski flying hill. In order to realise the untapped potential, it is recommendable to take two steps to transform the practice of ski jumping. The first step is to introduce a mixed-pair competition for the 2014–2015 season. The second step is to introduce a sex-integrated individual competition for the 2016–2017 season. The sex-integrated competition can be either compensated or non-compensated.
Acknowledgements
A vivid discussion with the following persons aided me in the preparation of this manuscript and they deserve my thanks: Professor Thomas Magnell, Rosa Rantanen and Susanne Uusitalo. In addition, I am grateful for Professor Juha Räikkä, as well as for the two anonymous reviewers, for their comments.
Notes
1. The masculinity of ski jumping has been also challenged (see Pfister Citation2007, 57–59).
2. The distinction is frequently referred to in philosophy of sport literature (see Gleaves Citation2010, 284).
3. Records mentioned in this paper represent the situation as it exists in the year 2012.
4. Rosa Rantanen highlighted this possibility.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Mika Hämäläinen
University of Turku, Public Choice Research Centre / Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, Finland.