Whistler, British Columbia--Yesterday, Finland's Hans Frojn shattered the Olympic ski jumping record of 239 meters with a whopping 314 meter leap. In fact, Frojn wasn't the only jumper to break the record. Every participating skier soared a distance of at least 260 meters.
Is it the thin air? Perhaps, unusually strong wind gusts? How about lighter athletes or equipment? None of the above. The jumpers are using the popular Snuggie, a sleeved blanket, to sail abnormally long distances.
The Snuggies, which are made of lightweight material, are turning jumpers into gliders by catching wind gusts and delaying landings by five to ten seconds.
"Have you ever seen a flying squirrel soar through the air? They really don't fly but glide as they spread their body out to create the largest possible surface area," explained Don Simmons, an aeronautical expert at the British Columbia Aviation Institute. "The Snuggie acts in a similar way, which is why we are seeing such long jumps."
The first jumper to wear the Snuggie yesterday was Canada's Tim Herrier, who simply wore the blanket because he was cold. Herrier--and the event's judges--was not aware of how the Snuggie would alter his jump or the future of the event.
"I really was just cold," said Herrier. "My girlfriend got me this stupid Snuggie and I really didn't have anything else that compared to its lightweight and comfort. Most everybody was laughing at me at the top of the hill and then I jumped 235 meters, which was four short of the world record. They weren't laughing anymore."
Following Herrier's jump, area stores quickly sold out of the popular blanket, as jumpers began to claim that they too were "cold." Despite Herrier's best efforts, the native of Nova Scotia was unable to prevent his competitors from buying the blankets.
"Snuggie Gate," as it is being referred to, has caused many a lot of stress. So confused was the event's judging committee that competition was halted for almost four hours, as rules were checked and double checked. Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were called to the site to address this "special situation."
"There's nothing we can do at this time. Rule 302.11.56 states that winter Olympic athletes are permitted to keep warm by any means necessary. This, unfortunately, includes those awful-looking Snuggies," said Franz Tullerone, an IOC official. "But this will not be the case in Sochi."
Tullerone was referring to the 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia. The IOC voted late last night, in an emergency competition committee session, to change Rule 302.11.56. The amended rule specifically states that "Snuggies will not be permitted in any event, no matter how warm they may keep athletes."
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