Why there are little trees in the ski jump snow at Olympics

The ski jump at the 2026 Winter Olympics has a feature that is fascinating to fans.

There are what look to be tiny trees down in the snow in the landing area.

In a world otherwise covered in snow, it's fascinating. Is someone just starting a tree farm?

Well, not exactly.

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Why are there trees in the ski jump?

Those little plants are all about depth perception.

There's also not actually trees. They're more like little branches or twigs stuck into the snow.

They're tiny and light enough that if a skiing competitor were to land on them, they'd just push away and not impact the landing at all.

But the depth perception can be key in a world covered in white. These jumpers in various competitions are quite high in the air. It can be hard to tell exactly when they're going to hit the ground.

If they aren't quite ready to land, it can create crashes and other issues.

The little trees are meant to help the landing be cleaner and smoother. It preserves health and quality performances.

It's been quite windy and snowy in the area the Olympics are being held lately, and so any little bit to help keep athletes healthy and comfortable is a good thing, even some little tiny tree-looking things.

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