German ski jumper Markus Eisenbichler competing in the Four Hills Tournament, Innsbruck, Austria, on January 3, 2018
© Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Image
Helloooooo, Innsbruck
Today we're featuring the Four Hills Tournament, a set of four ski jump events that starts today. This image shows a jumper in the 2017/2018 competition. The annual tourney, which wraps up in early January, starts in the German towns of Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and then moves to Austria, with events in Innsbruck, like the qualification run in today's image, and Bischofshofen.
The Innsbruck event is held at the Bergisel Ski Jump at the southern edge of the city, so spectators from the top of the hill see the buildings and streets as a backdrop while jumpers sail through the air. The first ski jump was built here in 1925, but the most recent one was designed by architect Zaha Hadid and completed in 2003. It has a tall, sinuous tower and a jump that launches competitors high enough for this breathtaking view of Innsbruck.