Jumping Journal: December 4, 2005

After taking 9 jumps on the natural snow last Sunday I took another 12 jumps on very fresh snow today.  Light snow was falling most of the time while jumping.  I figured for sure we was going to end up ice jumping for the first, and probably only, time this fall when I went to bed last night.  The 25 was all plastic yesterday afternoon.  The snow from last weekend had melted off during a big warm up early in the week and with the cold temps I figured for sure we was going to be dragging out the hose for the one and only hose down of the plastic that would be needed.  I woke up this morning to see it snowing at very nice rate and the ground was already starting to get covered over with snow.  I quickly changed my mind and realized that once again I would be jumping on snow.

 

The jumping definitely wasn't very good.  I didn't have any nice jumps like I have been starting to have over the past several weeks.  At first, I found myself rather apprehensive mostly around the fall line area.  For some reason I was expecting the sawdust underneath the snow to come into play, it didn't.  Once my mind stopped trying to interfer with my jumping, my jumping did get better.  The distances were all short, just like last week.  I guess that Jon has always said that a light dusting on the plastic makes the plastic stickier.  I do have to say that after every jump I did have snow sticking to the bottom of the skis.  I have never, in five years of jumping had that happen before.

 

I can't wait until I get used to jumping on snow again.  After jumping all summer on plastic my mind is trying to tell me that I'm still on plastic.  I found myself still wanting to think about stopping on plastic instead of stopping on snow.

 

It is amazing how little snow it takes to be able to a hockey stop.  Just a light dusting is all that is needed.