Jumping Journal: January 11, 2006

Day 20.  This was to be just another ordinary Wednesday evening.  I was planning to take a few jumps before the high school meet and then watch and maybe video some of the competition.  Little did I realize the joke was going to be on me, in more ways than one.

 

It actually all started about this time last year.  Danny Jones, one of high school students that also jumps at several eastern meets each year started trying to get me to forejump the high school meets.  I was against the idea altogether. Their high school meets, I'm practically twice the age of most of the kids that are competing in the meets.  At the state meet last year he managed to get a couple of the other high school/eastern jumpers to gang up on me as well.  I still refused.

 

Last Wednesday evening he showed up for the meet and sure enough he was right back to trying to get me to forejump.  Low and behold if the Hanover coach Buff McLaughry wasn't down at the transistion raking out the hill before the start of the meet.  I looked at the Dan and outloud said "Buff wouldn't want me doing that."

 

Buff looked at me and said "Doing what?"

 

I said, "Forejump the meet."

 

I meant it kinda as a joke yet at the same time I meant it seriously.  Buff is a great guy but out of all the high school coaches I would expect him to be the last one to want to see me forejump at a high school meet.  Boy, was I ever wrong.

 

Last night I took my boots and helmet with me.  I knew that if the meet was held that I would take the usual jumps before the meet but I was only planning on wearing the ski bibs versus the jump suit.  I left the skis in the jump inn knowing that I should be able to pick them on my way to Hanover, the host for one of the two high school meets tonight.

 

I stopped in to Storrs Hill on my way to Hanover.  I found out that the only key for the jump inn was at the top of the hill with Jay, the hill manager.  I knew I wasn't going up to the top.  I figured that I was more than likely going to end up taking tonight off.  I head on toward Oak Hill and as I'm getting closer I think about the fact that all I need is skis and I could still end up getting a few jumps in before the meet.

 

I get up there and go to walk in the jump inn and low and behold if Buff isn't standing right inside the door.  He looks at me and he says "There's are forejumper.  You have your equipment don't you."

 

I tell him that I don't have my skis but I do have everything else in the car.  He points to the ski racks and pretty much says take your pick.

 

I head back out to the car and grab the boots and helmet and change clothes and pick a pair of skis, 252s.  I head out and decide before I head up the jump to go ahead and adjust them.  I find out instead that the binds were way to big for my boots.  I couldn't adjust them so that they would be tight enough for my comfort.  It seemed like they were pretty guaranteed to fall off about the second I got free and clear of the takeoff.  I decided to head back inside and find another pair.

 

I ended up choosing a pair of about 235's, maybe even a little shorter.  Yes, I was jumping last night on a pair of 264's.  Just a small reduction in ski size, not much, LOL!

 

Conditions tonight were shall we say slower than last night.  Last night guys were jumping 31 meters on the 32 meter jump at Oak Hill. Tonight 30 meters was the longest jump.

 

I go up for the first jump, hearing everybody talk about how slow it was.  I was cautious not only because of the slow conditions but also because of having a lot less tip out front then what I am use to having anymore.  The first jump was definitely cautious and I didn't make it very far.

 

The second jump was better.  Then the high school meet began and I was the first person off the jump, yes the forejumper.  It took a full year for ole Danny to get his way but he finally got it.

 

Each of the three jumps got better progressively.  It was starting to rain on the third jump and by the time the meet was over it was raining at a nice clip.  The temps had been in the low to mid 40's earlier in the day and were still above freezing after the meet was over.  I didn't notice the inrun really being as slow as everyone else was saying it was.

 

It was definitely unusual to be out jumping and to not be jumping at Storrs Hill.  The last time that I jumped somewhere other than Storrs Hill was at the end of last winter, about ten months ago.

 

Weather right now makes it sound like I will probably only be jumping the 25 anytime from now through Saturday.  I hope I'm wrong but it doesn't look good.  It has rained pretty much the last three or four hours now and temps aren't suppose to really get below freezing anytime soon.

 

Crash

Myth #2 Debunked, Part 11

When you look at the adult base in other countries and the adult base in this country you see shocking statics.

 

At the 2005 International Masters Championships 199 adults showed up and competed at the event that was held in Austria.  Norway saw 54 jumpers compete, while Finland brought in 35, Germany 31, and hosting country Austria had 28.  Which four countries tend to finish the highest in the World Cup and at the Olympics?  I wonder if there is any correlation.

 

Now, compare this to the 2005 US Masters Championships, you find that only 17 jumpers made their way to the 100th anniversary celebration of the Norge Jumping Tournament.  Seventeen jumpers from the Unites States showed up to compete at US Masters versus 54 jumpers traveled from Norway to Austria to compete in the International Masters.  Something seems wrong here, very wrong.  Why does the United States have such little interest in ski jumping by the adult population.  Is it because all the kids have grown up and quit jumping that you can't attract new adults into the program.  It's the adults that brings the kids into the program, so where are all the adults.

 

From what I have been told, eastern Minnesota has the largest concentration of master age jumpers.  This years masters championships is to be held in St. Paul on January 28th, it should be interesting to see how many masters show up to compete this year.  St. Paul hosted the last great championships back in 1992 when around 50 masters showed up to compete.  Will they be able to compare this time?  I know of four of the eastern masters that are planning on heading out, three that will be jumping, the other wishes he could be but is out on the 'injured reserve list'.  No, I don't plan on heading out.  I'm not in the sport for competition, I'm jump purely for the fun of jumping.  That was the reason why I started jumping, and that is the reason why I'm still out here jumping 6-7 days a week all winter long.

 

Why does all this matter though?

 

The sport of ski jumping keeps growing younger and younger each year.  What is happening with the rest of the sports world?

 

I saw an article, sorry but I can't find the link to the article right now, back in late 2003 that was talking about the health of alpine skiing.  The article was talking about people being worried because the age of an average alpine skier has went from 40 to 45 in the past 15 years.  There was an article on Finance Yahoo July 4th weekend, 2005.  It was about the growth in triathloning.  The article stated that the biggest growth area in US Triathlon is in the 50+ age group category right now.

 

Most of the time I go out and do anything in the outdoors it is with adults.  Very rarely are kids to be found anywhere.  On occasion I will see kids out participating with their parents but more often then not all I see are adults.  The only real kid/adult sport you see all the time is alpine skiing.

 

Why do all these other sports have such an easy time getting adults to participate and ski jumping can't manage to beg, borrow, or steal their way into getting an adult to jump?

 

Is the perception about ski jumping being a kids only sport that huge that adults just don't feel like they belong out here.  I know I had that feeling when I first started.  It took me about a month to figure out why I didn't feel like I belonged out here.  I even had episodes of it at the start of the second winter I was jumping.  Granted most of the time that first year I was the only adult that I saw out here jumping.  Now most of the time I'm jumping with at least one other adult if not two or three other adults.  I never have the same feeling anymore.

 

Tomorrow I'll ask another hard question and start providing and alternative solution to getting more people out here ski jumping.

 

Until next time

Keep your ski tips up,

Crash