Jumping Journal: January 28, 2006

Day 30.  This is by far the earliest that I have ever hit Day 30.  Today was not the day I thought it was going to be last night.  I kinda figured that I would end up taking somewhere around 20-25 jumps today.  Not to be.

 

I started out by going to the 'candy bar' meet at Andover.  Since there was no other meet scheduled for this weekend, thanks to the weather and the meet at Vermont Academy got cancelled, they decided to put on a candy bar meet.  Everyone that competes ends up getting a candy bar as their prize.  It's a very informal jump meet, with distance only counting.

 

It had been four years since I last jumped at Andover in the daylight.  I typically jump it at/after sunset twice a year, once during practice with the kids for the pre-state high school meet and then again during practice right before the state meet.

 

I now remember one of the things that I haven't liked the greatest about the Andover 38, it has a very sharp transition on the landing hill.  It changes quite abruptly.  I always seem to forget that though from one year to the next.  The transition ended up biting me a couple of times today.

 

The first jump seemed like it was fine until I hit the transition and forgot about the quick rise.  It bit me, down I went.  Fortunately, I did manage to only go down as far as my hands.  My butt never did hit the ground.

 

The second jump went smoothly but it didn't seem like I had went very far.  The third, the start of the comp was rather strange.  I think this is the first time since I first started jumping back in 2001 that I haven't had any other adults around jumping with me.  With four of the masters out getting wet at US Masters Championships, another was on call all day long and the only other active adult jumper decided last night not to go over, that left me as the only adult jumping in the competition.  Very unusual.

 

The third jump I ended up flat out crashing.  Something seemed quite different from what I ever remember the jump jumping like.  I wasn't making it anywhere.  I think four years ago when I jumped it at the regular Andover meet I went further, and that was on alpine skis.

 

The fourth jump I ended up losing it in the transition once again.  As someone best put it everything looked like it was fine and then I went down for no reason at all.  Yes, I did have the jump suit on, and I was in a competitive environment.  Talk about head games.  I will work on this problem in the next week.

 

The fifth and final jump for Andover went smooth.  Talk about a nice relief.  I needed it for what was to come in Lebanon.

 

I arrive in Lebanon about 25 minutes later or so.  After several of the Junior Olympic competitors arrived we headed on up and started jumping right around 12:45PM.  The sun was out and shining brightly on the takeoff.  The temps were 45 give or take a degree or two.  The one thing I did notice was that their was no water dripping off the inrun at all.  It seemed like everything was nicely intact.  That was sweet.  Normally it isn't very wise to jump the 50 on days like today until around 2PM, when the sun gets behind the trees.  Today was quite a different story.

 

I headed up for the first jump, still in the jump suit and my thoughts of a slow day or a sticky takeoff didn't pan out to save my soul.  It actually turned out to be quite fast.  Personal best fast, for several of the jumpers.

 

My first jump went smooth and everything seemed fine.  I was hesitant due to misgauging the conditions.  I get on up for the second jump and I'm thinking quite seriously about technique.  The three things I have been working come to mind and I start down the inrun.

 

I get to the takeoff and WOW.  I find myself moving out over the skis, way out over the skis compared to normal.  My mind makes me pull back.  I start swinging my arms trying to get control.  Only thing is, I get too much control.  I land and it still seems to me like I crashed right on the landing.  From what I was told I actually made it past the transition and onto the bridge before I crashed.  I went down VERY HARD.  I slide to a stop and hope I can get up.  This was by far the hardest crash I've had and landed on my butt.  As I write this at 9:30PM I'm still sore to put it mildly.  I'm not sure if I will jump tomorrow or not.

 

I got up and took off the skis and stood at the bottom of the outrun for a minute or two trying to decide if I wanted to take another jump.  I decided not to and called it quits for the day.

 

So my plans for 7 jumps on the 38 at Andover got cut short by two and my plans for 7 jumps on each the 50 and the 25 at Lebanon didn't even come close to happening.  Not sure what tomorrow will bring, time shall tell.

 

Crash(hoping my butt feels a lot better in the morning)