Myth #1(Mother Nature killed the sport of ski jumping) Debunked

Myth #2(NCAA killed the sport of ski jumping) Debunked Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Myth #3(The US doesn't have the talent) Debunked Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Mind Of A Ski Jumper Part 1, 2, 3, 4

The Ultimate Coach - Ski Jump Training Device

Jumping Season Digest: (see bottom of this page)

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Jumping Journal: March 25, 2006

Day 60.  Boy are the days sure ever adding up or how a week gone by seems more like a month gone by.
 
It does seem like it has been almost a month since I last jumped.  Granted it has only been one week.  And what a difference a week can make this time of the year.
 
I've spent each day over the past week out doing some cross country skiing.  Trying to pick up the technique and get the old heart a beating.  It does seem strange to be on cross country skis.  I didn't really think I would ever find myself on them yet alone liking it.  When I was a kid I had wanted to get into cross country skiing for cross training for road biking.  I knew it would be a great way to stay in shape during the winter months.  The only problem with that theory is that where I used to live, we never had snow that stayed on the ground longer the 24 hours.  Long before I moved to New Hampshire I had stopped biking as much as what I used to and as a result I had lost the interest in cross country skiing.  Now I'm back and loving it.  I just wish I could pick up the technique that it seems like I should be doing.  Maybe I'm wrong on what it is I should be doing.  I know I have quite a bit of the right technique but part of it, from what I've seen on the internet, isn't their.
 
On Thursday afternoon I had taken a look at the jump and was quite surprised to see how much damage had already been done by the warm temperatures.  Temperatures hadn't been all that warm, only in the low to mid 30's ever since the weekend, but Thursday did see temps pop up to almost 50.  The inrun was the worst part of the jump.
 
When we added snow to the inrun, in time for Mud Meet last week,  not much attention had been paid to the quality of snow that was being thrown on the inrun.  As a result it contained a lot of dirt...a lot of dirt.  The warm temps had melted down the snow and now the dirt was really showing.  Dan ran the tracolator through down the inrun to try to help preserve the track so we could jump today.  Friday saw more low 40 temps.
 
I knew from Thursday that a possible problem area today could be down just below the transition on the landing hill.  Where the outrun turns upward it was already starting to show signs of standing water.  By the time I arrived at the hill this morning Dan had already dug a small trench to drain the water that was standing on the left side of the outrun.  The nice thing is that the fall line wants to take you toward the right side of the outrun.  You would have to work your way to the left to get into the water that was there.
 
We got ready and went up and rode the landing hill.  There was a spot right beside, to the right of the standing water that was turning to slush.  By the time we finished jumping it did have a few small spots of standing water in it.  It was also creating for sticky conditions that would haunt me big time.
 
We headed up for our first jump.  After Dan had jumped I headed down the inrun to find a couple of sticky spots on the inrun but nothing bad.  Actually the transition through the takeoff still had some decent speed to it.  The top of the inrun was quite slow.  The 18-20 meters jump we had last Saturday, were long history.  Today making it down to 13 meters was not very easy to do.
 
The first jump went okay until I hit the slush spot.  Dan had made it through fine but I ended up losing it and going down.  The second jump was the same way, only the fall in the slush was more impressive.  The third and final jump of the day was more of the same, and still yet more impressive.
 
We both decided to play it safe and call it quits.
 
Today was also the hill closing party for the Lebanon Outing Club.  They normally have a nice cookout and do pond skimming.  The pond for the pond skimming abuts the 25 meter jump outrun.  This year they also decided to do a double slalom gate course down the 50 meter landing hill.  Everyone was waiting to see my performance on the course.  They all know how well I do each year on the K120 giant slalom course in Lake Placid at Lead Dog.
 
It comes time for the start of the competition, single elimination style.  I get paired up as the first one to go the course with one of the other jumpers I jump with all the time.  She easily smokes me down the course.  Granted it didn't help that I ended up missing one of the gate either.
 
After everyone else in the first round has run the course we decide to call a losers bracket.  We all head back up for another round.  This time I get paired up with Dan.  He had also missed a gate in his comp.  The second time down I miss a gate again.
 
As were waiting for people to get back up to the knoll of the 50 we decide to go up for another shot at it.  I believe I missed a gate once again.  I might have made it all the way through but I don't remember for sure.  I'm guessing not.
 
We decide to go up for a fourth run.  This time I'm going against one of the good alpine skiers.  His kids, that I'll mention in a just a bit, are both excellent alpine racers and he was a good racer back in his day.  His kids are also very good at cross country and jumping.  His kids won both of the ski meister events last weekend.
 
His kids was duking it out for who's going to win the comp.  It was decided, on the fly, that it was going to be best two out three runs that would decide the final winner.  Run one was over and we head up to take runs while the kids get back up.  The father offers to allow me a half gate advantage.  I'm laughing at the notion saying, "Yeah I have to make it through all the gate first without missing a gate before the half gate advantage means anything."  Watching the father go down the course so effortlessly, without turning any at all, was impressive to say the least.
 
I start down the course and right after the first gate I lose it and start sliding on butt the rest of the way down the course.  One of my skis come off and get hung up on the bottom gate.  I come to a stop in the transition, laughing, knowing what everybody was saying.  Yes, I was close to the deflection boards once again, just like the final run last Sunday at Lead Dog.
 
Next came the kids.  They took the second run and they managed to force a third and final round.  Cannonball made the suggestion, after the kids were making the suggestion, that they go up the inrun of the 50 and start up on the inrun.
 
The kids head up the inrun and go about half way up the inrun.  They start side by side.  The older brother pretty much is laying on his back while his younger brother is sitting on the inrun, side by side.  They get the signal and the older brother flips up on his skis and they both head down the inrun with the younger brother in the lead.  The jump at the takeoff and land on the ege of the knoll.  The enter the slalom and the older brother somehow manages to catch up and pass his younger brother at the line.
 
It was truly a site to behold.  I've wanted to see something crazy like that for quite a while.  Now if we could only figure out a way to incorporate cross country skiing into the picture it would make for a true ski meister competition.
 
After both brothers were racing in alpine skis while jumping the 50 had their final run, another hardy soul headed up the inrun and also did the course starting from the inrun, only this time she did it with telemark skis on.  Other than a hard landing on the knoll she managed to pull it beautifully.
 
Boy do I ever wish I would have had the video camera handy with me right at that moment to get them doing it.  The video would definitely go up on the net.  I did get some other video from this morning that I will hopefully be able to post in the next couple of days if I can manage to get the problem with video.google.com figured out that I'm experiencing right now.
 
I do have run 1 down the K120 giant slalom course up on the net right now.  The other videos I have tried to put up haven't went so well.  Hopefully I'll get a good answer back from Google as to why I can't seem to upload the files in the next few days.
 
Here's the link for video one:
 
Crash
Winter 2010
DateLeb 25Plymouth 25Leb 50And 38
Dec 121
Jan 056
Jan 063
Feb 024
Feb 032
Feb 046
Feb 073
Mar 063
Totals133102