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)

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Jumping Journal: December 30, 2007

Screw you...err, screw me.  A short day of screwed up ski jumping.  YEAH...Not!
 
The temperature last night finally did manage to make it below freezing, the low was 27.  It helped out quite nicely to harden up both the inrun and the landing hill.  I had noticed yesterday that the landing hill was hardening up as I raked it around 4PM.  It didn't really surprise me to see the nice conditions this morning when I arrived at the hill.
 
Dan was already out raking out the landing hill to make sure any icy spots were taken care of.  Jay groomed the outrun for us so everything was going to be in real nice condition.  You couldn't complain for a second about the shape of the hill today.  Okay, so other things would go wrong instead.
 
As Dan was finishing up the raking I remembered about one thing I was going to take care this morning but I also knew I forgot to bring a screwdriver with me.  One of the screws on my binding was coming out and I needed to see if I would be able to tighten it back up or not.  I walked into the jump inn and managed to find a screwdriver in one of the tool/wax boxes.
 
Since I had already put my skis outside to cool off I walked back out the door and proceeded to take care of the ski.  First thing I noticed was both top screws on the throw was loose.  Then I started noticing a couple of other screws on the throw was also loose.  The top screws didn't seem to want to tighten down but the other screws were tightening down fortunately.  I questioned how long I would be able to get away with it and I didn't figure it would be for very long but I was going to try.  I hoped I would be able to get a full day of jumping in and then deal with it afterwards.
 
Before suiting up I changed googles on my helmet.  The original pair I bought over a decade ago and used for alpine skiing and have been using them for ski jumping most of the time since I started jumping.  I did buy a new pair of googles last winter.  The one I have/had been using were scratched up massively and they just were hard to see out of anymore.  The trouble came after I bought the new pair I was wearing them last winter when I took the digger on the K90 in Lake Placid.  The lenses ended up cracking in many places.  I ended up with only a couple of weeks worth of use out of them before the crash.  I found myself enjoying both the scratch free seeing and not having the tinted lenses the the original googles have.
 
As winter started I was trying to think of a way I could replacing the lenses on the new googles and end up once again with usable googles.  I just had to figure out a place where I could get thin enough clear plastic.
 
After trying out one idea I kinda figured wouldn't work due to the thickness of the material I finally came up with the crafty idea of using a 2 liter pop bottle.  Drink the pop and then cut up the pop bottle to the right size and fit the lense into the google frame.  I tried this idea several times but it just wasn't working the way I wanted it to.
 
Friday evening I came up with a MUCH better idea.  It made so more sense to do it this way than the other way.  Instead of trying to cut the plastic to the right size instead I thought about a totally different approach.  I decided to super glue the plastic onto the outside of the google frame, and than cut along the frame to give the correct lense size.  Add a little duct tape over the lense edges to make sure that no air could possibly get through the lense and into the eye and also to help protect against any possible sharp edges.  I thought this idea stood the best chance of working of any idea thus far.  I followed through as planned and everything here at the house seemed like it was going to work swell.  Now it was time to try it on the jump...that's where it counts.
 
Dan , Bill and I as well as a junior jumper headed up the jump for a nice morning session of jumping.  As I put on the skis it already seems like the screws are going to do nothing but cause problems.  I get the skis on and head on down the inrun for the first jump of the morning.  Just like Wednesday evening the speed catches me off guard...why is beyond me.  I end up jumping late but I still manage a nice long jump, thanks to the inrun speed.  I did notice that I was having little bit of trouble on the inrun as well.  It looked like there was a bit of curviness on the inrun that wasn't there yesterday.  Granted with the old googles I may just have not seen it, LOL!!!
 
As I got down to the transition on the landing hill I found myself getting pulled backwards onto my butt.  I finally end up falling the rest of the way over.  Definitely not the normal for me to crash like that anymore, but I did it on the first jump today.
 
I walked back up top and got ready for the second jump, once again the screws were trying to come out.  I headed down the inrun and things went much better this time and the timing at the takeoff was much better as well.  The transition was identical to the previous jump and once again I ended up on my butt.  Before I ever got back to the steps on the landing hill I knew what the problem was.  I was sitting too far back on the inrun and it was carrying through to the landing hill.  DRATS!!!
 
I walked up for the third jump.  One of the two screws was pretty much toast.  I was going to go ahead and take the jump but call it quits after taking the jump.  I was hoping the screw wouldn't come out on the jump but I had a feeling it probably would.
 
I headed down the inrun, this time with the knees set and the butt up.  I jumped at the takeoff and had a sweet jump.  It ended up being one of the four or five longest of season thus far.  I rode the landing hill and stayed upright without ever trying.  It's amazing the difference the inrun position makes on the jump...even down at transition on the landing hill.  It doesn't seem possible that it could work that way but I have witnessed it happen before, as well as today.
 
Upon landing I heard a noise that made me question whether or not the screw had just come out.  As I was slowing to a stop at the end of the outrun I noticed the screw was missing.  I wasn't changing my mind on calling it a day at all.
 
I walked on up to the jump inn and proceed to take the bindings off the skis.  I had been given a different pair of skis over the summer by another master jumper who bought a new pair of skis and was wanting to give his old pair to someone who could use them.  I have questioned for quite a long while whether I had equipment failure that led to digger on K90 last winter.  One of the cord screws would come out whenever I crashed and the ski came off.  On an occasion or two post digger the entire cable came off the ski as a result.  The cable also came off the ski when I took the digger.  They never did find the cable.  Prior to the digger last winter I only had the problem once or twice all within a week or two of taking the digger.  Everything surrounding the story of what happened on the digger has made me question it though.  The junior jumper who was jumping with us today does have video his father shot of my digger.  I know once I get the chance to see the video I will, hopefully, once and for all be able to answer whether or not their was equipment failure that also led to the digger.  I know there was several different aspects of psychological failure that led to it but I have been wondering about the possibilty of equipment failure as well since about three weeks after the digger occured.
 
After getting home tonight I managed to finish up the equipment change over and now I'll just have to wax the skis before I jump next, possibly on New Years Day.  Admittedly, I have noticed the same problem while mounting up the new skis.  Instead of putting something nice and solid for screws to stick/hold into all around the foot the ski manufactures love to put almost nothing in the skis.  What a way to save weight.  Under the foot wasn't a problem.  I know the toe plate screws will hold nicely.  The heel block screws will hold as well.  The throw screws are questionable.  I did pull out some super glue and decided to see if super glue might hold them in place and keep them from coming out.  I thought about but didn't super glue the throw onto the ski.  I just super glued the screws in.
 
Time shall tell.
 
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