Jumping Journal: January 13, 2008

Solid progress each and every jump.  That's the way I like it.

 

A real nice day for jumping in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire.  Sunny skies early giving way to building clouds later on.  Temperature hovering around mid 30s and fast conditions on the inrun and a smooth landing hill/transition/outrun.  What more could you ask for out of mid January.

 

I drove up to Lebanon and found the guys already out finishing up the hill work by the time I got there.  It looked like it was going to be a packed masters jumping session on the K50.  Sure enough it was.  Dan, Bill, Matt, Cannonball and myself were all there and ready to get some jumping in before the snow storm hits tonight and slows things back down as usual.  Nothing good ever lasts long does it.

 

I stretched and suited up with everyone else.  I headed up the hill and was the first one to jump for the day.  Everyone spent the day jumping from the bars.  No one had the balls to try it from house, LOL!!!

 

Jump one.  I definitely was a little slow getting into my inrun position.  In fact until the fourth or fifth jump I was having trouble getting into the inrun position as quick as what I would have liked.  My jump at the takeoff was a little on the chesty side but I did notice that the tips didn't seem to be coming up as much as they were yesterday.   I guess the time I spent yesterday checking and tightening down the cords must of helped.  Granted it didn't seem like I really had tightened them up any.

 

I landed the jump around 30 meter and rode on out to the end of the outrun without incident.

 

Jump two was quite a bit like jump one.  I did feel like I got into the inrun position a little quicker than before but I knew I was still slow.

 

Jump three was once again a little better.  I still was noticing that it seemed like I wasn't getting set in my inrun position like I wanted to.  It did seem like I was riding the inrun a little high as well compared to normal and compared to later on in the session today.  I was starting to focus on getting out over the skis.

 

Jump four was going down around 32-34 meters.  The inrun was getting better with each and every jump.  I was starting to move more forward and being less chesty.

 

Jump five and six.  Getting more down toward 34 meters solid and even toward 35 meters.  I was making the move out over much, much better.

 

By jump seven I had finally nailed down the problem on the inrun and the inrun position was nice and I was getting into my inrun position right from the bar with no delay at all.  I was really starting to move out over the skis.  On jump seven I figured that I had cocked my ankles a little more than the previous jump or two.  It seemed like I was way out over the skis, at least by looking at my ski tips.  It didn't feel like I was any further out over the skis.  Like I said above, I think I cocked my ankles a little harder and that brought the skis up more.  I was down in 37-38 meter range when I landed on this jump.  It seemed like one of the best jumps, technically speaking that I can ever remember having.  The distance didn't show it though.

 

Jump eight and nine were almost identical.  I had a great inrun position with a nice forward move at the takeoff.  I was out nicely over the skis, at least that is what it seemed like.  The only that seemed to be missing was any kind of power/height at the takeoff.  Normally it seems like I'm higher at the takeoff than what I was on jump eight or nine.  I'm guessing I was focusing too much on trying to get out over the skis versus jump up to get any kind of height.  Both jumps landed in the 35 meter area.  They weren't as far as jump seven but it seemed like I was actually jumping, technically, the best I have ever jumped.

 

The weather forecast is for snow to start up overnight and we are suppose to 4-8 inches of snow before it is over.  Yes, winter is back, will it hold all the way until spring thaw...time shall tell.  It's questionable what will happen tomorrow, whether we'll just end up doing hill work or whether we will actually get a few jumps in as well.  The rest of the week is sounding quite nice right now.  A good week to get a decent amount of jumping in.

 

Keep the ski tips up,

Crash