Jumping Journal: January 24, 2008

Consistency is good. Nice weather is even better.  Good inrun conditions even better yet.  I guess it must have been a nice night for jumping.  Something has to change, LOL!!!

 

After a cloudy start the day remained cloudy until late afternoon when it started to clear out but not before a quick snow shower passed by.  The clear skies made way for what appears is going to be a cold night with temperatures dropping into the negative numbers.

 

I arrived at Storrs Hill and tracolated the inrun before heading off to help with the lift.  After getting done with the lift I changed boots and grabbed the skis and walked on up the landing hill to the takeoff.  Nick was once again on the coaches stand as everyone else should be in Chicago right now getting for this weekend.  From what I could tell it looked like their was only going to be one other jumper out tonight.  I was surprised to see him out as I figured he was going to be going to Chicago as well.  I was wrong.

 

I got up top and put on the skis.  My first jump was late but otherwise it pretty decent.  It didn't seem like I went all that far but I figure I was definitely lower than 30 meters at least.

 

The second and third jumps both continued to get better.  I was occasionally tossing in a bit of V but I still looking down while in the air versus looking to where I wanted to land.  Each of the two jumps were both getting down near 35 meters but still nothing really spectacular to say the least.

 

Jump four was a little too good.  In fact I thought I had jumped early.  Nick said otherwise.  The ski tips hung the air a lot longer than they normally would, hence why I figured I had jumped early.

 

Jump five I found myself with the best jump of the evening.  Everything came together about the best it has so far this winter.  I was getting down close to 38-40 meters on the jump.

 

On the sixth jump I managed for the first time since last week to keep the head up in the air so I wasn't 'looking at my feet'.  It seemed like a much nicer jump.  Anymore it always seems like a nicer jump when I'm not 'looking at my feet'.

 

The seventh and final jump of the evening I was hoping to put everything together once again, including the head position.  Instead I headed down the inrun and jump WAY late, about 4-5 meters off the takeoff before I even tried to jump.  Talk about blowing a jump big time.  I guess as Cannonball would say I wasted all that time and all my energy climbing the stairs so I could jump late.  HA!!!

 

Oh well, better luck next time.  Granted tomorrow night I'm going to need all the luck I can find.  It's been four years since I last jumped at Kennett.  I have heard rumors from one of the Kennett high school jumpers that they spent some time over the summer adding fill to raise the height of the top of the outrun...Yeah, it's going to be fun.  The only time I've jumped there I was jumping, intentionally, on a pair of 235s, not tomorrow, tomorrow shall be on a pair of 265s.  That should really help to keep speed under control.  Granted I should only be jumping on the K25 and not the K35. That may help things as well.

 

Crash