Jumping Journal: July 16, 2008

91 consectutive months, and not far from 91 degrees.

 

July didn't come quite as early this year as I thought it would.  It almost didn't even happen today.  I knew I wouldn't be jumping during the 4th of July week but I thought I would probably have jumped last week..  Mother Nature decided otherwise, at least to me she did.

 

I spent last Tuesday evening up at Storrs Hill for a coaches clinic.  The head coach of the eastern division brought the US team coach over for a coaches clinic with the other coaches in the east.  Since all the coaches except the Lake Placid coaches are in New Hampshire it kinda made sense to have the clinic in New Hampshire.  I managed to pick one or two new ideas or at least new ways of explaining the same concept.  I knew that I was going to try to make the change to my technique the next time I jumped.

 

Showers and storms settled in mid afternoon last Wednesday so I ended up staying home.  Early this morning I figured everything was a go to head up and jump this evening.  A few hours later things were looking like I wouldn't end up jumping until next week.  The day managed to change back in my favor and I found myself up in Lebanon this evening getting ready to out a new idea or two as well as jump for the 91 consectutive month.

 

I arrived at Storrs Hill shortly before 6PM and found a few other jumpers present.  Gee, tonight look more like a normal summer jump session than either of the past two times I've been out jumping.  The only junior jumper was out working on his balance on his unicycle.  There were a couple of other adults around, but it seeemed like it was going to end up being a small crowd tonight.

 

While waiting for everybody to get organized I saw someone walking up toward the lodge.  At first I thought it was one of Fred Baker's kids but then I realized I was wrong.  It turned out Sam Burke is back in the area for the summer during college summer break.  He is going to come out and help with the coaching this summer.  It's always great to see Sam.

 

Finally we took a warm up run and did some stretching while a man and woman were watching.  The man was a former Ukrainian Olympic nordic combiner that is spending time in the United States.  He is to help out with coaching in the states and may have found a bit of a home here in the Upper Valley.

 

We suited up and headed on up the hill.  Turns out it would be 4 adults and one kids.  One of the adults hadn't jumped on plastic yet and only jumped a few times last winter.  He did manage to make the conversion quite easily and was even jumping the telebump tonight on his alpine skis.  I don't believe he ever skied on jumping skis last winter.

 

I'm remembering quite easily what it is I'm wanting to work on for the evening.  I knew it could make for a rather interesting jump since it could make jumping early very easy to accomplish.

 

I headed down the inrun for the first jump and I was going to, hopefully, avoid jumping earlier as I was going to attempt lengthening out the move at the takeoff.  From what I had always understood over the past eight years you wanted the quick move right at the takeoff.  I heard otherwise last Tuesday evening.  As I got beyond the end of the curve on the end run I started my move.  Yep, I ended up jumping early.  I hadn't landed yet and I was already saying, "This is not going to be easy to change."

 

I went back up for jump two.  I wasn't about to give up on the idea, especially on a measly K25.  This time I didn't jump early but I would say I was close to jumping the way I typically I have jumped over the years.  The move may have been a little bit longer but not like I was wanting it.

 

The third jump caught me off guard.  I actually did slow down the move at the takeoff and I didn't jump early.  My thought as I was coming to stop was simply, "OK, this may be easier to change than what I'm thinking it will be."

 

The fourth and fifth jumps were pretty much the same.  The fourth jump was the best jump of the night and even Sam and Tara thought so as well.

 

It's amazing how hearing something explained a little different can make a big difference.  I remember a few years when I heard the simple explanation by Matt Cook, the head coach at the time in Lake Placid, to maintain the shin to chin angle.  It made all the sense compared to every other description I heard the different coaches over the years use(jump at a 45 degree angle, (pointing at a 45 degree angle) jump like this, jump like a banana), all of them never worked to get the message across.

 

Admittedly as I have always heard it explained, "Wait until your ski tips are at the takeoff before you start your move" and now I'm hearing "start your move when you exit the curve in the transition".  It doesn't seem like they are saying the same thing but listening to Sam and Tara tonight it seems like everyone has once again been saying the same thing but Casey Colby said it in a different way last Tuesday evening.  Casey's way makes the most sense.  I'll find out this winter when I get back on the K50 if they mean the same thing or not.  The K25 does have a bit longer takeoff than most other jumps so I'll have to wait and try it on the K50 that is much closer to a normal length table.

 

Crash