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)

Monday, January 26, 2009

Jumping Journal: January 26, 2009

Forgetfulness can lead to some different experiences.
 
I spent yesterday morning drilling new holes to be filled with wooden dawl rod that I would screw into to hold the the front throw down.  I managed to get the holes drilled and the get the wooden dawl rod glued in place and let everything set up nice and dry overnight.
 
This morning after getting up I managed to screw the front throw back onto the ski.  I worked on a few other projects and one thing I did do was hang the ripped pair of sweatpants up on the 'clothesline' over the heater so they could dry off.  I figured I could use them by just turning the hole facing forwards.  I did duct tape up the jump suit as well during the morning projects.
 
I left just shortly before 6PM to head on off to the Roland Trembley Ski Jumping Complex, err the Newport ski jump.  I arrived right behind one of Ron's high school kids.  The lights were turned off which seemed rather unusual.  A minute or so later another one of the high school kids pulled in.  Turns out the minor problem that occured sometime right after the meet Friday evening hadn't been taken care of yet.  The lights for the Newport jump have their main shutoff point down by the ice hockey rink quite a distance from the ski jump itself.  In the past some of the guys from the ice rink have accidently shut off the breaker for the lights, fortunately they have never did while anyone was jumping.  Luckily they waited until after meet Friday night before they threw the switch that is marked and duct taped over to be left turned on.  Ron found out Saturday morning when him and I met at the hill so I could pick the boots up for Chris Hastings.  He forgot to call the person in charge over the weekend so he had to give him a call tonight.
 
Ron came pulling in a few minutes later and turned on the lights and I grabbed my stuff and headed for the jump inn.  After I walked in I opened my bag and found out I had forgotten to put hte sweatpants in the bag.  I was now facing an interesting dilemma.  The temperature was already into the single digits and dropping quite quickly with the clear skies and lack of wind.  I had several ideas in my mind and nothing sounded all that good.  I figured I could just put the jumpsuit on over top my blue jeans and jump that way.  I knew I had the ski bibs I normally use for hill work out in the car and I thought about putting them on.  I also thought about just jumping with nothing on the lower half.  I also thought of just not jumping.  I didn't like any of the options at all.
 
The kids suited up and went out to ride the landing hill to find it was pretty much ice and needed to be raked.  Ron had planned on having it all raked by the time we got there but he had to get the lights turned on.  I was still inside trying to decide what I was going to do.
 
Finally I decided to go with option one and hope that I would even be able to get down into an inrun position without ripping the butt completely out of the suit.  I knew the blue jeans would provide for superior protection if I did fall.
 
I suited up and headed outside.  I decided to do the evil thing I have only did one other time so far this winter.  I rode the landing hill.  I wanted to see how much I was going to be able to get down into an inrun position.  Turns out it wasn't bad.  The only problem was the front throw on the ski I replaced  it on needed to be tightened down some.
 
I walked on up to the K25 and decide to jump it first.  I wanted to see if I was going to same response I had been having the past couple of times I've jumped.  It's not something that is easy to explain.  It almost seems like the mind won't let you control the body to do what you want to do...kinda like your in a fuzzy state of being there but not being there.  I noticed the same thing the last two times I ice skated on the Newport common, as recently as yesterday.
 
I got the signal and started down the inrun.  I noticed no signs of the past problems whatsoever.  The only I noticed was the bumps in the inrun.  I jumped at the takeoff and had one strange jump.  I haven't dropped a ski in quite a while.  Tonight I dropped a ski on each of the first two or three jumps.  It ended up being a short jump but a nice safe jump.
 
I walked back up and moved on over to the K30 side of the tressel.  I got the signal and headed down the inrun and jumped at the takeoff and while in the air I had the left ski drop while the right ski came up harder than I've seen a ski come up in a long time.  After landing I started questioning if it was the blue jeans causing all the trouble.
 
The next jump was a little bit better but I still had trouble controlling the ski like I normal am able to anymore.
 
The next jump is when things really started to change.  I came down the inrun and jumped at the takeoff and everything seemed normal until right before I landed.  I was shocked by how far I made it down the hill.  I knew I was back into the game once again as I was easily in the 26-27 meter range.  This is about the farthest I've ever went on the Newport jump.
 
I walked back up and the next jump wasn't quite as good, the direction wasn't quite as well right on the money as the previous jump.  I still had 25-26 meters.
 
The next several jumps were all pretty much the same, right down to where I was landing.  I was starting to get back into jumping around the knee.  Not quite to the point where I could really feel it but the response in the air was suggesting I was getting real close to jump around the knee.
 
On the next to last jump(I was initially going to have it be the last jump after I took it but I caved in and went for one more) I ended up with the best jump I've ever had at Newport.  Everything with the jump went real well and I ended up down between 27 and 28 meters.
 
I couldn't resist the temptation.  The other kids were going up for one final jump and I decided to join them.  It turns out I should have listened to my original advice and quit on the previous jump as what turned out to be the final jump of the evening wasn't as nice as the one before it and I ended up with only around 26 meters at the most.
 
All in all it was the best jump session ever at Newport and one of nicest jump sessions I've had anywhere in quite a while.  If I'm remembering correctly I took more jumps tonight alone at Newport than I took in all of 2007 and 2008 combined at Newport.  I am liking the hill more now than I use to like it.  That's a major plus.
 
Hopefully I'll be on the K50 in Lebanon tomorrow night and than after that???  It'll all depend on the weather.  Sounds like another snow storm coming during the day on Wednesday which may end up cancelling the jump meet in North Conway, New Hampshire.  I hope not but it isn't sounding favorable right now.  I enjoy jumping that jump even though I've only jumped there twice thus far.
 
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