Jumping Journal: February 13, 2009

Where's Jason...It can only be bad luck it you have triskadekophobia.  Must be Friday the 13th.

 

Okay, so it wasn't bad, it was just cold as you know what.

 

After a warm day Wednesday and yesterday today the weather turned a bit more seasonable.  First I had to get through yesterday.

 

After running ar errand into Newport around 1PM yesterday I got home and as I was walking into the house I was thinking if Ron had any brains he would get out to the jump this afternoon and we would get the inrun ready for the jump meet Sunday...by Saturday the snow is going to be pure ice and you won't be able to move it.

 

I walked on inside knowing Ron is a school teacher and he wouldn't even get off work for over an hour...I forgot he was running the state high school alpine race at the Mount Sunapee yesterday.  I continued working on a computer program for scoring Mud Meet that I've been working on ever since last winter.  Around 2PM or so I hear a noise at the front door.  Next thing I hear someone coming in my house.  I quickly get up out off the stool I sit on in front of the computer and head over toward the door.  I can't see the front door from where I'm sitting.  As I get to the doorway Ron says something.  Immediately I say, "YES, he's thinking the same thing I'm thinking."  Turns out I was right.  I get the shoes back on and head on over and meet him and one of his high school jumpers at the jump and we spend until 4PM or so getting the inrun ready while the snow is still soft and movable, unlike this afternoon.

 

We leave knowing Mount Sunapee was going to bring a groomer over to groom the landing hill and outrun for us at noon time today.  I decided to go over and help out, if nothing else for moral support.  Ron was going to take an hour or so off from teaching to come and make sure everything got groomed correctly.

 

I arrived at the hill shortly after noontime.  Ron was there but the groomer wasn't there yet.  It was across the street at the airport doing some grooming for ski jouring competition tomorrow.  It was doing it first and then coming on over to do the ski jump.

 

It finally showed up and got the landing hill groomed and looking good.  It was discovered when we arrived that the inrun was solid as a rock.  Hopefully the track cutter will be able to get through it tomorrow when Ron and I go to cut the track.  Ron left and I went ahead and locked everything up for him before heading on home.  Boy was I glad to get away from that hill side.  The wind was coming right up the hill and with the temperature only in the lower 20s it was down right cold on any exposed skin.  It helped me decide to do things a bit differently when it came time to pack up for the jump meet.

 

I spent about an hour at home before heading on to meet and the high school team at the local pizza shop across the street from the where everyone meets the bus to go the high school jump meets.  After chatting we got on the bus and headed on off to Andover for the final high school meet of the season.

 

We arrived at the hill and I suited up quickly as some kids were already heading up the jump.  I was surprised at how long the line was by the time I got up top.  I already started thinking about only taking one jump and calling it quits.  I knew I was going to freeze my butt off standing around 20-25 minutes in between jumps.

 

I finally made my way up top and put on the skis.  The inrun looked the best of almost any inrun I've seen all winter long.  I got into the track and got the signal with a nice cross wind blowing.  I started down and jumped at the takeoff.  It wasn't a spectacular jump by any means but I was quite satisfied with it.  As I rode through the outrun, I, for the quickest of a split second thought about going up for another jump and then came to my senses and headed straight on for the lodge.  After warming up my hands and talking with one of the judges for the evening I almost went out and took another jump.  As I was watching the kids jump all of them was heading back for the lodge and I figured they must have told the kids it was their last jump.  Instead I changed clothes and spent the rest of the evening cheering on the kids and talking with some of the high school coaches I have known now for years.

 

Thankfully the wind didn't play a bigger factor in the evening then it did.  A few years back they ended up postponing the state meet due to the wind.  It was questionable while at the Newport jump at noon time whether they might have to postpone the meet this year or not.

 

In a rather unusual situation the kids from Kennett HIgh School ended up winning the team title this year.  For the past several years, I think as long as I've been around the Hanover High School has always had the strongest team in the state.  This year the individual champion, Jeff Colt, was from Hanover but they didn't finish in the top three.  Instead Concord High School came in second, and they could be a major power house come next since they don't have anyone graduating.

 

Tomorrow will be another work day at Newport before taking a ton more jumps.  It sounds like maybe quite a few guys I haven't seen in a long time may be there jumping Sunday.  It should make for a fun meet.  Hopefully...in the year where you have to expect the unexpected...nothing will happen to make thing turn out different then they are planned.  I REALLY HOPE!!!

 

Crash