Jumping Journal: June 08, 2009

A big group of jumpers of all ages.

 

That pretty much describes this evening.  Definitely one of the biggest crowd of jumpers of all ages that I have seen jumping during the summer months.  Let's see.  Their was two adults, 6 high school kids(most I think I have seen jumping on plastic), 4 junior jumpers, and 2 very young kids, I think they are age 8 and 9.  It was one the largest crowds I've seen in Lebanon during the summer season.  It seems strange having this size of crowd sticking around this late into the summer months.

 

I made my way to hill this late spring afternoon to find the crowd pouring in.  I saw a few new faces that I had to be reminded what their name was even though I knew the kid.  I just wasn't use to seeing them this time of the year.  I arrived at Cannonball already was doing immo's with the kids.  I changed into the blue jeans and long sleeve shirt I normally wear this time of the year.  I headed on up the hill knowing their was no soap up top.

 

After the newbie and not so newbies had rode the landing hill I walked on up the inrun and put on my skis.  Cannonball gave me the signal and I started down the inrun.  I figured it was going to be quite slow given the lack of soap.  As I started over the lip at the top of the inrun it seemed like I was going to be correct.  I quickly ended up seeing that the notion was wrong though as I accelerated quite nicely.  I didn't have as much speed at the takeoff as I normally would but it was maybe 1-2 mph slower at the most.  I jumped at the takeoff and had a nice flight.  I was quite pleased.  I landed and for a second as I was coming up to the sawdust I was thinking am I ever going to get down.  It seemed like I was doing the exact opposite of what I was doing earlier in the spring.  Instead of getting down too quickly I was now waiting forever to get down.

 

I walked back up the jump and the crowd was starting to arrive.  Gee, just how many jumpers can you fit on the K25, HA!!  I put on my skis and waitd for the little and not so little kids to ride the landing hill.  I got the signal from Cannonball and this time I had an even better jump.  Without the soap on my skis or on the inrun I still managed to jump 17.5-18 meters.  Gee, that's all the further I normally jump when I do have soap on my skis.  Something hear doesn't seem quite right.  Maybe this soap concept is just overkill.  Maybe its just a head game.

 

By the third jump their had to be at least 10 jumpers jumping on the K25.  Pretty much all the kids with the exception of only one or two that was out for their first day were up on the K25.  The pace of getting jumpers off the hill had actually picked up very nicely.  The past several weeks the pace of getting jumps was quite slow due to so many kids riding the landing hill all the time.  Tonight with practically everyone jumping the pace picked up and I actually had five jumps in by 7:30PM.  Last week it was closer to 8:00PM before I got all five jumps in and we started jumping about the same time tonight as last week.

 

Between the third, fourth, and fifth jumps I managed to keep the jumps further down the hill and managed to have one of the nicest summer sessions of jumping I think I've ever had.  I was hitting down 18-18.5 meters by the end of the session.  The fourth jump was definitely the best of the night and it seemed like I made a better move at the takeoff, jumping more out than I had been on any of the other jumps.  I need to get back to working on thinking of jumping out since I don't have to worry about crashing all the time finally.  I'll have to see what I can do about that come next week.  Hopefully nothing will interfer and keep me from being able to jump next Monday.

 

Keep the ski tips up,

Crash