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)

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Jumping Journal: February 07, 2010

Not what I had expected or what I was thinking.
 
The talk after jumping Thursday evening was of possibly jumping the 50 sometime this weekend.  The weekend has come and gone and haven't heard a thing more about it.  Instead I got an email last night from Dr. John asking about the state high school jump meet coming up this coming Friday and he also made mention that he was in Concord and was hoping to jump the K25 in Lebanon today.  I told him I didn't know for sure but I should by the time late morning came around.
 
I managed to make nice progress on the project I was working on so I decided I would go on up and do some jumping with him on the 25.  I arrived at the hill around 1:30PM and very shortly thereafter he pulled in.  After chatting a few minutes we grabbed our gear and headed inside to suit up.
 
We walked out and after taking a look at the landing hill we decided it would be best to do a little raking as it looked like right where the left ski would be going down the landing hill there was some ruts and chunks of snow/ice.  After getting the raking done Dr. John went on to ride the landing hill and I walked on up the inrun.
 
Other than a small little curve about 1/3 the way down the inrun the rest of it looked pretty decent.  I knew given everything it would be fast.  The weather is still being very consistent.  Their has been some more clouds the past couple of days but no snow and the temperatures haven't risen about freezing in a week or more now.  We managed to miss the snow storm that hit the Washington D.C. area with two feet of snow earlier in the weekend.  It does sound like, at least as of last night, that the area might get some snow on Wednesday into Thursday but the temperatures are to remain below freezing for highs.
 
As I put on my skis I noticed the inrun needed a little work right up in house.  The ski tracks up on top were anything but level and the backside of the right ski actually needed snow to make it nice and level throughout.  With the hardpack snow/ice I knew their wasn't anything I could do about it.
 
I got the signal from John and started down the inrun.  I was playing it a bit on the casual side.  I didn't sink right into my usual inrun position instead I lollygagged until I was all the way down.  I got the takeoff and did a half hearted jump.  Once I was in the air I quickly realized I was quite high in the air compared to what I had ever been before while jumping on the K25.  The next thing I notice is I'm about to land on P, aka 20 meters, or even further down the hill than that.  I was shocked and started pulling back.  I'm not use to landing that far down the hill.  I've only jumped that far once or twice in the 10 years I've been jumping.  I landing and quickly find myself sitting back.  I also finding myself saying, "I thought I was in Lebanon not Andover."
 
I walk up and flag Dr. John for his first jump of the day and then walk on up the inrun.  This time I decided I was just going to slide off the end of the takeoff and not even trying to jump any at all.  I put on the skis and got the signal.  I headed down the inrun and pretty much slid off the end and moved into position.  I ended up landing around 18 meters and I was still a bit more height than normal.
 
I walked up and flagged Dr. John once again.  I made my way up the inrun thinking I knew I had to figure out what I had to do to get myself use to landing so far down the hill.  I figured I would do the smart thing and bite it off a little at a time.  I would add a little more into the takeoff each jump.  I got the signal and headed down the inrun.  I didn't think I really jumped at the takeoff but I must have.  I got in the air and was high again.  I saw myself heading straight for the blue line and I just kept holding the position until it was too late and I couldn't put in a landing.  I ended up falling forward and naturally stuck one of my arms out to brace me, like a fool.  I managed to catch one of my skis, that came off, with the other arm so it wouldn't get away from me.  I came to a stop and knew I had managed to bang myself up yet once again this winter.  This time I did the same thing, whatever that was, that I did back in 2007 when I crashed on the K90 in Lake Placid.  This time it was to the opposite arm.  It seems like its muscle related damage versus anything major.  It just takes time for the pain to go away.  I also managed to ding up the right knee as well.  It has already started to swell up a little.  I think I hit it with one of skis.  I figure it will probably turn black and blue in a day or so.
 
I called it quits and kept flagging Dr John for a few more jumps before he called it a day as well.
 
I'm still not sure what the real culprit has been.  Dr. John said on the last jump it looked like I was a big hill jumper moving out over the skis.  I'm not noticing any difference in the move at the takeoff or the flight position in the air.  I do know the inrun speeds have been faster and I think both Andover, back on Wednesday, and the K25 today had a bit of kicker on the takeoff.  In well over a thousand jumps on the 25 in the past ten years I have never had that much height going through the air as I noticed on the first jump and again on the third jump.  Ditto in the 50-75, roughly jumps I've taken on the K38 in Andover.  Maybe its a combination of both the speed and the higher takeoff angle that is making way for me to get so high in the air.  I didn't notice the height on the K50 Tuesday or Thursday evening.  I was jumping further down the hill than I normally would given my lack of jumping on the hill since last winter.  The speed and track are both in real good condition right now though so that would naturally help me get further down the hill.
 
I am starting to question whether I finally have jumped over the barrier and if I'm starting to make the move out over the skis finally or if its just the inrun conditions that are creating the effect.  It's been the same way now all week long on three different jumps, both the conditions and the jumping.
 
I guess I'll have to wait until crappy conditions return and then go jump and see what happens.  Right now I have a feeling I'll probably end up missing the rest of this nice streak unless the arm starts feeling a lot better, quickly.  I don't think I want to risk it.
 
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