The Risin

[highpeaksdrifter]

Warning: this is long even by rivercoil standards ;-)

I’ve never been a big air guy. When I was a kid there was no such thing as a terrain park. When we did build jumps the ski patrol would knock them down when they found them. I do like to get some air though, but big kickers intimidate me.

I like to enter open mogul competitions. They’re always fun and I like to compete. I think I’m a half way decent bump skier for a guy my age (53). I don’t travel around the Northeast entering them, but when Gore or Whiteface holds one I get in.

A lot of these competitions have a variety of kickers from small to large. At Gore it is optional to hit them or not and they don’t judge an air score, but I believe it helps your overall.

At Whiteface the freestyle team and coaches set up the course and jumps. In the past they have set up 3 kickers at the bottom; small, medium and large. The freestyle kids need the large one to do their inverts and such.

This past March they moved the course up the mountain and only put one kicker at the bottom. It was big, at least to me. If you came to the end of your run and skied around it you would look like a total wuss.

We had 2 hours for warm-ups and practice. The first time down I didn’t even ski the bumps, I just skied to a spot above the jump and stopped. I nervously went over it, didn’t make it to the run out and landed flat on the table, which hurt my back.

The next time down I skied the bumps, checked my speed toward the end, and went off the jump. I landed further down, my feet hit on the lip between the table and the run off.

My 3rd time down I was feeling better, skied at a moderate speed, went off the jump and almost made the run off completely, just catching my tails on the lip. That was it for practice.

It’s now time for the competition. It is a beautiful spring skiing day. Warm, sunny and soft bumps. Those in my crew who ski bumps where all entered and many of our friends who don’t where there to lend support and/or laugh at us if we screw up.

My 1st run I start off at a moderate speed, keep my line and rhythm all the way down, hit the jump and make the run off. I felt pretty good.

I go back up for my 2nd run. The sun is shinning, the music is blaring, the crowd has gotten bigger and I am pumped. I push hard from the start to get to the first bump as fast as I could, I’m flying down the run, from the waist down I feel like a water pump, extending and absorbing, I know it’s going great.

As the jump is looming in front of me, not only am I not nervous, I can’t wait to get to it. I barely touch the sides of the last few bumps to keep my speed up, when I get to the top of the kicker I bend and extend up. I got up pretty high and out so far I almost overshot the run off. I was real happy.

Later at the party on the deck, everyone was taking about the comp. and having a great old time, the end to a perfect day.

Now here’s the thing, that night I’m thinkin of how much fun it was getting up that high. I’m thinkin next year I’m going to do a twiss, twiss, split (I just did and old fashion, boring split this time.) I’m thinking I’m goin to hit the parks on a regular basis so I’m comfortable in the air all season and not have to put myself through what I did this time.

Sunday morning is a carbon copy of Saturday. The course and kicker are still set up so I go over intending to go off that kicker for practice. I get there, look down the course, see the jump and I feel nervous again. I decide I don’t really want to make myself do it again and just ski away.

The point I’m trying to get to at the end of this long winded rant is it’s amazing to me how I can go from wanting to get as much air as I can and less then 24 hours later I feel panic about it all over. Wierd how the mind works.

Comments, similar experiences, evaluations are all welcome.

 

[AHM]

Get your skis off the ground.................

HPD: You're over thinking it. Hit the kicker, spring big off the top and toss some air. Air is the hardest part of skiing I feel for many. Most are so uncomfortable in the air and fear the loss of control. This makes skiers avoid air, be too tense when they take air and worried too much about crashing after they land.

Lack of confidence in the air is something every advanced skier should work on stomping out (no pun intended here). Certain things encountered while skiing are best aired, so you might as well get comfy with it. Here's a couple ideas:

First, find a trail that has a catwalk across it and learn to launch the off the catwalk. This will give you an easy place to land, there will be no bumps and nobody watching you (as in the park) to make you nervous. At first simply fly off it, don't try to spring as you leave the top. After a while you should be able to be so comfortable going off it, that you start to go faster and faster and take more and more air. Once you get to that point, start to compress just before the top and extend as you leave the top to maximize your air. Learn how to do this, because this gives you the comfort factor that the air will be fun, and the landing you can handle. Now, look at the runs you ski and the mountain you are at and look at it from a "where can I throw some air perspective". You need to start trying to find airs in your runs to get comfy in the air.

Landing: The easiest part. It is a guarantee you will land, so don't think about it too much. What I try and tell people is to visualize the turns after the landing. Look at the landing from that point of view: when I land I will be here and I will need to make this turn first. That will put me here and then I will need to make my next turn here. By planning out the turns in the landing, you focus on what to do when the skis return to the snow, vs thinking "holly *&^% I landed the thing, now what do I do". From Greg's pov, this will work well on the men's T on Rumble (the upper entrance) and the big rock. I launch both of these every time I ski Rumble and would not ski the run any other way. Nonetheless, when the snow is a little boney, you need to plan your men's T launch and the one on the big rock as well, since the run turns 90 degrees after the rock). This is how to ski Corbit's as well. You need to plan the turns when you land, plan the first three turns, by that point you should have it under control.

Cornice Launches: These can be some of the most fun, but intimidating as well. Cornice drops are quite easy. If you just decide to drop off of it, it is best to angle the skis in the direction you want to land to facilitate your first turn. So, drop off, pivot in mid air and land with boards slightly sideways, this has them in the position needed to make the first turn. Also, you can scrub some speed when you land by angling slightly uphill, just don't go so uphill you high side and go over the downhill shoulder. If you can hit the cornice with speed this is best as it makes the pivot in the air easier to set you up for the landing.

Air is really your friend, I could not tell you how many times a difficult situation comes up and it is easiest just to air it: Over the backside of a bump, opps stump or rock, answer = air. When you ski exposed terrain or back country terrain, sometimes airs are mandatory. Also, air can be your friend when you mogul ski. You should become very comfortable in the air.

Once you get comfy in the air, the whole game changes. Now you can start throwing airs in the woods and the eastern woods are some of the best terrain parks in the world. There is nothing like pulling 6 - 8' of base air in the woods of NE. It is fast, the next turn is tight and the feeling of skiing like that is hard to beat. Woods airs are the best!

Finally: let's see some of this seasons airs

1. 10' rock drop at La Grave in Feb
2. 25' rock drop in Italy in March
3. Rumble rock so many times in March and April!!
4. Numerous drops off the Jay saddle cliffs.

It wasn't a big air season, but we'll make up for that next season...................

 

[riverc0il]

Sounds like you are specifically going for bump course kickers and what not, which I have no experience with. But this past season I really tried to work airing on natural terrain features and taking bigger drops. The mental block is the biggest obstacle, you "just gotta do it." The longer you look at something, the worse you will land it. I have come to favor kicking off with the up hill ski and taking the landing slightly sideways to allow some pressure and edge control to redirect the speed. Start small and go bigger from there! The benefit of hitting kickers instead of natural terrain features is you don't need to worry about sticking your landing... the snow might be firm but no rocks, no worries! Spotting a jump from below before hitting it next run is always a good idea if you are unsure. Have fun!

 

[mattchuck2]

Terrain Park stuff is the way you want to go as you build up your confidence . . . then move on to natural features . . .

At Whiteface, the jumps have options, so you can go really big, or not so big. They even have that mini park on Lower Valley to work on your tricks. So you definitely have a good mountain to work with.

As far as competition, I've been the victim of Kodak courage once or twice. When everyone is watching (or when there's a camera around), you get a certain invincible feeling when you head towards a jump. Well, maybe not invincible, but you definitely get that feeling you described where you're really looking forward to hitting that bad boy. I've overshot landing for this reason, though, so you have to keep it somewhat under control.

Also, Twister Twister Spreads (not twiss twiss splits), are decidely old school and should only be done in an ironic way (i.e. in a neon one piece). If you want to really steeze it out, toss in a mute grab.

 

[awf170]

Small pine trees make for excellent padding if you choose to head into the woods looking for air: :lol:

 

[Greg]

Also, Twister Twister Spreads (not twiss twiss splits), are decidely old school and should only be done in an ironic way (i.e. in a neon one piece). If you want to really steeze it out, toss in a mute grab.

No way! Old School rules!

Interesting post, HPD. I'm in a similar situation. Never felt really comfortable in the the air. I never seem to get enough air to complete a decent old school trick. I've been trying daffies lately. Spreads are easy and I've only tried a twister a few times. I keep thinking I'm going to land "twisted" and really tweak my back. Not that I think I'm good enough to actually be competitve, but I'd love to enter a bump comp at some point. Unfortunately, there's nothing like that in SNE. I think Twister-Spreads or Double Twisters still look cool so I'd like to learn how to do those.

As far as natural terrain drops/jumps. I' also try to catch air on trail merges and such. I learned to not hesitate and took some 4-6' drops at MRG this season. It is a mental game and I struggle with it too.

 

[wa-loaf]

Maybe we should organize an AZ Air School outing and have the new school kids here give us old school grounded skiers a few lessons on big air.

I'll add that I'm pretty comfortable with drop-offs and natural trail features, it's the big kickers that intimidate me.

 

[Marc]

I've never been comfortable with air, but never afraid of drops either.

It's the launching kickers I'm somtimes apprehensive with and should work on. And it's not out of fear either, it's just... when I'm at a mountain there's so much other stuff I'd rather be skiing.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I'll add that I'm pretty comfortable with drop-offs and natural trail features, it's the big kickers that intimidate me.

Me too, although I'd pass on a 25 footer that AHM mentioned, I would do the one in Austin's pic.

To me going out and down is easier for me to get my mind around, then going up out and down.

 

[Marc]

Me too, although I'd pass on a 25 footer that AHM mentioned, I would do the one in Austin's pic.

To me going out and down is easier for me to get my mind around, then going up out and down.

Seems to be a common mindset.

 

[awf170]

Me too, although I'd pass on a 25 footer that AHM mentioned, I would do the one in Austin's pic.

To me going out and down is easier for me to get my mind around, then going up out and down.

I would take a 25 footer into a snowfield filled with soft snow over that thing again. Taking drops out west or anywhere above treeline with soft snow is way easier than in the east where you are either landing in the woods or in moguls. IMO, a 20 ft. out west is a lot easier than a 10 footer in the east.

Also, I agree that going out is way easier than going up. Something about going up just throws my balance off, probably a mental thing though. Actually all airs I land extremely back seated and off balance, I'm just even worse on ones with a take off.

 

[Marc]

The backseat thing is something I'd never guess from your avatar, Austin.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Also, Twister Twister Spreads (not twiss twiss splits), are decidely old school and should only be done in an ironic way (i.e. in a neon one piece). If you want to really steeze it out, toss in a mute grab.

No doubt you know a lot more about air then I do, but whenever there is a bump contest at WF I always watch some of it and some kids do the twister, twister, spread. They do a lot more advanced stuff of course, but the twister, twister, spread is not uncommon.

As far as what you call it, when I was at Gore’s comp. a freestyle coach from WF was there with his son who is on the B team. I asked him what his son would do and he said a twist, twist, split then float a 360 at the bottom.

Just sayin

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I would take a 25 footer into a snowfield filled with soft snow over that thing again. Taking drops out west or anywhere above treeline with soft snow is way easier than in the east where you are either landing in the woods or in moguls. IMO, a 20 ft. out west is a lot easier than a 10 footer in the east.

.

Not evrywhere in the East. Here's a pic from Slide 1 at Whiteface. It's about a 12 footer. The guy below had just gone off it, but the shutter speed on my camera is slow and I missed getting him in the air.

Here's some drops with tougher landings. Alot of people standing around who where over there head in this pic.

 

[campgottagopee]

This thread is making me laugh only because of the "Old Guys Rule" tee shirt I just bought. It reads as follows:

kids these days, all they want is big air.........
I say......keep your skis on the mountain
You want big air. Kid????
PULL MY FINGER

I would've put the picture up but I dunno how to do that mumble jumble. Guess that's why I'm buying old guys rule tee shirts too.

 

[riverc0il]

Here's some drops with tougher landings. Alot of people standing around who where over there head in this pic.

LOL. That look of "I shouldn't be here" is classic and easily recognizable. Nothing in that pic looks very challenging (small drops included) but it could just be the perspective on the picture.

 

[mattchuck2]

Nah, nothing up there is too challenging . . . For you, I would relate it to Tramline at Cannon . . .

And I'm well aware that a lot of mogul kids do twister twister spreads (I still refuse to acknowledge "twiss twiss split" as an acceptable term), but you don't want to be like those mogul kids, do you?

Wouldn't you rather be like the ones throwing off axis spins and tail grab 720s?

C'mon, now . . . they teach those kids old school moves to generate air awareness, then they move on to more difficult (and fun) tricks. The real crime is that that twister spread lameness used to get higher marks than off axis spins. Remember the 2002 Olympics when Moesley's Dinner Roll got beat by a quad twister? That was a travesty, a sham, and a mockery. . . It was a traveshamockery.

 

[riverc0il]

From what I remember of the 02 Olympics, Moesley didn't exactly pull off the dinner roll flawlessly and even though difficulty is rewarded, unless it was just off slightly, cleanliness should win out.

 

[mattchuck2]

It was pretty clean from what I remember (backed up by newspaper accounts if you want to do a search).

Here's an interesting video of the decision to do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGFVt8jB4eE

If you remember him screwing up the landing, fine, but you have to admit that that trick is cooler than a quad twister (or a triple twister spread, etc.).

The whole argument is stupid anyway, as HPD probably isn't going to be throwing a dinner roll anytime soon. I just suggested he be more new school in his airs instead of emulating the twister twister spread beginning mogul skiers.

 

[Greg]

The whole argument is stupid anyway, as HPD probably isn't going to be throwing a dinner roll anytime soon. I just suggested he be more new school in his airs instead of emulating the twister twister spread beginning mogul skiers.

Well, if I can ever pull off a good double twister with full 180 rotation, I'd be pretty psyched.