Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Ski Jumping - a difficult sport

I have had the opportunity to be on the hill and near to it for many years.  In my memory bank of athletics and in my view on the hill, I know the difficult spread that can go from near to doing.  It is a difficult gap to smoothly span.

When you see the path from first jumps, through exploration and improvement there is a fundamental of practice, striving and improvement.  The process can take years, and it can, at the same time have steps that show progress in short time spans.  The process of improving is also in learning to understand and keep the improvements you have made.

Ski Jumps in general are expanding scales of the same form.  (Starter "bunny" jumps break this just a bit).

Each jump has:

  • Start Gate
  • Inrun
  • Inrun Curve
  • Table
  • Takeoff
  • Knoll
  • Flight Plane
  • Transition Curve
  • Flats
Each of these areas are areas of skiing and to be skied well each needs a proper approach, as what happens there feeds into the next area, and the next area after that.

Done well, the process is internalized by the skier and the mental anticipation is absorbed and accepted and let to go.  Very much happens in a very short time and dwelling on specific details can make the process blocky and break the fluidity which ultimately is critical.

But the internalization also needs to keep control.  One needs to move into the air and actually go into a space which is "out there".  It is a remarkable space and unbelievably fun.  Getting there, however, requires commitment and something akin to bravery.  What it really is though is kinesthetic awareness of what works and an an willingness to look for what might work better. 

Being fully "on" game means taking all this and adding physical training, power, gymnastic control and the mind of an actor as the art must be performed on stage and performed with a smile.

I will expand on this this as we start opening these pages up again.  Video, Pictures, nice graphics are all needed.  But deep breath, relaxation and the will to go, those are among the touchstones you will want to know on every hill.

Have fun out there and stick those landings!