# Sundown - 1/15/09 (night)



## Greg (Jan 15, 2009)

Got to the mountain around 6:40 and went in to boot up since it was pretty chilly. Saw Brian and downhill04 at the summit. We skied a few runs as the terrain guys worked on the kicker. We chatted with them a bit and they indicated there wasn't much they could do with the landing. mondeo hit it a few times and then we decided to work on the landing ourselves. We broke it all up pretty good with our boots and skis and then all tried it.

downhill04 was spinning 3's, mondeo did a bunch of tricks, backscratchers, a twist attempt, spreads, etc. madroch did a nice mule kick. I did mostly small spreads, only landing successfully a few times. Tim and Brian were just trying to get their feet wet. I actually had one satisfying run hitting it top to bottom with a spread off the kicker with a clean landing and grabbing my line pretty quick sticking it to the bottom. The rest of my attempts were pretty bad. I was shin banging on the landing and wiping out consistently.

Bumps were okay. Firm as expected, but no ice, just hard pack troughs. It was cold, in the low single digits, but no wind and I was pretty warm except for my right toes. So a good night. The line leading into the right jump is great. The jump itself could use more of a lip and a better landing. Tough to practice on a 5 degree night. Jay was killing it though. Vid is coming.


----------



## Greg (Jan 15, 2009)

Vid, FWIW. Jay's spins were the only real highlights:


----------



## downhill04 (Jan 16, 2009)

Just like every other time I had a blast skiing with you guys. I'm looking forward to getting out there a few times next week before the comp. 

I just hope the mountain can straighten out the bumps before next Saturday. I think the bumps were much better before they seeded them last week. It is going to be tough to find a line on the skiers left hand side of Temptor. We might have to show up Friday night with shovels and fix them ourselves.

Nice job everyone making the most out of the amusement park bumps. Looking forward to getting back out there with you guys next week.


----------



## deadheadskier (Jan 16, 2009)

Greg said:


> I was shin banging on the landing and wiping out consistently.
> 
> .



I'll watch the vid, but I'm not sure what you mean by this?  Just landing too far forward?  I have the opposite problem going off airs...tend to land in the back seat.


----------



## deadheadskier (Jan 16, 2009)

Okay watched it and saw your crashes.  100% bailing out, same symptoms as getting in the back seat in the bumps and having to bail across the hill.  It's all confidence and the same thing I lack right now regarding airs.  In my limited and becoming 'ancient' experience doing bump comps, airs are intimidating.  It's all you think about.  I can't do it, but the best advice I can give is just to focus on the bumps before it first and foremost and trying to nail that line....the adreniline you get from nailing it, will transpire to the jump itself and you won't have much time to think about it when it comes up on you, you'll just do it.  You definitely have the ability as evidenced by your huge spread in the spring Sundown comp.


----------



## powbmps (Jan 16, 2009)

Ouch, you guys are brave.  That landing looks pretty firm.



deadheadskier said:


> I'll watch the vid, but I'm not sure what you mean by this?  Just landing too far forward?  I have the opposite problem going off airs...tend to land in the back seat.



I've found that landing in the back seat leads to some serious shin bang.

DHS makes some good points in the last reply.  Catching air in the bumps is tough.  The landing area is very short, and you have to have it together immediately before and after the jump.

Can't wait to see video of you guys throwing down at the comp.:grin:


----------



## Glenn (Jan 16, 2009)

That landing does look a bit firm...

Looks like a good time though! Jumping just takes practice. It's intimidating to carry your speed through the landing...then compose yourself and start hitting the bumps again.


----------



## campgottagopee (Jan 16, 2009)

In the vid that landing looked very flat, OUCH


----------



## Madroch (Jan 16, 2009)

Good night.  With no wind, temp was a non-factor (at least until I tried to get the boots off). Nice and firm, it was edgeable, but I struggled a bit nonetheless, getting backseated and skidding into the bumps instead of heading straighter through the troughs.  Fun anyway, no doubt.


----------



## bvibert (Jan 16, 2009)

It was fun to ski with you guys again, as usual, but I wasn't really feeling it.  I've been having a real tough time this year if there's any slick spots anywhere in the bumps, it totally effs with my head.  I need to get out there a few more times before the comp...

The landing to the jump wasn't all that firm, nor was it particularly flat.  Personally I like the actual jump just the way it is.  If there was any more of a lip I probably wouldn't even hit it, but then again I'm a wuss so my vote doesn't count.


----------



## downhill04 (Jan 16, 2009)

powbmps said:


> Ouch, you guys are brave.  That landing looks pretty firm.



You should've seen the landing before the AZ crew took matters into their own hands and started busting up the whale in the landing area. I went in to get a bite to eat, came back out and all the guys had their skis off clearing the landing zone. If it wasn't for them the jump wouldn't have been worth hitting.

Thanks for the hard work guys. I went in at just the right time :wink:


----------



## Greg (Jan 16, 2009)

deadheadskier said:


> I'll watch the vid, but I'm not sure what you mean by this?  Just landing too far forward?  I have the opposite problem going off airs...tend to land in the back seat.





deadheadskier said:


> Okay watched it and saw your crashes.  100% bailing out, same symptoms as getting in the back seat in the bumps and having to bail across the hill.  It's all confidence and the same thing I lack right now regarding airs.  In my limited and becoming 'ancient' experience doing bump comps, airs are intimidating.  It's all you think about.  I can't do it, but the best advice I can give is just to focus on the bumps before it first and foremost and trying to nail that line....the adreniline you get from nailing it, will transpire to the jump itself and you won't have much time to think about it when it comes up on you, you'll just do it.  You definitely have the ability as evidenced by your huge spread in the spring Sundown comp.



I don't know what the problem was. All I know is that my shins would kill on the landing and I would just bail. I think I was was landing too flat. The first few times I hit it and the ones when I landed clean I had been carrying more speed and was going more out than up, as we all were. Doing so you made the more sloped landing. Going into the jump too slow and trying to "pop" caused me to land up from the more pitched landing.

I think that kicker needs more pop and a more thought out evenly sloped landing starting closer to the kicker. Anyway, I'm just glad I tried it. When I first saw it and the landing, I had no intention of hitting it. mondeo and downhill04 were inspirational though.


----------



## 2knees (Jan 16, 2009)

you guys are better then me.  even if i could, i wouldnt have been out there last night.  the kicker looks smaller then jarrod originally built it, but i guess thats due to obvious shrinkage. :lol:  it settled, no doubt.  

nice 3's jay.  most of the other tricks are kinda hard to see at night.

props to Tim, your second air was pretty nice.  you didnt ski over the lip, you popped off it.  skiing over those things will knock them down in a heartbeat.


----------



## powhunter (Jan 16, 2009)

Good job guys!!!   Good to see that some of the  C.L.I.T.S have balls...braving the elements!!


steveo


----------



## MR. evil (Jan 16, 2009)

2knees said:


> props to Tim, your second air was pretty nice.  you didnt ski over the lip, you popped off it.  skiing over those things will knock them down in a heartbeat.



Thanks Pat, But I wouldn't say that I popped; I just didn't absorb the lip and ski down the back side. I skied off it with a little more speed. I need to figure out how to stay on my feet after I land. I am landing ok, but I immediately after I land I turn to scrub speed and I wipe. I think I feel 7 or 8 times on my left side last night after that kicker. My left elbow has a nice bruise this morning. I will be out thee several times in the next week working on popping off the lip and my landings. If I can get that down I will try to put together a really lame spreader or a 1:00 twister. Greg and Mondeo did give me some good advice about planting my poles on the lip before take off. That really helped keeping my balance forward in the air.


During the comp what do you guys think would be worse in the judge’s eyes. Just skiing over the lip and having a clean top to bottom run. Or going for something lame off the kicker and falling, then finishing the run.


----------



## Glenn (Jan 16, 2009)

Greg said:


> I don't know what the problem was. All I know is that my shins would kill on the landing and I would just bail. I think I was was landing too flat. The first few times I hit it and the ones when I landed clean I had been carrying more speed and was going more out than up, as we all were. Doing so you made the more sloped landing. Going into the jump too slow and trying to "pop" caused me to land up from the more pitched landing.
> 
> I think that kicker needs more pop and a more thought out evenly sloped landing starting closer to the kicker. Anyway, I'm just glad I tried it. When I first saw it and the landing, I had no intention of hitting it. mondeo and downhill04 were inspirational though.



How cranked down are your boots? It almost sounds like you're getting shin bang.


----------



## Greg (Jan 16, 2009)

MR. evil said:


> During the comp what do you guys think would be worse in the judge’s eyes. Just skiing over the lip and having a clean top to bottom run. Or going for something lame off the kicker and falling, then finishing the run.



I have no idea what they are going to value most. Typically turns are most important at 50% of your score. Speed and air combined are equally as important at 25% each. Judging is very subjective and who knows how much value they will place on each component. I would think you falling and your competitor not falling gives the other guy an automatic win.

I suspect the kickers and landings will get dialed in over the course of the next week. Also, remember the vibe of the day and the music pumping will get everyone psyched and probably taking better air than we were able to achieve on slick bumps on a 5 degree night. It's all just for fun remember.


----------



## severine (Jan 16, 2009)

Thanks for the entertainment, guys.  WTG for braving the elements and potential lifetime shrinkage for your jump-fest last night.


----------



## mondeo (Jan 16, 2009)

bvibert said:


> The landing to the jump wasn't all that firm, nor was it particularly flat. Personally I like the actual jump just the way it is. If there was any more of a lip I probably wouldn't even hit it, but then again I'm a wuss so my vote doesn't count.


 
The landing wasn't the problem, the jump was. Ramp angle is something like 5-10 degrees, redonculous for a kicker in the bumps. The higher the angle, the better. Given the same amount of hang time, a steeper ramp gives you a softer landing, shorter landing zone, and lower forward speed upon landing, all things that jump needs. In the same distance as I was traveling in the air to do a quick backscratcher or lame double twister on Temptor, I was doing full triple twisters and backscratcher cossacks on the TT on Stinger, with a softer landing. Enough air to do that stuff off the Temptor jumps and you're landing in the bumps at full speed.


----------



## 2knees (Jan 16, 2009)

mondeo said:


> The landing wasn't the problem, the jump was. Ramp angle is something like 5-10 degrees, redonculous for a kicker in the bumps. The higher the angle, the better. Given the same amount of hang time, a steeper ramp gives you a softer landing, shorter landing zone, and lower forward speed upon landing, all things that jump needs. In the same distance as I was traveling in the air to do a quick backscratcher or lame double twister on Temptor, I was doing full triple twisters and backscratcher cossacks on the TT on Stinger, with a softer landing. Enough air to do that stuff off the Temptor jumps and you're landing in the bumps at full speed.




triple twisters?

i gotta see this.


----------



## Greg (Jan 16, 2009)

2knees said:


> triple twisters?



Yes. 2 o' clock, 11 o' clock, 12:45... :lol:


----------



## MR. evil (Jan 16, 2009)

Can we contact Jarred to see if they can tweek the kicker and landing area?


----------



## severine (Jan 16, 2009)

MR. evil said:


> Can we contact Jarred to see if they can tweek the kicker and landing area?


I thought that's what last night was supposed to be about?


----------

