# Will I ever be able to hit big jumps?



## shirtandnopants (Feb 11, 2011)

So i started snowboarding about a month ago. Got a pass to a mountain 15 minutes away from me (I live in North Vancouver  ) and my own equipment. I usually go up 1-2 times a week minimum. I learned how to carve efficiently, so now a days I try to hit little jumps and constantly get out of my comfort zone. Just turned. I always see the guys in the park hitting the big jumps and get extremely jealous... so i push harder and harder hoping to one day get to their level. Think I can do it?


I'm taking about these types of jumps 
YouTube - [0-60] Ken Block's snowboard/rally bit from DC's Mtn.Lab 1.5

Just with a snowboard


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## earl_je (Oct 20, 2009)

Sure, why not...


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## Grizz (Nov 10, 2008)

If you use Smart Style and ATML, plus have a youngish body able to absorb the mistakes during practice, sure.


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

Yeah you'll be able to send it off those. But it's going to take a lot of time on that board. Start hitting smaller stuff now and you'll work your way up in no time. I've seen Waterville kids who have never hit a jump before landing 5's by the end of the season off 50 footers. Of course they don't go to school and ride all day. But it's possible.


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## seant46 (Dec 8, 2009)

If you are athletic, and have the balls for it then yeah why not.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Just go to the top of the drop ramp for the biggest jump and go straight at it no speed checks nothing and then huck your meat into oblivion!


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## BliND KiNK (Feb 22, 2010)

just don't shit yourself in the air... because the skiers might think it's the new steeze.


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

The way most snowboarders dress it already looks like they have shit themselves.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

shirtandnopants said:


> So i started snowboarding about a month ago. Got a pass to a mountain 15 minutes away from me (I live in North Vancouver  )


Which mtn? Seymour doesn't have much in the way of small ramp jumps to get started on, despite several email rants on my part. Grouse is better for that. Don't know about Cypress, haven't been there.

Thing is, when I started snowboarding just over two years ago, I was pretty certain I wouldn't be A) hitting the park, or B) hitting jumps. Now I'm doing both, and I've only recently started hitting Seymour's 25-footer on Northlands. You work up to it. How quickly you work up depends on your age, athleticism, and degree of common sense. Or lack thereof.


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## Rudso (Jan 18, 2011)

Smokehaus said:


> The way most snowboarders dress it already looks like they have shit themselves.


Haha. :laugh: Now that's funny.


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## Ttam (Jan 20, 2010)

You cant just go blasting off of 35 footers. I would make sure your confident about landing a smaller jump 100%. No thoughts about it and you just do it. The main thing I did was follow my friend to see how much speed I needed as I didnt want to knuckle the jump.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

Of course you can do it! Just don't get discouraged when you try for the first few times and come up short and land flat on top of the table. It is hard to fight your natural instinct to slow down when your coming up to a big hit at top speed, but that is the biggest hurdle to overcome IMO.


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## The111 (Jan 12, 2011)

freshy said:


> Of course you can do it! Just don't get discouraged when you try for the first few times and come up short and land flat on top of the table. It is hard to fight your natural instinct to slow down when your coming up to a big hit at top speed, but that is the biggest hurdle to overcome IMO.


How bad does it hurt your joints to land on the table? Ten years ago I rode BMX and did huge jumps, and sometime I undercleared (or worse overcleared to flat bottom) them, but I was a lot tougher then. I've looked at some of the smaller tables but I know I will puss out and land on top the first few times and I'm wondering how rough that flat landing will be.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

I think getting your car up there is going to be your biggest challenge.


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## l burke l (Mar 1, 2009)

The111 said:


> How bad does it hurt your joints to land on the table? Ten years ago I rode BMX and did huge jumps, and sometime I undercleared (or worse overcleared to flat bottom) them, but I was a lot tougher then. I've looked at some of the smaller tables but I know I will puss out and land on top the first few times and I'm wondering how rough that flat landing will be.


dont be the guy that lands before the knuck or bounces off of it with a huge :smack: causing everyone to look for whoever just broke both their legs off. If anything go a little faster and over shoot it a bit. Like others have said. Mirror a buddy or watch from the lift how fast people are going per hit. If you can really dial in something small like a 10 footer then you can just keep ramping it up each jump. You will learn pretty quick how much speed you need for each jump. 

Long story short. Landing short on the "table" hurts ALOT. Especially once you get to 25 feet and above. I landed for the first time this year on the knuckle of a 40 footer and bounced and flipped down the landing pretty bad. It feels like shockwaves of pain going through your legs. Now that i have terrified you, go hit some big jumps and have fun :laugh:


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## shirtandnopants (Feb 11, 2011)

Donutz said:


> Which mtn? Seymour doesn't have much in the way of small ramp jumps to get started on, despite several email rants on my part. Grouse is better for that. Don't know about Cypress, haven't been there.
> 
> Thing is, when I started snowboarding just over two years ago, I was pretty certain I wouldn't be A) hitting the park, or B) hitting jumps. Now I'm doing both, and I've only recently started hitting Seymour's 25-footer on Northlands. You work up to it. How quickly you work up depends on your age, athleticism, and degree of common sense. Or lack thereof.


got the Y2Play pass up at grouse. which one do you go up to?


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## tj_ras (Feb 13, 2011)

And always remeber to not over think things. Thinking about it at all can psych alot of people out, just go for it. Like others said just hit the little jumps dial in your comfort zone and speed and it translates rather easy to bigger jumps from there.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

The111 said:


> How bad does it hurt your joints to land on the table? Ten years ago I rode BMX and did huge jumps, and sometime I undercleared (or worse overcleared to flat bottom) them, but I was a lot tougher then. I've looked at some of the smaller tables but I know I will puss out and land on top the first few times and I'm wondering how rough that flat landing will be.


Guess it depends on how you land. Try to take the brunt of it on your tail (the snowboards tail) And use your legs as a shock absorber as much as you can. Landing on the top is better than overshooting and landing flat. I have done both and I don't remember it ever hurting, and I am still walking. Mind you the park crew screwed up that day myself and a bunch of others overshot, that doesn't happen all that much when people know what there doing.


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## jslim39 (Jan 14, 2009)

Patience... that's the word for you. Don't get jealous of those guys hitting 50 footers. You get too jealous and you'll end up hurting yourself. Definitely start small. I started on 5-10 footers, then worked my way up to 15-20 footers, then 25-30', and now finally 35-45'. Do this and you'll get the feel of how to properly handle a jump, then just go faster the bigger the jump is.


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## Steery (Oct 25, 2010)

As others have said, start small and work your way up. Follow people in and pass the kicker on the first try to sus out the speed. Don't speed check just before the kicker.

If your hitting big kickers, both overshooting to flat and knuckling hurt alot. Landing about half way down the landing looks the best, and gives you a bit of room for error.

This is my first season, I'm now hitting 40ft kickers smoothly with whichever grabs I can think of. Working my spins up from the smaller kickers gradually. I've done 55 days at Whistler this season though. Just takes time and practice.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Steery said:


> I've done 55 days at Whistler this season though.


I hate you.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

Steery said:


> time and practice.


. .


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

A properly designed jump should allow you to launch off it stably...and hit the landing at a reasonable vertical velocity so it doesn't break your legs an such. If you can't ride completely stable at the required speed...and can't land reasonably stable at that speed on a decline, then don't do it. 

The problem is that when you fall while you are already extremely unstable in the landing, you can ragdoll in any which way chance gives you. And it's downhill so you come to a stop farther out. Younger ppl and smaller ppl usually can take some punishment and walk away. If you're willing to take punishment to "push the edge", then it's your call. I used to hit some jumps that now I would not hit even though I'm much better. It's just that a long time ago, I wasn't afraid of doing some cartwheles and getting the wind knocked out of me. While now, I'd have to be fairly certain that if and when I whipe out, I can at least control my fall to a reasonable extent.


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## Steery (Oct 25, 2010)

rasmasyean said:


> A properly designed jump should allow you to launch off it stably...and hit the landing at a reasonable vertical velocity so it doesn't break your legs an such. If you can't ride completely stable at the required speed...and can't land reasonably stable at that speed on a decline, then don't do it.
> 
> The problem is that when you fall while you are already extremely unstable in the landing, you can ragdoll in any which way chance gives you. And it's downhill so you come to a stop farther out. Younger ppl and smaller ppl usually can take some punishment and walk away. If you're willing to take punishment to "push the edge", then it's your call. I used to hit some jumps that now I would not hit even though I'm much better. It's just that a long time ago, I wasn't afraid of doing some cartwheles and getting the wind knocked out of me. While now, I'd have to be fairly certain that if and when I whipe out, I can at least control my fall to a reasonable extent.


You're getting way to technical. There is always a chance of ragdolling and getting hurt. He needs to suck it up, practice and give it time.


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