# Stupid to try jumps? Any old folks out there?



## Sincraft (Sep 6, 2010)

Just started boarding recently, on my 10th time out I finally got the hang of turns decently comfortably. I can line up, follow narrow tracks and have been hitting very small jumps...
I still have alot of work to do to look like I'm comfortably doing this I think, and I'm sure my first few runs Thursday are going to be ugly looking until I get it back in my head how to do this, but I really want to traverse into hitting jumps. 

I see these big jumps with landing hills below them, and REALLY want to go for it, but as I get older, I'm rather afraid that I'm going to snap my neck, back, leg , arm, wrist , etc. 

Im just ok at crash landings, but at my size and height and age it's kinda hard...

Anyone just say screw it and go for it? What was the result?

The problem with our resorts:
TINY TINY jumps in between trees/snowmaking equipment, or BIG jumps with BIG gaps in between takeoff and landing. Nothing in between.


Should I abandon these thoughts?!?!?


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

What's the age cutoff for "old?"


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## Sincraft (Sep 6, 2010)

Toecutter said:


> What's the age cutoff for "old?"


Well , I'm probably the worst person to decide this.

I'd say around age 30 you have to start thinking, hey, I heal half as fast and hurt twice as bad when I smash my body than when I was a young adult.

At age 40 you start to say, hey - I'm pretty lucky to have made it out of the 30's acting like I was...

And at 50, well, I'll let you know if I make it.

So - 40


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## Lifprasir (Jan 11, 2011)

I'd say if you get impulsive and hit those big jumps, make sure u watch a lot of videos on Youtube or something. Cause the first few airs are very scary if you don't know what you're doing.


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## Sincraft (Sep 6, 2010)

Lifprasir said:


> I'd say if you get impulsive and hit those big jumps, make sure u watch a lot of videos on Youtube or something. Cause the first few airs are very scary if you don't know what you're doing.


my first tiny jumps that were just edges of cat trails pop ups, my first issue was leaning back (even after watching snowolfs video) and I landed on my arse and bruised my tailbone (is that possible?)

after that I fly over them, dont get the same air but carry further. In a split second, I know what edge Im going to land on and was able to shift my weight enough to make that happen more or less.

As I didnt have turns down, what happened afterwards was a lack of experience and confidence, usually I glide for a few feet and almost or do fall after the jump. But lately, it's been all clean..

just wish they had some bigger jumps to transition to first!


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Okay, you put me in the "old" category. Asshole! Har.

I will hit small jumps (10' table) when there's soft snow on the ground, but that's about it for a terrain park. On natural terrain I will hit windlips, drops, cornices, etc. whenever the opportunity presents itself but there's usually a soft landing.

A few years ago while mountain biking I broke a collarbone coming up short on a big double and between the cost of two surgeries, physical therapy, helmet replacement, and bike part replacement the total cost was about $9000 out of my pocket (and that was without missing a single day of work). If I _had_ missed any work the total would have been well into the five-figure range, so financial threat keeps me low to the ground more than anything else. I feel I'm in good enough physical shape and still have enough coordination to go bigger, but I'm afraid of landing in the poor house.


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## DC5R (Feb 21, 2008)

Go for the smaller ones between the trees first. Make sure you're going at a REASONABLE speed (ie slow) for the first little bit until you're comfortable with the jump and that you're not going to hit a tree. Continue to pick up speed and try again. 

I personally would not hit up too big a jump, but don't mind a jump here and there.


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## smooth (Apr 9, 2010)

Me and 2 of my best buds started boarding 5 years ago...I'm 33, and the other 2 are 33, and 40. We started riding park last year, and by the end we were hitting jumps, and have progressed beyond our belief from what our expectations were a few years ago.

Yeah we may not recover as well when we were kids, but I laugh when an early 30 something friend says they are too old for certain physical activities.

The way I see it, when you're 60-70 years old you'll kicking yourself for thinking you were too old or brittle in your 30's for physically demanding activities.

We definitely are the grey beards of the Park though.....

Just keep going to the mountain with progression in mind. Every time I go, there is a new something I set out to learn or practice. Watching video and seeking out tips before you go is key so you have an idea of what is successful and try and duplicate that success.

Example...started little side jumps off the trail. Decided that maybe mastering the ollie was a good idea and worked on that till I was comfy doing those, and then started to try and go bigger on those side jumps and then once I felt comfy in the air and landing I went to the park jumps.


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## Lives2fly (Feb 8, 2010)

I'm 37 and this is my second season boarding. I just started hitting small jumps in the park and find they are no problem but i am certainly a bit nervous to hit the bigger stuff which seems a LOT bigger!

I would give it a go into soft snow!


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## uh oh a virus (Jan 19, 2011)

go for it. my mom is 40 and she boards and at our terrain park she tries the jumps. not the kickers, just the jumps. the other day she came down the main park with the kickers with me and i made her do it. she said it was terrifying at first but once she landed it, she felt great. just go for it! your not gonna break anything.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

uh oh a virus said:


> ...your not gonna break anything.


Do you promise?


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

uh oh a virus said:


> go for it. my mom is 40 and she boards and at our terrain park she tries the jumps. not the kickers, just the jumps. the other day she came down the main park with the kickers with me and i made her do it. she said it was terrifying at first but once she landed it, she felt great. just go for it! your not gonna break anything.


Pics of your Mom?


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

I'll be 54 at the end of this month. I'm in the process of getting comfortable with the 25-footer at the top of Northlands on Seymour. I'm also learning to handle boxes and I eye'd a rail last night for next time up.

Screw age. Do what's fun. But work your way up to things. A little caution is ok.


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## pencap75 (Dec 10, 2008)

*Old folk here*

I am 36. I am very experienced with over a decade of riding. I will do straight airs off kickers but gave up any rotation over 180 over a kicker. Its a business decision... I am a doctor... If I break anything my ability to practice medicine especially procedures is screwed.

As an old man I still love flatland rotations and butters and old man carving (seemd like all you young park rats love skidding around instead of carving).


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## Smokehaus (Nov 2, 2010)

uh oh a virus said:


> your not gonna break anything.


Might want to watch what you say, someone might be dumb enough to believe you.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Lots of commons sense advice here and good words from Snowolf as always. I started riding last year at 42 and am at a similar point in my riding. My park as minimal beginner jumps right to the large jumps. I have been hitting them slowly and carefully. We have a table top type jump, I frequent, as I'm still progressing and can't make the down ramp on the bigger ones. 

Progress slowly, and at least for me, my body kinda told me when I was comfortbale enough to hit a bigger feature. NOT a huge gapper but a safer one in case of wash out, off balance landing etc....
I would also recommend impact shorts, wrist gaurds and helmet. Saved me many times

Good luck and enjoy, it'll come, even for us "older family guys"


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm 53, we don't have much of a park (only a mini park) for jumping which I have done but its not much...rather boring and full of rats...so why bother...thus not very comfortable nor good at jumps. Which also seems to be rather weak to hit the same thing, over and over, with the same basic conditions and tranny. However have been hitting more natural hits, only on days with good pow landings and don't mind doing launching 10-20 foot drops and hits that will get you 10 ft of air. I find that scoping a natty hit and then going for it is much more interesting and challenging. But choose wisely.


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## theorist (Feb 11, 2008)

i'm glad there's a thread dedicated to people like us! i'm 32 going on 33. i won't touch rails or boxes as i feel there's more risk to them. if i slide out, chances are i may hit something hard (eg - box, rail).

i ride with twenty people that are my roughly my age. they all ride hard.

i have been riding four years (this being my fourth).

07 - 08 (age 29) - began. took me like six outings to learn how to carve. i was horrible. started small hops at the end of the season.

08 - 09 (age 30) - learned to maintain speed and make a tighter carve. experimented my hops with mounds of snow pushed aside by skiers. BROKE my shoulder in the season simply going to fast and catching edge. two weeks after i broke my shoulder, i went back to riding, but learned switch. stupid decision but i didn't want to stop progressing.

09 - 10 (age 31) - learned fs 180s off the ground, experimented with butters, got much faster, could go off smaller jumps, rode switch proficiently.

10 - 11 (age 32) - current year. BROKE my wrist. currently still healing but i go out every weekend to teach my gf. recently started going off on my own again to progress. trying for fs 360s off the ground and small mounds. will do straight airs off small hits and maybe a fs 180. still can't do the bs 180. buttering a lot more.

what i realized is i PREFER it much closer to the ground. i feel as i get older, the less i want to be airborne and the more i want to perfect my ground attack.

note: i HATE to admit this but i figure i might as well. i get discouraged by all the teeny bopper park rats. yes i'm jealous and full of hate.


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

uh oh a virus said:


> go for it. my mom is 40 and she boards and at our terrain park she tries the jumps. not the kickers, just the jumps. the other day she came down the main park with the kickers with me and i made her do it. she said it was terrifying at first but once she landed it, she felt great. just go for it! your not gonna break anything.


id have to agree i kinda just went for it on big kickers...it is scary as fuck at first but if you just stay composed and under control youll be fine....once you land a couple it'll be easy as pie


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

Kicker induced skeletal discombobulation: 










go for it:thumbsup:


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

swilber08 said:


> ...if you just stay composed and under control youll be fine...


So easy to say...


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## 51bombed (Sep 21, 2010)

learn to FALL on jumps before trying bigger hits... biggest thing is, if you can break your fall with any part of your board[other than immediate 90 degree landing edge snag] you should be okay... never really hurts too much bailing on a 30 footer if the board's under ya!


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## Sincraft (Sep 6, 2010)

justdust said:


> Kicker induced skeletal discombobulation:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow thanks guys, didnt expect such a large amount of replies from this many older people. 

I feel alot older than I am. Perm knee and back damage does that.

best advice I could give the youngins, stay sharp. Keep active even if that means playing bball or hockey one night a week. It kills you to sit in a class or office chair all the time, and when you go out and do stupid stuff like I do, you damage stuff easily.

My biggest fear is , like snowolf said, breaking something that will hinder my ability to work or worse, ride! 

Where I live, we are JUST on the line of being able to have areas to ski/board. The weather here sucks. Rain after 8" of powder has me realizing that my time to learn to jump may be over for this year. Everything is going to be solid super packed, although I might try when it gets REALLY warm out and the landing is soft from melt 

As for our jumps, not sure what they are called but all we have are 30' jumps with a take off ramp, a big gap in the middle that if you dont clear if you go for it, will hurt, then a landing ramp after. No table top type situation. Pretty sucky for the newbs like me. 

Something snow mention has me thinking though, I could try to hit the side of the jump I guess but I would have to scope that out carefully as hitting it too hard and I will miss the landing totally and drop into the abyss. 

Cheers! here's hoping I'm not posting xrays this season!

Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement guys..


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Sincraft said:


> Something snow mentioned has me thinking though, I could try to hit the side of the jump I guess but I would have to scope that out carefully as hitting it too hard and I will miss the landing totally and drop into the abyss.


I think you might have misunderstood this a little bit. Not sure I have it correct but this is what I think he meant.

As you approach the jump you would come down the middle then take a 45degree turn or such and jump off the approach ramp back onto the normal slope of the hill that the ramp is on. You are in NO way going up the full lip or approach of the ramp nor trying to clear the gap or (abyss as you put it haaha). This makes it a much safer smaller jump to practice on. You will not have a down ramp to land on and you wont' need to carry as much speed. Making this large jump into a good intermediate/begginer jump to practice on.
Hence the name a "side hit" you are jumping or hitting the side of the jump. 
Hope this helps and I hope I got it right. If not I have still done this lots and it is good practice


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

51bombed said:


> learn to FALL on jumps before trying bigger hits... biggest thing is, if you can break your fall with any part of your board[other than immediate 90 degree landing edge snag] you should be okay... never really hurts too much bailing on a 30 footer if the board's under ya!


exactly :thumbsup:


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

justdust said:


> Kicker induced skeletal discombobulation:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I could show a lot of nasty injury pics from playing sports :dunno:...there is an inherent risk involved in engaging in sports but if you love it then you'll be willing to put yourself at risk :cheeky4:


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

38 and I jump up to 35-40 footers. I was at PC a few weeks ago and though King's Crown was closed for a ski comp and I couldn't, I probably wouldn't have hit those monsters. I couldn't even ride through there, but they looked quite large from the lift. Three Kings was fun though.

I had to stop spinning, etc on medium to large park hits after a while... sometimes I'll send it if I know it's good and soft and the jump is groomed well, but mostly it's fun tweaks and grabs now. 

I got bills. And I'm not even talking about the ones I acquire from board sports.

EDIT: This is a photo from the ski contest with the exact jumps I'm referencing.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Music Moves said:


> EDIT: This is a photo from the ski contest with the exact jumps I'm referencing.


Invisible picture. From the dept of oxymorons.

Actually, you just screwed up the URL. i48.photobucket.com doesn't exist.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Donutz said:


> Invisible picture. From the dept of oxymorons.
> 
> Actually, you just screwed up the URL. i48.photobucket.com doesn't exist.


I see it okay. It shows an x-up on a big jump.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

Toecutter said:


> I see it okay. It shows an x-up on a big jump.


I can see it as well.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Toecutter said:


> I see it okay. It shows an x-up on a big jump.


Shows up for me now too.
:dunno:

Edit: Just remembered I got several DNS errors earlier. Guess the interwebz was busted.


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## cadencesdad (Nov 18, 2008)

I might suggest snapping off the lip of a dropoff, like where it gets really steep from a flat. Get used to the earth dropping out from beneath
you first. It took me a whole bunch of times to get used to the feeling of being so far off the ground. 

Then once you are comfortable with that, then launch youself skyward.

Once you do decide to do it....COMMIT! 

I am 36 and it takes some coaxing the mind to do what would have come easily ten years ago.


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## cdnrider (Feb 13, 2011)

thank god i found this thread, 37 this august and have been boarding for about 8 years. still actively play hockey/box lacrosse and love to board. 

one question i have is how do you keep your upper body "quiet" when jumping/coming off a rail. i can land small jumps/rails without any problem and starting to land 180's consistently. my arms seem to want to flail like a young bird learning to fly! i must look absolutely ridiculous. 

i am thinking it is probably because i am not getting low enough/compressing board upwards/not ollie'ing enough. any help would much appreciated.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm nearly 30 and ride park probably 100 days a season out of a 150 days on the hill. It's about learning your abilities and muscle memory. The biggest jump I'm doing anymore is about 40 feet.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

BurtonAvenger said:


> I'm nearly 30 and ride park probably 100 days a season out of a 150 days on the hill. It's about learning your abilities and muscle memory. The biggest jump I'm doing anymore is about 40 feet.


And you've got at least 30 more years of more of the same. You'll get a little more cautious as you get older, but you're lucky to be getting the skilz while you're young enough to be able to just huck it.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Young I'm a dinosaur in the freestyle world. Plus I just want to go ride powder and jump off big cliffs.


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

I wear armor head to toe. With a nice paint job, I can get a job from Darth Vader to kill some jedi. It won't help twists and stuff like that, but it reduces impacts. I think it helps to a certain extent and now I'm finding that I'm learning to fall on the armor. But there's always the quick reactions that will make you fall the wrong way, or if it's too fast.


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## Krug (Mar 27, 2010)

Sincraft said:


> Well , I'm probably the worst person to decide this.
> 
> I'd say around age 30 you have to start thinking, hey, I heal half as fast and hurt twice as bad when I smash my body than when I was a young adult.
> 
> ...


I'm in my late 30's and did my first frontside 360 this year. Thanks to a lot of good advice form folks on here as well as the snowboard addiction videos. Age is a state of mind...don't let it bring you down...besides, isn't 50 the new 30???

All kidding aside, I am a lot more respectful to any possible bad consequences. I'll scope out the jump and landing more and have found I'm most comfortable flying off of natural terrain. I wear crash shorts and a helmet...on occasion, even a rib cage protector if I'm hitting rails. etc...I'm not good at rails at all. 

If you can find some natural occurring jumps, small cliffs, or snow covered rocks outside of the terrain park, you may get lucky with a fresh stash of snow to land in as well, greatly reducing possible injury all while boosting your confidence. 

When I was around 35, I signed up for a an adult terrain park lesson at Copper Mountain. Some of the best money I've spent. One of the key takeaways was the mental aspect the instructor enstilled and that was you have to "Own it"..if this isn't your mindset, then ride on by the feature until you are 100% confident.

AK


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Krug said:


> One of the key takeaways was the mental aspect the instructor instilled and that was you have to "Own it"..if this isn't your mindset, then ride on by the feature until you are 100% confident.
> AK


I agree with this statement. I can visualize me doing the trick perfect, example: some jump pics/vid I posted. In my mind it was gonna be perfect, after landing I thought I did a great job. Upon review of peers and my critique, was average at best.

Things happen very fast on features, I still believe in start small. Small rails, ride on features, stuff very close to the ground. 
I'm still working on moving up to the big boy stuff. It'll come and if not I'm still learning and having a great time and super quality time with my kids :thumbsup:

Own it and visualize you doing it, but you still need to match the new feature to your skill.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Krug said:


> besides, isn't 50 the new 30???


Damn straight! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

slyder said:


> I agree with this statement. I can visualize me doing the trick perfect, example: some jump pics/vid I posted. In my mind it was gonna be perfect, after landing I thought I did a great job. Upon review of peers and my critique, was average at best.
> 
> Things happen very fast on features, I still believe in start small. Small rails, ride on features, stuff very close to the ground.
> I'm still working on moving up to the big boy stuff. It'll come and if not I'm still learning and having a great time and super quality time with my kids :thumbsup:
> ...


Yeah, if this "owning it" was really true like how it works in the movies where some white dude trains karate for 2 months to exact revenge on some japanese ninja who trained since birth...

You can always get over the "fear" of doing something...but if you don't have the skill, it will OWN YOU! It's a nice idea to psyche yourself out and sometimes you're just lucky, but it doesn't explain how the pro's do this for years and often practice with teams of trainers to be able to do the stuff they do.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

rasmasyean said:


> Yeah, if this "owning it" was really true like how it works in the movies where some white dude trains karate for 2 months to exact revenge on some japanese ninja who trained since birth...


Yeah, this is where a lot of these weird mystical "self help" ideas come from. Positive thinking _definitely_ has a bearing on your results, but only within the limits of what you are physically capable of. Convincing yourself you're going to ace the exam will help your frame of mind, but if you don't study in the first place, you're still arsed.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

rasmasyean said:


> You can always get over the "fear" of doing something...but if you don't have the skill, it will OWN YOU! .


Yeah, learned that one the hard way...:laugh:


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## myschims (Jan 11, 2010)

my dad just turned 45 yesterday and he does them
granted, he cases most of them but he still goes for it haha
its cool we can ride together even if he isnt doing all the stuff i am


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

Donutz said:


> Yeah, this is where a lot of these weird mystical "self help" ideas come from. Positive thinking _definitely_ has a bearing on your results, but only within the limits of what you are physically capable of. Convincing yourself you're going to ace the exam will help your frame of mind, but if you don't study in the first place, you're still arsed.


Yeah, it kind of brings to mind this "phychology survey" or something I read about recently. It said that in the US, Africans have the most "confidence" out of all the races. Yet, when you look at the census, Africans are like at the bottom income scale...kinda neck and neck with Latins, but that's even worse. Because you gotta figure that a lot of Latins consist of like Mexican imigrants who don't even speak English. So I guess "thinking you are BIG..." etc. :laugh: doesn't help much!

But who's on top of the income scale? Asians, who exhibit the least "confidence". And Asians are WAY above Whites even though Whites are a great majority. And of course it's evident by the "White guys dig Asian chicks because of submissive, not loud as white chicks, whatever, etc." common conception. 

Maybe after all, if you want to be good at something, you gotta say...
"My mind and body are not one...I am not worthy! I must train HARDER!"


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

45 here...serious rider for the past 3, 35/40 days per season. Season pass = huge difference.
I have been climbing since 85 too and I alwats managed not to get hurt...because I would hate not be able to climb or ride. At this point, especially at Kirkwood, I know the place and charge pretty much anything natural, cliff excluded, but not as much in the park.
My real thing is powder and carving...jumps are fun, but also dangerous...I'd rather ride more mellow stuff longer 

Dropped a couple of medium lips...but generally I don't go look for air.


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## dagenhay (Feb 15, 2011)

I am 46 yrs old, 3 weeks ago I learned to do a 180 on a tabletop, 2 weeks ago I learned a boardslide on a box, last week I learned a rail and attempted a boardslide on said rail. Never to old to learn new things, just don't want to learn by trial and error so much when the consequences of the error is high. Work your way up, hitting the small stuff until you know it like the back of your hand. Repetition leads to muscle memory. 

I used to say that "me and air don't get along". Tore ligaments catching air skiing a long time ago. Broke a collar bone catching air on a mountain bike in my 20's. Separated a shoulder catching air mountain biking.

Then I took a snowboarding class on a trampoline and realized I had absolutely no control of myself when in the air. The more time I spent on the trampoline, the more comfortable and control I got in the air. When your not comfortable in the air, there is no time to do anything, plus you don't know how to adjust in the air, wind up flailing. Once comfortable in the air, it is amazing how there is time to adjust. 

The time on the trampoline translated into both mountain biking and snowboarding. I try to do other things that have little consequences but challange myself in the air. Jumping off the high dive at the local pool. Start out jumping feet first, then diving, then flips and twists. Adding jumping off a few bridges bumps up the nerves, but when I land okay the next jump is easier and in more control.

I am not going big yet snowboarding, but with both snowboarding and mountain biking I am doing things that I used to watch others do and say that I was too old for that.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

I think I need a trampoline...


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## Steery (Oct 25, 2010)

It sounds like you need to be comfortable leaving the snow and compressing your body in the air while remaining stable. 

Before hitting these kickers, you need to be COMPLETELY comfortable doing strong ollies over rollers (even if said rollers are the landings of the jumps) and compressing the body (knees to the chest) with your arms out for balance. Not a bad idea to be able to do small shiftys both bs and fs as that familiarity of the board moving under you while in the air will make it generally easier.


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## Sincraft (Sep 6, 2010)

Donutz said:


> Yeah, this is where a lot of these weird mystical "self help" ideas come from. Positive thinking _definitely_ has a bearing on your results, but only within the limits of what you are physically capable of. Convincing yourself you're going to ace the exam will help your frame of mind, but if you don't study in the first place, you're still arsed.


a fool and his money are soon parted...

ok it really doesn't make sense but it's the only folksy wisdom I can give..

I agree with this statement, positive thinking does change the outcome. Overly positive and you will find yourself disappointed. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

I was riding about a month ago, remembered it being so easy going down this steep slope, hitting bumps on the way down toward the end when it flattened and getting about an inch of air here and there, landing comfortably on edge. Next time out, HORRIBLE. No longer packed powder, back to the oh so common packed granular/ice, I bit it hard early in the day, lack confidence for a couple hours and was just sour. Stopped for some food, came back out, put my headphones on and was doing 200% better, without a doubt. Didn't think about it, just went out and did it and didnt think negative. 

My biggest fear now is catching an edge with speed. I keep positive here as much as I can without being too stupid. I'm not sure what I'm afraid of more to be honest, catching an edge with speed or landing on my back/butt without the board to soften the blow off of a jump. I've been using the lightly to no population trails to go fast, always keeping as straight as possible so that if I do wipeout, my slide doesn't take me over a hill , into snowmaking equipment, lighting or worse - people. I fell once going fast 'for me' probably looked like nothing to everyone else, on a steeper slope, and slide the WHOLE way toward the bottom until it flattened a bit. All the while, spinning. I tried to stop by planting my board and it just propelled me further into a spin, so I laid back, enjoyed the ride because I felt pretty safe I wasn't going to get a sharp stick in my eye (another fear)

Oh well, it's fun. Painful at times, usually days after for me, but so worth it.

Hopefully by next year I will be working on getting air on jumps and possibly even the pipe. I caught an edge going up the wall of a pipe because of a gouge taken out of the pipe (and poor skill) and fell backwards downhill from about 7' up. landed on my shoulder and face. Glasses crunched, face looked like I was punched and my neck made loud cracking noises. That was Tuesday, my neck finally started hurting today...everything ok though.  Going to take it a bit easier until it's just too easy and anything I run into is easily fixable before I fall.

Also hoping that isn't my last time out this session. It snows 6" then for 2-3 days it rains 1-2" or more. All told in the past 2 weeks, we have had a TON of rain. My slopes are down to a 20-40 inch base, but from what I've seen they are desperately pushing the snow around to keep the grass from showing. They even shut down two of the better slopes at my local hill this week because of the rain and the damage. It will snow for one day, less than they expect, then rain and be warmer than they expect....just in time for the weekend too. Resorts have got to be feeling alot of pain after last years blankets of snow we receive. 

The joys of living out east


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## init (Mar 8, 2010)

Yes. Don't.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

Music Moves said:


> 38 and I jump up to 35-40 footers. I was at PC a few weeks ago and though King's Crown was closed for a ski comp and I couldn't, I probably wouldn't have hit those monsters. I couldn't even ride through there, but they looked quite large from the lift. Three Kings was fun though.
> 
> I had to stop spinning, etc on medium to large park hits after a while... sometimes I'll send it if I know it's good and soft and the jump is groomed well, but mostly it's fun tweaks and grabs now.
> 
> ...


Sort of been going against my usual jumping in the park at my age and have been spinning on small 10-20 footers lately. It's a lot of fun, but I definitely fall a bit. I spin on natural stuff a lot and I don't know why but when a jump is plainly laid out (like park jumps), I am more reluctant to do more difficult tricks at my age. If it is a good size natural drop or natural jump, I seem to have no inhibitions.

Anyone else like this?


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

I got to hit those jumps right after that comp they aren't that big the problem is they're fucking flat as hell you need to keep speed through the whole park to get any sort of speed for them. Then again P.C. can't build a jump to save their life.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

BurtonAvenger said:


> I got to hit those jumps right after that comp they aren't that big the problem is they're fucking flat as hell you need to keep speed through the whole park to get any sort of speed for them. Then again P.C. can't build a jump to save their life.


Yeah, the jumps I did get to hit had fairly quick transitions which (imo) is not good on most jumps that are 20+. I like longer approaches as jumps get larger. That one in your "guess the jump" thread looks like something I'd love...

I could only see the KC jumps from the lift, but they looked to be easily 50 from my viewpoint...


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