# Help with jumps



## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Just general advice because I think all the shoulder stuff makes people overthink is that you need to keep your weight a little more centered. Also if you just suck up your knees when you come off the jump and bring them down when you land I think it will help.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

As far as washing out on your tail landing: 
It is very easy to leave the lip of the jump with your weight in the backseat, especially if you are sketching even a little as you begin to get air, and is really really bad. Keep your weight centered, and don't be afraid to feel extra pressure on your front leg as it goes up the transition of the jump, this can even give the sensation of having your weight slightly forward. 

Honestly those jumps are really small, and you can learn everything that you are trying to accomplish on those jumps, anywhere on the mountain. Side hits, rollers, ollie off the knuckle of bigger jumps, you can easily replicate the "air time" of these beginner jumps.

Not to chastise you for going small, I'm very slow and methodical with my own progression and do not hit big features by any means. The point is simply that all of the "technique" that is explained on the SA videos is going to make ALOT more sense in body feel as you execute it on a larger jump, rather than hitting a jump whose transisition is only 4 feet long. For example, mimicking the approach kinetics explained in the SA videos, especially regarding pop as you bend into the setup and pop off the lip, the timing changes drastically between a proper "kicker" that has a 20-40 foot setup, even for smaller jumps, compared to these ones you are hitting (if you start bending your knees when you hit the "setup" of these smaller jumps, the tip of your board is already off the lip and your timing is fucked). 

Make sense? Just own those jumps in the video, pretend they are just natural features, confidence is your best weapon.


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## Lowlyffe (Jun 8, 2011)

I think when youre new, you may want to squat a bit more at "take off". Which will give youa lowere center of gravity


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

Where is this? These jumps look pretty haggard.


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## newguy36 (Feb 23, 2010)

Devils Head Resort Merrimac Wisconsin


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

Is that place better than cascade?


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## newguy36 (Feb 23, 2010)

I like both. They both have pro's and con's. Last season I only went to Cascade. This season I've only gone to Devils head.


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

Isn't chestnut much closer?


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## newguy36 (Feb 23, 2010)

Nah, chestnut is a little bit farther away.


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## newguy36 (Feb 23, 2010)

> First off a quick review of ATML with specific attention to your approach. If you approach is unstable, everything else is going to suffer. For the most part this looks good except that you seem to consistently ride in a countered stance ( you twist at the waist and ride facing forward). Work at riding in better alignment in all if your riding; keep hips and shoulders aligned with board more and turn just your head to look forward.


I have always thought my stance looked a little weird. Would this cause my front leg to be straighter than my back leg? In some of the videos of my riding my front leg is noticeably straighter than my back leg. Is there anything I can do that will force me to use the proper alignment?


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## jyuen (Dec 16, 2007)

that jump looks horrific... why is the jump so small, the knuckle so incredibly long and the landing so incredibly small?


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

jyuen said:


> that jump looks horrific... why is the jump so small, the knuckle so incredibly long and the landing so incredibly small?


that's why I was comparing these jumps to side hits, rollers and natural features. At this stage in the OP's progression, the air and lack of quality in the jumps themselves are something you can get just by improving your all mountain riding while by ollieing and getting used to leaving the ground, being in the air, and landing. 

You would realize, like Snowolf has mentioned, your countered stance will fight you even with "all-mountain" riding and becoming a better, more disciplined rider on the whole hill is going to really be what helps you move to the next level with jumps.


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## AlexS (Feb 12, 2010)

These jumps won't help you learn you gotta be a freak and then some to reach some of those landings..As people said keep your weight centered. Every little bump on the snow you should pop off when you're riding to get a feel for it. Let your knees go a little when you land - they are your cushion. If you land straight legged you'll just fall. And finally as Snowolf said always go for a grab if possible. It keeps your arms from flailing and helps you maintain stability in the air


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## Oze boarder (Jan 23, 2012)

I couldnt figure out how to start a new thread for this but how should i land 360's? I can get the rotation and i think everything else right and sometimes ride away but not consistently


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## kayin (Feb 28, 2011)

don't forget to build up your confidence man! focus and commit to the jump! when you over-think things you start throwing your body's alignment all off. Read what everyone has posted, visualize yourself doing it in your mind, and then when you're actually on the mountain, trust yourself and just go for it!


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## Vaughanabe13 (Feb 2, 2012)

Ok, I was at Devil's Head both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.... First off, the only jumps at the entire resort are on this run (and the little divergent runs at the bottom), so there really isn't any other option if the OP is trying to learn only at this mountain. Second, those jumps were absolutely awful. They're almost completely ice, first of all. Bailing is not fun, in fact it's downright painful. It's also painful if you land on the flat without bailing. The landing is SO far away from the kicker that you literally can't speed check at all in order to hit the landing. I only saw one or two guys hitting the landings all weekend and it was clear they weren't beginners. Personally, I just skipped the kickers and practiced ollie-ing off the landings after the kickers. I was able to get a decent 5-6 feet of air just doing that and it helps you get used to the feeling of being in the air and landing.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I'm heading there Saturday with one of my sons. Let me know if you are heading there...


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Oze boarder said:


> I couldnt figure out how to start a new thread for this but how should i land 360's? I can get the rotation and i think everything else right and sometimes ride away but not consistently


Depends. How do you usually fall. Do you fall backwards or catch and edge or keep spinning and land crooked?


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

slyder said:


> I'm heading there Saturday with one of my sons. Let me know if you are heading there...


By the looks of hat place I think you would be better off at chestnut.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I live real close to Alpine. My boys got gift card for lift ticket for Christmas so were gonna make the trip. They may not have the best park, it's usually good. This weather has been bad for everyone. The runs there are much longer then Alpine. It's a great day trip for my son and me.
Plus it's 3 hour drive for me to Chestnut and that is the same drive for me to go to Granite Peak and would rather go there, actually we are as soon as boy gets his cast off.


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

I thought you were talking about devils head that place looks horrible. I was at chestnut sat and sun and it was as good as you could ask for. The only run that was icy was warpath.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I was talking about Devils Head, and it is usually a very good hill, with good park. Conditions got better here this weekend as we had snow and since Wed many resorts were making snow again with the very cold nights.

I haven't been there this year I just know many of our hills struggled to get the parks good we had a lot of high temps, rain, and generally bad weather that wasn't conducive to good park conditions.


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

slyder said:


> I was talking about Devils Head, and it is usually a very good hill, with good park. Conditions got better here this weekend as we had snow and since Wed many resorts were making snow again with the very cold nights.


I realized that after i hit respond. I'm out of it tonight.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

S'all good gets confusing following all the posts at times.
Who's talking about what, where is where.
Chestnut did look cool from the website but again just to far for me to go when Granite Peak is the same distance and better park and elevations that are larger than the Michigan UP


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

Granite peak is nice, but doesn't compare to Mt Bohemia. Mount Bohemia - Extreme Skiing - Upper Peninsula of Michigan


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

True but Bohemia is beyond mine and my kids riding abilities and I think 7.5 hour ride.
I was kinda thinking the normal resorts Black Jack, Powder Horn, Ski Brule, Whitecap


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

slyder said:


> True but Bohemia is beyond mine and my kids riding abilities and I think 7.5 hour ride.


You never know unless you try :laugh:


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

45 yr old dad, 3rd season riding, yep that is out of my limits


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

slyder said:


> True but Bohemia is beyond mine and my kids riding abilities and I think 7.5 hour ride.
> I was kinda thinking the normal resorts Black Jack, Powder Horn, Ski Brule, Whitecap


Slyder come on, 900 vertical and 400 acres, no way that place is beyond your level..... I do like how their site says no beginners allowed.....


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Argo said:


> Slyder come on, 900 vertical and 400 acres, no way that place is beyond your level..... I do like how their site says no beginners allowed.....


I saw that too :thumbsup:

Thought I saw a triple diamond run "extreme back county" 
Is there such a thing as triple black....
Think they only have 2 blue runs too

Definitely won't be riding there


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Looking at the trail map it looks like a big glade park.... Some fun looking trails for the size of it.....


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

Argo said:


> Looking at the trail map it looks like a big glade park.... Some fun looking trails for the size of it.....


It's definitely fun. I'm not sure why "Experts only" scares everyone away. I took a couple guys that had only been snowboarding 2 years and they did fine.


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## Vaughanabe13 (Feb 2, 2012)

For those who care...

I go to Chestnut every Friday night since it's now my closest Park. I've also been to Devil's Head hundreds of times. IMO Chestnut is better for park with the Farside and Devil's Head has much longer and better runs but almost no park features. Chestnut runs are extremely short, like 30 seconds down. They are steeper (especially the blacks, which are steeper than anything at Devil's Head) but they usually have terrible snow - either really icy or full of skier moguls. Chestnut has a better view from the top if that's something you care about. The view when you get to the top of Devil's Head is literally snowy cornfields (both at the top and bottom of the hill). Devil's Head has a lot more trees and a little better seclusion between runs, whereas Chestnut is basically just a free-for-all snow field with a few tiny pockets of trees. Neither have a good lodge but Chestnut has the slight edge.

Also, yes the "black diamond" and "double black diamond" is all relative to the mountain out here in the midwest. At Devil's Head the double black is really the same (actually less) than the blacks at Chestnut, but because they use circle, square, diamond, double diamond, you get a better idea of what skill level to expect on each hill. At chestnut, blue square could mean flat or steep, it really depends on the run.


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

Icy is an understatement. :laugh:


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## Vaughanabe13 (Feb 2, 2012)

03rev said:


> Icy is an understatement. :laugh:


Yeah, on warpath you either get "really bumpy balls of ice", "sheet ice", or my favorite: "sheet ice covered with a thin layer of sliding bumpy balls of ice"


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## 03rev (Dec 29, 2010)

I was there saturday and sunday and it was in surprisingly good shape. There were some ice balls on crazy horse and the wind had blown apache bare in a couple spots, but that was later in the day. We are coming up again this weekend hopefully they get hit with that snow that they are forecasting thurs.


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## Vaughanabe13 (Feb 2, 2012)

BTW, Crazy Horse is my favorite run at chestnut when it's not super icy. It has the best view of the whole mountain. Here's a partial panoramic my friend took on his galaxy nexus.

Edit: Sorry for the huge size, can anyone tell me how to force a custom size on embedded images?


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

slyder said:


> I saw that too :thumbsup:
> 
> Thought I saw a triple diamond run "extreme back county"
> Is there such a thing as triple black....
> ...


check out the chart halfway down

Alpine skiing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Soggysnow (Sep 11, 2012)

Snowolf said:


> For the most part this looks good except that you seem to consistently ride in a countered stance ( you twist at the waist and ride facing forward). Work at riding in better alignment in all if your riding; keep hips and shoulders aligned with board more and turn just your head to look forward.
> 
> As for your takeoff, some funky things seem to happen here and this is mainly a result of your approach in that countered stance. It is hard to tell but it looks like you are trying to use your upper body a lot to throw yourself into the air as if you are trying to Ollie off of the lip. One of the things that trying to add the Ollie does with a new park rider is it invariably puts them way in the back seat on takeoff and that is not the kind of help you need. As you approach the transition, shift your body foot to foot toward the nose of the board and gently extend just a tiny bit to pump this transition and maintain your speed. A better method for learning to gain a little more pop is to pop off of the toes and not try to Ollie. Use only lower body movements and keep the upper body quiet. Popping slightly off of the toes allows you to launch in much better overall alignment and gives you a little more pop. It also helps counter a tendency to open up and face forward in the air.
> 
> On your landings, you are being a little too quick to heelside speed check and sometimes you can do this before the board actually has fully engaged the snow. This is such a common cause for washing out after an otherwise successful landing. Delay this movement and point the board after landing to totally get fully stabilized and recentered after landing before doing a heelside speed check. It is super easy to land tail heavy and if you do not get recentered before braking, you stand a good chance of using your ass to brake with.


Glad I found this on a google search. I am also struggling with simple technique with jumps. 
I have been trying to bend my legs more because although smooth, I feel l have not been getting enough pop. So I have been trying to work on that, since then my landings have suffered. 
A friend pointed out today im doing something with my upper body/arms. I guess i am trying to pop from my upper body instead of using my legs?

For someone who did ballet for years, ive never felt so out of touch with my body.
Thanks for the advice


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