Are kids today just not as bright? That’s my question when I see young
skiers and riders flying off of big jumps, landing on hard packed snow.
That’s got to hurt, unless you are a crash test dummy.
I don’t like to imply that today’s youth are dumb, maybe they’re just
“numb.” As a parent I cringe as I watch kids hurl themselves high in the air
and then come down with serious impact. It’s an average day to see some
young huckster being taken out of the park on a sled. That’s no way to end
the day, though it certainly punctuates the jump – and makes my point.
Brian Putnam owns
Putnam Sport
Shop in Portsmouth. He sells ski and snowboard boots reinforced with
cushioned heels to absorb some of the impact from “freeskiing.” But Putnam
says, “You just shouldn’t jump on hard pack days.” That makes really good
sense to me. Soft snow days obviously make for softer landings.
When
you watch the Olympic aerialist, you see a whole team of jump technicians
with shovels fluffing up the snowy landing ramp. I don’t see the same cushy
white carpet treatment in most ski area terrain parks, but I see plenty of
amateurs going off massive machine made jumps landing on groomed but very
firm machine made snow.
Before ski areas starting creating monster jumps in designated terrain
parks, kids would have to create their own jumps, and the size was
considerably smaller – given the limited resources: hands, shovels, and
natural snow. Today’s jumps are 20-40-feet high, making the consequential
landing that much more significant even with the latest impact-absorbing
boots and boards.
A “hard landing” recently hit home with us, as our daughter fractured her
knee from a particularly hard landing off a jump.
Perhaps parents, myself included – albeit a month too late, need to school
their new schoolers that just because a jump is there, doesn’t mean it’s
safe. You need to know your ability, and seek out optimal conditions before
your throw yourself to the mercy of the big kicker. There’s a reason they
call these jumps “kickers” and “hits.” They will kick you and hit you hard
if you aren’t prepared and skilled.
The
National Ski Area Association addresses terrain park etiquette and safe
jumping in their “Smart Style” points. It’s short and sweet, four points, to
make it easy for the youngsters. The orange pill shaped sign is posted at
the entrance to most of today’s freestyle parks, pipes and jumps with the
following recommendations:
1. MAKE A PLAN
Every time you use freestyle terrain, make a plan for each feature you want
to use. Your speed, approach and take off will directly affect your maneuver
and landing.
2. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
Scope around the jumps first, not over them. Know your landings are clear
and clear yourself out of the landing area.
3. EASY STYLE IT
Start small and work your way up. (Inverted aerials not recommended).
4. RESPECT GETS RESPECT
From the lift line through the park.
Those four points cover a lot. A pre-jump run is essential to size up the
feature and the landing – to be sure you can handle it. If a lump grows in
your throat during this inspection run, that’s a sign you should skip this
lip.
I would add a fifth point to indicate jumping on hard snowpack New England
days will inevitably lead to a pretty hard landing…but that’s just me, an
old-school mom, talking.
