PSIA / AASI - Eastern Division

On-Any-Gear JUMPING EVENT at the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, NY

Wednesday & Thursday, September 1 & 2, 2010

$220 - Event #002 - Deadline: 08/13/2010

Click here for an event application.

Location: The jumping complex is located just east of Lake Placid, NY, on route 73. Approaching from 73 west, the pools and jumps are on your left. Meet at the Complex Gate house, which is just above the pools, at 8:15am each day. You can’t miss it - just drive to the base of the 90-meter jump.

To Register: Please visit the website (www.psia-e.org) for an event application, fill it out and submit by the deadline of June 15 for the July event or August 13, 2010 for the September event. The cost is $220 for PSIA-E/AASI members; $245 for non-members. Non-members, Registered and Level I Members must interview with Mickey Stone prior to registering. Please e-mail him at: cpage3@aol.com. Applicants must be 16 years of age or above to participate. This event can be used for update credit for any discipline. Price includes coaching by PSIA-E/AASI Education Staff and ORDA coaches, trampoline usage, facility storage, pool fees, and handouts.

Lodging: There is plenty of lodging nearby; go to “Lake Placid Lodging” on the web where you’ll find a lot of places to suit your style and wallet.

Schedule: Training Time period will be 9am– 4pm each day, with a 1-hr lunch break. Feel free to bring lunch. There is a snack bar with lunch at the pools, and it is a short drive to town.

Snowboarders: You must be at least AASI Level II. If you have participated in the past events, and are not Level II but could negotiate the ramp-sliding portion effectively, please contact Mickey Stone via e-mail at: cpage3@aol.com. Wrist guards, kneepads and full clothing from head to toe is required for your safety.

Preparation: You will be training on trampolines for at least half of the first morning. Wear clothing appropriate for working out. No shoes allowed, so wear appropriate socks. Also, jewelry and sharp objects need to be taken off. These trampolines are outside, so you’ll need to dress for the weather.

For the pool you will need:

• Boots that can get wet for Telemark, Snowboard or Alpine.
• Skis or boards, preferably short, 150-175 cm. It works best with less shaped skis. So your straightest, shortest pair would be the best.
• Helmet a must. A Pro Tec or ski helmet preferred; no bike helmets because you need some type of soft or hard earflap in case you don’t quite land right in the water. Strap must be worn.
• PFD approved personal flotation device; not a seat cushion over your shoulders.
• Mouthguard found at any sports store (Play it Again, etc). One you put in hot water and form to your mouth.

Optional

• Wet suit, shorty, Lycra suits, etc. Whatever you will be comfortable in during the temperature of the day. The water is not heated; it is in the cool 70s.
• Towels, sunscreen and cameras or video.

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Fun at the Water Ramps Suzy Chase-Motzkin – PSIA-E Examiner – USSA Level II Inverted Aerial Coach For several years PSIA-E has offered a fabulous jump clinic at the Olympic jump site in Lake Placid. Initiated by Nordic examiner, Mickey Stone, these clinics are open to all disciplines and are an opportunity to earn clinic credit while doing something out of the ordinary… not to mention ridiculous fun. It has been my great pleasure to send the tremendous variety of participants, male and female, hurling through the air to land in the bubbled pool. “Variety” is an understatement regarding the participants. The age range of the people is from 16 to over 60. The group is usually split evenly between snowboarders and skiers… and there are always a few adventurous nords in the bunch. Some come to get air time and expand their trick repertoire, some to better understand the “how-to” for their coaching bag-of-tricks, and others to keep up with their kids. Everyone is supportive and no one is pushed… unless they want it (within the realm of safety, of course).

We always start the event with introductions and safe use of equipment. Often there are World Cup teams training at the ramps, and though we can enjoy watching them, they only augment the experience rather than distract from it. A stretching session is then led by Mickey, the human pretzel, and followed by splitting up the groups. Those that have jumped before will go directly to the ramps and the others will go to the World Cup trampolines before they put on their equipment

On the three tramps available we work with jumping and tumbling to gain air awareness and timing. Many will start out a bit awkward but quickly garner the balance to try some tricks The tricks range from straight old-school airs, to grabs and spins, to cork10’s (1 guy) and the like. The favorite game is “stick it”; where we take three jumps on the tramp and do a trick to land on our feet on the foam mats.

Though there are three jumps at the pool, we only use the single jump which has a freeride or aerial option through the hydraulic raising or lowering of the end of the ramp. The pros use the other two ramps… which send them into the sky like a rocket.

We coach the ATML model for jumping and always spend time with the Approach part first. It gives everyone a chance to find their center on their equipment, while also feeling the surface and speed of the ramp.

Everyone slides up the lip from a short distance up the ramp to get the feeling of perpendicularity as they approach the lip of the jump. Then, we send them up higher for their first straight air. Everyone learns how important it is to glide on a flat board and that terminal velocity is your friend at the ramp. The Approach part of the jump is what mostly indicates how one will land, so being balanced and centered is key.

The Take-off part of the model sets the jump amplitude. The biggest coaching factor here is that most snowboard tricks are done off an edged board, so clean takeoffs are often muddled by starting the trick too early. This can be scary due to the abrupt stopping from too much carving. But, riders quickly adjust to rock the air.

Everyone, alpine or snowboarder, learns to employ patience through the Take-off and find the result to be a cleaner trick. The trick, of course, is the Maneuver part of the model which is then followed by the Landing. Everyone hopes to land centered and cleanly on their feet for a soft touchdown. Looking up and spotting are the key to accomplishing this.

If you are inspired to have a great time while wearing a bathing suit on your board/s come to the ramps. It will be an interesting experience at least, but more likely a ramp to send you into a new understanding of yourself and the possibilities that lie ahead.