Freestyle Skiing

Question
Hi.  I am fourteen years old, and i need some advice on
freestyle skiing.  I have been skiing since i was four, but
only learned about doing tricks in the past three years.  I
have tried and tried to get the guts to pull a trick, but i
am afraid to land and get hurt.  I recently went on a jump
today and overshot the landing.  I landed farther then the
landing ramp and then collapsed on my skiis because of the
impact.  Do you have any advice on which tricks i should
try, and how to do them....Thanks

Corey

Answer
Hi Corey and thanks for the question ,

Tricks are fun - there is something great about flying through the air. But when you get it wrong - yep it hurts.

Firstly- know what a "safe" jump is.
Basically, the landing should be the same angle as the take off [thats a physics thing] to ensure a smoother landing. The run off needs to be as long as the run in.
Also, the length of the jump needs to be in proportion to the speed of the run in [i dont know the exact equation].
And trees close to the take off and landing are not smart - never ever.

Then - you need to test the jump a few times. A steep jump you should test the run in without going over it the first time. You need to know if it is going to throw you off it. Or you can sit to the side and watch the others go over it a few times to see how it 'throws' them. Do they go a long way, do they go high, do they get off balance, do they overshoot the landing, do they clear the top, do they go to the left or right of centre?

From that, figure out how fast they are coming in. You will then start to notice some will slow down a little before they hit the ramp, some will start lower down the take off spot.  If you learn to do this - you can launch off anything. You have already found out what it feels like to miss the landing ramp. Worst case - you can put redistribute your bones into new places [to put it nicely]. And never underestimate the danger - people have died getting it wrong. Jumpsmart at all times.

Landing: bend bend bend - and dont forget to bend!!!  Learn to jump up and as you land, bend in the ankle and knee. Get up and try it now. Remember though - you have to take off flat foot, and land flat foot. Now go and put your boots on and try it again, heck try some of the tricks below at the same time. Now as you jump - can you feel the 'pop' as you take off? Take that with you to the ramp too. Pop on top, bend to land. However - dont bend from the waist too much or you will land on your head! Learn to find your balance point. So try jumping 'off balance' and recentering. Its all about being "air aware". Playing around on a trampoline or even ice skates will help. Jump on one foot, or try a wobble board. The better your balance - the more times you will land on your feet.  But the basic rule to land - stay centred, not too far forward; bend in the ankle and knee - slightly in the waist; keep your head up and spot your landing form take off.

So you have figured out how to take off and land the jump - you've done it 3-4 times. Now you can start to have fun. Try doing a few of the basics.  Try these without skis on to get a good idea of how to move your body - a trampoline [or your bed - but i didnt tell you that] is great to train on.
These are old school - but are a good place to start:
Flare: in the air do a star jump, bring your skis back together to land though or you'll be doing the splits. Arms can either flare as well, or put hands down between your legs.
Daffy: in the air, one foot goes in front the other behind you - your skis will be perpendicular [thats a math word] to the ground.
Twister: in the air turn your feet to one side, turn your shoulders the opposite way. With practice, you can twist left to right before you land.

These are a good place to start as you learn how to move in the air and most importantly how to recentre yourself to land again. Pretty much everyone learns these in the beginning. After these you can move into other more "cooler" jumps you will see people trying based on snowboarding moves.

But ask others on the hill. Most are very helpful and will be very encouraging as long as you look like you're trying to be safe. Idiots arent cool in the park.

Another idea - go and talk to the ski school. There are often classes held in the terrain parks and pipes these days. Classes are small and they accommodate all skill levels. they generally like you to be an intermediate skier and you will need safety gear - helmet and possibly wrist guards.

Hope this is helpful, if you need any other info - feel free to ask. And i'd be stoked if you came back to tell me how you got on. Good luck and have fun.