How to do a ski jump?

How do you start learning how to ski jump?

• How do you develop the skills necessary to properly execute the jump?

• Answer:

  Firstly, wear a helmet. Well, you should wear one when you ski anyway, but its more important when jumping. In order to minimise injury (at least initially - when you start doing tricks it gets quite messy), I'd take baby steps: Begin by simply skiing over smaller jumps - such as the ones usually on the side of learner slopes Once you get confident, you can start actually jumping. This is very similar to jumping on foot except timing is more important as is the position of your skis on landing. Bend your knees a little as you come up to the peak, and launch as you hit it. While enjoying the sweet silence of being airborne, ensure your skis are roughly parallel to the slope you're landing on. Allow your legs to bend as you hit the ground (just like when you jump on foot). After you've got air a few times and feel confident, you can start trying tricks. Basic ones include grabs (yes, like snowboarders) which are more about lifting your legs up than reaching down, if that makes sense. A popular one is some variant of the "Spread Eagle" which is all about timing - make sure you put everything back together before you land! I wouldn't recommend doing spins until you're really confident with your ability to turn *and* jump. These can easily get messy. If you want to try some more advanced tricks, you might wanna pick up some pads and/or guards. Also, don't use your prize pair of skis for tricks, especially grinds, as you'll wreck them. Most of all, remember jumpers' etiquette: Do not ever stop after a jump (stay well out of the landing zone). It's dangerous and can cause some nasty accidents. If someone crashes, try to block the jump by standing your polls in an "X" shape and then go help them get out of the zone. Do not "block" jumps by stopping in the runup, its rude. The only exception to this is if someone is injured or crashed at the bottom of the jump and you need to ensure their safety Wait a few seconds before following someone else over a jump. If possible, try to sight where they are so that you don't land on them.