SoulSkier

It’s been in the works for years. When I first found it, I knew I had to attempt it.
What is it? A gap jump over Lime Creek Road.  A vertical cliff on the west side, a steep wide open landing on the east, with a road in the middle.  A snowmobile road in the Winter, an automobile road in the Summer. Upping the ante of this gap is the guard rail on the east side of the road. If you come up short, it would not end well.

So many things have to come together in order to get a project like this one done. The landing zone must be deep and stable. The jump and transition need to be built on the cliff. You must have a dedicated crew of people wanting to commit to the project with you. It takes snowmobiles to access the area, and everyone must work in preparation of everything being set up correctly.

2-2-09- We headed up with 5 of us to build the jump and transition to it. We spent a few hours cutting blocks of snow and shaping the kicker. The idea is to build it, and let it sit for a few days. The fluctuating temperatures let the snow bond together and set up properly. It also gets everything in line for the day we are to attempt it to be completely focused on just the skiing aspect.

We waited for a few days, and it’s now time for the mental preparation.

The night before the jump, I had an interesting conversation on the phone with a buddy who doesn’t ski. Randy, asked me why I still do these stunts….when Randy first met me 5 years ago, I had just shattered my collar bone, and had a metal rod sticking out of my shoulder.

I’ve been thinking about this question for quite some time. Like I said, I set this goal for myself a few years ago, and committed to it then. Backing out was not an option. Ever. The other part of this goal was to invert over the road my first time hitting it. When I made these commitments to myself, I knew it would definitely happen some day, God willing. Perhaps some people can concede their goals and dreams……..that’s never been an option for me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

I’m a firm believer that if you’re not somewhat gripped about whatever you’re doing on skis, then you most likely aren’t pushing yourself. It’s easy to do what you know and stay within your comfort zone. We see that all the time. Are you really living if you’re not risking something? Aren’t all great things the result of risk?

The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, live and love.
-Leo Buscaglia

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.
-George S. Patton, Jr.

We sledded out, and made it to the gap at about 9am on Thursday, February 5th.
Mike had agreed to guinea pig the hit first……doing so is very risky on a setup like this.
Coming up short can mean dire consequences. Fortunately, he nailed it perfectly and stomped the landing.

STOKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now knowing the correct speed, it made my hit much less difficult.
Here we go, taking to the sky-

And a stitched sequence of the event by Mir

Bernardos perspective

And a frame grab from the HD video

In the landing zone……..success!

The crew (-Left to Right- Bernardo, Myself, Mike, Mir)

Chillin’

I’m much happier than I look here

During the time both Mike and I hit it, the temperature had shot up about 20 degrees.
Heat changes the speed on the in-run, and slows you down dramatically.
It was a good decision not to push it any more.
What an AMAZING day.

I’d like to thank everyone involved.
Mir, Mike, Bernardo, Jackson…………………thank you so much.