2 Weeks ago in Steamboat Springs Co the wind on the hill was not ideal. In ski jumping wind is a huge factor, like an airplane has to adjust flaps to accommodate to wind, we have to adjust our entire bodies. That day on the hill there was a gusty head wind. Walking up the hill it was clear that the entire team was slightly nervous. We were even more nervous after the first jumper on the hill was arm swinging off the takeoff. The next jumper after had a beautiful jump, stable in the flight and going way down the hill. This calmed my nerves as it was now my turn to jump. I remember leaving the bar, I was not scared, I felt confident, and it was as if it was a normal jump. As soon as I left the take-off I got a blast of head wind, naturally I thought to press more onto my skis to try and get back on top in my flight. It seemed that as soon as i pressed the wind disappeared and I was now looking straight at the ground as my right ski was pulled underneath me.
. The term we ski jumpers use for this is “Tipping In”.(video to right is example) Now when you’re in this position you have two options, the first being to try and pull back your skis to land on your feet. The second is to try and do a form of front flip, the theory is that landing on your back is safer then landing on your head. I figured that option 1 was no longer possible, so I opted to tuck my head and try and rotate. When I hit the ground it was somewhere on my upper back. It didn’t hurt, and I remember opening my eyes to see the plastic sliding past underneath me. | |
. To feel something like that for me was alarming, I immediately started to panic. Imagine it, feeling the end of your collar bone 5cm out of place. At this point I knew that it was time to go to the hospital, luckily I found our assistant coach Alex and we headed off to the ER. Now I’ve had some pretty terrible car rides in my life, were talking 22 hour journeys pressed shoulder to shoulder to a van of 15 kids, imagine sitting in a very busy sauna, except it’s on wheels and you’re stuck in it for 22 hours. Yes that kind of car ride is terrible, but it was nothing compared to this. There was no way I could sit that didn’t hurt, and what was a pinch in my shoulder was now turning into a pain that can only be described as someone tightening a vice on everything in your shoulder. Though the distance from the hill to the Hospital was only something like 15 minutes, it felt like hours had passed before seeing the glowing welcome sign. |