HOW TO SELECT AND PREPARE THE HILL.
As above mentioned, we frequently come across natural jumps when on tour which require little or no preparation. On most hill-sides there are places where sudden little dips occur. Give a kick or two with the ski just below such a dip, so as to make the step (see B, [Fig. 30]) more pronounced, and scrape together a little snow on the top of it to raise it somewhat. Then with half a minute’s stamping about the spot where you intend to alight your preparations will be complete. Or, again, a stone lying on a steep hill-side may be pressed into service after the manner shown below.
Fig. 31.—Spraet hop, made by piling snow above a stone lying on the hill-side.
Care must, of course, be taken that the top of the stone be covered with snow. This sort of jump, the point of which turns upwards, is called a spraet hop in Norwegian. It has the effect of throwing the runner high into the air and is excellent practice.
Edges of cornices (not, of course, large, dangerous ones), stumps of trees, buried fences, &c., &c., can often be used for take-offs, and the runner when on tour should keep his eyes open for such, as they cause very amusing variations to ordinary going.
But, though when a little skill has been acquired one should practice on all sorts and kinds of places, it is probably best to begin on something very easy, in order to gain confidence.
Choose, then, a good steep hill with a fair out-run at the bottom. The gradient should be not less than 20 degrees, but if it be steeper, all the better. It is a great mistake to begin on too gentle a slope; a steep hill is far easier and far safer.
If you can find a hill with a little dip in it, well; but, if not, never mind.
First select the place for building your take-off. This will usually be at the edge of the dip, supposing you have found one. If, however, the slope below this point is less than about double the length of jump you contemplate, or, say, 20 yards in all, you must place the take-off somewhat back from the extreme edge, as shown in [Fig. 30]. But very likely you may not be able to find any suitable hill with a dip in it. Never mind; a smooth hill will do quite as well, or perhaps at first even better. Choose a point on it 20 yards or so above the bottom, and build a long take-off there in the shape shown below.
Fig. 32.—A long take-off built on a smooth hill.
This is the form of hill on which you should practise for some time. Do not at first let there be too much change between the slope of the take-off and of the hill below, for the greater this difference the more difficult will be the jump.
In choosing a hill it is, of course, desirable to select one as smooth and free from difficulties as possible. In Nature, however, such are seldom to be found, and one generally has to be content with something less perfect. It is, however, to be noted that smoothness of surface and regularity of snow, whilst everywhere desirable, are of special importance for a distance of ten yards above the spot selected for the take-off, and for about a similar length below the point of alighting.
So, having chosen your hill, stand down it once or twice to ascertain the best lie for the track. Then stamp the snow well down with your ski at the two important places above mentioned, making lanes down them about nine feet broad, and filling up any hollows with good firm snow.
Then construct the take-off.
This may conveniently be done by making a little fence of tree branches to the height of a foot or so, at right angles to the track, and then filling up the space above them with layers of snow and more tree branches placed flat. The structure should be made as firm as possible, especially at the edge, and it should combine with the hill above it, so as not to leave any sudden angle at the join.
Begin with quite a little drop—about 1½ft. should be sufficient—and as soon as you can “stand” over that build higher and higher.
It is not necessary for practice to make a very wide take-off—2ft. or 3ft. should be amply sufficient. And in general do not waste valuable time which might be spent in jumping in building a very elaborate affair.
The case is, of course, quite different if the hill is intended for a competition. In this event too much care cannot be taken to give every competitor an equal chance. [Fig. 30] shows an outline of the Solberg jumping hill, near Christiania, which may be taken as an example of what a hill ought to be. The snow on a competition hill should be thoroughly stamped down with ski some hours before the intended jumping. The take-off should be 3 or 4 yards wide, and there should be plenty of men both above and below the take-off armed with rakes to keep the snow in order. The spectators should not be allowed to approach too closely to the track. The illustrations opposite pp. 9 and 87 show how this is arranged in Norway.