How to make good ramps/jumps?

Nikog

Nikog

Member
I can't always get up to my local hill so last season I started making urban jumps and purchased a bungee to hit urban features. I have made jumps before but they have always turned out not to great and much different than the jumps at my local hill. Any tips for me to make more solid jumps?
 
Smooth transition from in run to jump is key, it makes the jump so nice and smooth feeling. If the jump is falling apart, use salt, spray some on it, then let it set. That should hardener her right up.
 
This. Also, most beginning jump builders make the lips too severe. One way that shapers determine if a jump is too lippy is to use a bamboo pole. You lay it with one end a the top of the lip and the other end going back to the transition. If you can slide your fist between the pole and the snow it is too lippy to be a park jump. You can use an eight foot 2 x 4 if you can't find a bamboo pole.

An urban jump can have more lip than a park jump, but really not that much more. If your lip is too severe, it is the same as having a transition that is too steep. You will scrub a bunch of speed, and it will be tougher to get a smooth balanced pop.

The other thing I would add is to make the pile for your jump, then boot stomp the crap out of it while adding salt, then carve your lip out. When you try to pack a jump out using the back of the shovel, you will never be able to get it solid enough.
 
Hmmmm. If they aren't doing something like checking the lip/tranny somehow!?!?!? Eeek! Someone is going to die.

Ideal angle for the top of the lip is between 30 and 35 degrees for medium sized tables. The landing hill should be about the same angle as the steepest angle of the lip. That way you follow a really nice rainbow trajectory in the air. Some of the best jumps I have hit are stepovers that have take off and landing of 35 or maybe even a little more. They give you great hang time and you barely feel the landing. The only reason for areas to not build this way is that it requires more snow and so they may be worried about cost.
 
So basically you take salt, (preferably not table salt, use the same salt they spread on roads because its more efficient), and sprinkle a little bit on the jump and a little around the jump. What it does, is that it melts the snow a tad, leading it to refreeze, being more compact. That being said, don't overdo the salt.
 
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