How to Ramp Up Your Winter

By Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

Building a first-class kicker requires both know-how and labor, but the payoff comes in the form of big air.

 

Here’s a six-step approach to building a kick-ass kicker:

 

1. Safety First

The first step to building a great jump is finding the right terrain. And unfortunately, perfect kicker spots also happen to be prime avalanche slopes. Before you go traipsing around in the backcountry, check with local avalanche forecast centers and, most importantly, educate yourself in backcountry travel procedures. Take responsibility for your actions, go with people who know, take an avalanche course, and be wise to local conditions.

 

2. Pick the Spot

You want to look for a spot that has a fairly steep in-run, a short flat section where the kicker will sit, and a good long steep landing. The in-run needs to be long enough to generate a good amount of speed. Optimal kicker terrain will have a nice flat spot for you to build your jump. This flat spot also helps minimize the compression from steeps to kick. The jump should be placed an appropriate distance from the landing. If you want to jump 40 feet, place the jump about 30 to 40 feet from the knuckle where the flat goes back to the steeps. This way you jump over the flats and land just after it gets steep.

 

3. Dig & Pack

Now that you know where you are going to build your kicker, it’s time to start digging! The type of snow you’re working with will determine how much snow you need to move. Light, dry Utah-type snow requires lots of volume, but if you have wet, heavy snow it tends to pile up a lot faster. Pile snow so that you get a mound about 10 to 15 feet wide, about 15 feet long and about 4 to 5 feet high. After you have a big pile, take your skis, or board, and begin packing the snow in a wedge shape. Taper it so that it gradually slopes up from flat to steep. This is still the rough stage of construction, so don’t spend too much time buffing out the jump just yet.

 

4. Dig & Pack Again

The initial packing of the jump usually diminishes the 5-foot pile by several feet, depending on the snow type—light powder will whittle down to nothing, wet pow will compress only a little. Now it’s time to add more snow—back to digging! Pile on more snow until you get close to the original height, and repeat until the jump is the size you want while packed.

 

5. Shape the Jump

Time to fine-tune—this is where the jump really takes shape. Now you need to decide what type of kick you want to put on the jump—the steeper the angle, the higher the jump will send you. If you want to travel farther and less high, slacken the angle of the lip. I like jumps that have about a 40-degree angle and are slightly curved. This configuration will send you nicely into the air and won’t be too abrupt, and you can hit it at faster speeds. Too steep an angle and too much speed will result in a kick that is hard to handle.

 

6. Smooth the Way

Finally, smooth the in-run, packing it out with skis or board. You don’t want an abrupt change right before the jump, so take care in making the in-run right. Once the lip and in-run are dialed, it’s time to get hiking and start jumping. Enjoy!

 

Sage Cattrabriga-Alosa is one of the best-known skiers in the ski film industry. He specializes in backcountry gap jumps, skiing big-mountain lines and combining tricks with cliff drops.

 

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