Step 4. The
run-in. There are
several ways to go
about the run-in,
but either way
you will have to
‘track in a line’, as
I like to call it. This
means taking runs
on the completely
fresh, never before
ridden hill, that is
about to become
your masterpiece.
After clearing away any overgrowth,
rocks or obstructions, if you’re lucky, you
won’t have to do anything but track it
in with your bike. Tracking it in will also
highlight any areas in the run-in that need
attention, so if more work is needed to
get the run-in smooth, then find the high
and low spots that got chewed up as you
made your test runs and work on them to
get your line as smooth as possible.
Step 5. The landing. This can be a tough one sometimes.
Shovelling a whole landing perfectly can be way harder than building
a four-foot wide take-off. You just need to assess how much time
and how many shovels you have, against the condition of that
particular landing. You can then decide whether or not a full re-work
is worth it.
You always want to clear the landing from rocks and check for rain
ruts. If there are any natural high or low spots on the landing that
need some shovelling attention, smooth them out, but remember to
pack the line as you go, to ensure your new Picasso lasts as long
as possible. As the session progresses, you might find breaking
bumps start to appear, so these might require a little touch-up every
now and again as well.
Step 6. Test hits. Now everything has
been built and deemed safe, it’s time to take
some test hits! You want to do a few rollover attempts first to break in the take-off
lip and to double check the jump isn’t going
to collapse upon take-off. Once everything
seems to be a go, it’s time to make that leap
of faith, and hit your masterpiece.
38 | FreestyleXtreme