I’m not sure if I should be hyping up my alma mater’s rival school, but this is pretty cool. This week, the Holderness School in New Hampshire shared a video of their airbag jump.
Opened back in 2021, the BigAirBagⓇ is situated on the hill above the school’s football field. The setup has a 70-foot-long ramp, a 27-degree slope, and four possible takeoff points. Holderness uses it for its freestyle skiing and snowboarding teams. The benefit of the jump is that it allows for progression without the risk of injury.
Alan Smarse, who is the Holderness School’s director of snowboarding & Freeski, described the importance of this airbag setup in 2021:
“Going into next year, I see a reduction in injuries, an increase in our progression, and on the competition side I see more podiums. If we avoid injury, that means our kids don’t lose time on snow. It also means they don’t have a mental block, which means we can practice better and smarter, and put them in a better position to be successful.”
Holderness has some solid skiing facilities. Over the past couple of years, they’ve partnered with the Franconia Ski Club and Cannon Mountain to build a ski racing hub. This has included the widening of multiple trails, adding snowmaking and a t-bar, along with opening the Mitersill Performance Center. The Proctor Ski Area is still better though.
Image/Video Credits: BigAirBag® (Featured Image), Holderness School
