Thanks, Jason,

I still think you had your distances consistent enough that you knew in your heart you could accurately hit your landing ramp, even in the rain. You're not an idiot, you just know what you can do, you prepared like a true professional, you put in the time and did it right, and when the time came to achieve your goal, you were ready to do it safely, and that's what you did.

I agree, there's no need for any jumper to be playing guessing games with too-small landing ramp sizes. The landing ramp has to be large enough to hit with total consistency. There can never be a miss, not even one. Jumping is not a blood sport akin to the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where it was likened to human cockfighting, with few rules and little safety for the participants. For the sport to move forward, all the jumpers need to follow reasonable safety precautions, using proven methods, jumping within parameters that keep them alive and healthy over the long haul.

It's okay for riders to perform huge and dangerous leaps, but there should be commensurate huge preparation to match, ramps sized appropriately and all other bases covered to ensure that what appears dangerous to the spectator is actually mastered by the performer to the highest degree possible.

I hope to see you jumping distance again sometime soon. Time is ticking away, and before you know it, you'll be my age. I would love to see you jumping onto a huge dirt landing ramp. It would comfort you to know you couldn't possibly miss the ramp, and I feel that your distances would improve beyond what you've ever done before, but without near the risk. You could land higher than the launch ramp, softer than before too, while using a steeper launch ramp that is taller. It does cost a pretty penny to build a big dirt landing that's so slow to transport, but distance being the name of the game, and numbers being the goal, just having a place to do it at all would give you a location to break your personal distance record, whether it's spectator-friendly or not.

Good luck out there. I hope you're doing well too.

JA

--Previous Message--
: hi johnny,
:
: as you know your self jumping big distances
: is dangerous enough without shrinking your
: ramps ..... you were a master at technical
: and complicated jumps a master technicion
: of the sport of jumping motorcycles i guess
: ... i see ryan capes more of a flat out
: big distance jumper . i feel if you
: combined the two types of jumper and rolled
: them in to one you would end up with a guy
: who could jump 600ft and land on a little
: postage stamp ... but i feel just for now
: keep them as separate types of jumper ... in
: my view big jumps should have big landings
: to help elliminate as much risk as possible
: for the rider .. .. i see robbie maddison
: and others with landing ramps about 3 times
: the length and width of mine but yet they
: havnt jumped 3 times further than my jump .
: . that doesnt make me a better jumper than
: them it makes me a more foolish idiot than
: them . . . they have moved the sport
: forward in the right way . big jumps need
: big landings for you to land on .
:
: hope your keeping well johnny .
: jason .......
:
: --Previous Message--
: Excellent points! Great post! Great advice!
:
: When I think back to your jump in the rain,
: it still boggles my mind. I never had to
: develop ramp to ramp pavement rain skills,
: but it seems that a jumper in England would
: be almost forced into doing it at times. I
: have experienced hydroplaning on thick
: water, which can strike fear in any rider's
: heart.
:
: I hope you stay safe and take all
: precautions, and I'm glad you're able to
: spend time with your son. No jump is worth
: dying for, and it's a loser's game to try to
: satisfy a few bloodlusting spectators who
: want a cheap thrill at your expense.
:
: Every serious jumper needs to treat this as
: a career, as a sport, where they are
: achieving measurable distances, obstacle
: numbers etc. without succumbing to the
: desire for glory by jumping 600 feet and
: landing on a postage stamp with fangs.
:
: JA
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: hi , in one of the posts on this board i
: notice ryan capes feels he does not get much
: credit for his big jumps cos he has big
: landing ramps .. thats ballocks ryan every
: jumper out there will have full respect for
: you and the jumps you have done .. dont
: start thinking you have to shrink your ramps
: just to keep people from critisiseing your
: jumps .. when you start shrinking ramps you
: start tempting fait .. there is only a hand
: full of people who ask what your ramp gap
: was and how big was your landing ramp etc ..
: all the little school kids and most of the
: general public only ever ask " how far
: did he jump" and its that distance you
: flew is all that matters ... you owe it to
: your family and friends to stay healthy and
: in one piece .. when i jumped 253ft i had a
: 220 ft ramp gap and 204ft clear gap . with a
: 14 ft wide landing ramp and 66 ft of actual
: landing area on my landing ramp . with 16ft
: of sissy deck .. it was also pissing down
: with rain too . . when i cuddle up to my son
: at night time and think about that set up
: and that jump it turns my stomack .. when i
: jumped 21 trucks i used the same landing
: ramp and had 18mph side winds that day . i
: pointed my take off ramp that day so as to
: land right on the edge of my landing ramp .
: knowing the 18mph wind would push me a
: little to the side which it did and i
: landed perfect middle ... .. the way i
: jumped 9 years ago was foolish and wreckles
: ... now i would never go further than 180
: ft ish on that ramp set up .. its just not
: worth it unless you are indoors and there is
: no wind or rain.. .. your probably the best
: jumper out there so dont go shrinking ramps
: cos you feel you need to prove a point ... 3
: guy s are persueing a jump for me cant say
: too much at this point but my landing ramp
: will be the biggest you have ever seen . .
: i will be aiming for a 400 ft ish jump but
: will only have 250ft ramp gap ... if we
: can get the ramp gap even smaller then we
: will do ... i know my little boy will be
: proud of his dad no matter how small the
: ramp gap and thats all that matters .... ..
: you have everyones respect ryan so dont
: think you have to go shrinking ramps .. its
: not worth it dude .... keep up the good
: work .........jason
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