Deciding to jump

My kid Ian has been riding for almost exactly one year, and we’ve spent most of that year perfecting his pump on an Intense BMX 20 and cruiser. Just recently, Ian decided it was time to jump. He commandeered my P.3, and now it’s on, baby, ON!

Ian’s pumping form is darn near flawless.

Here he sucks up the bike and projects his body straight through the set. The ability to do this with balance and consistency is, according to my school of teaching, the main prerequisite for jumping.

Ian has been rocking this style for a while, and I’ve been telling him he’s ready to jump whenever he wants to. No rush or pressure, but when you feel the urge, be confident that you have the skills.

We were at the Gunbarrel jumps last week and — bam! — there it was.

Right on Ian. Well done!

The morals of this story
1) If you can’t pump smoothly and consistently, don’t even think about jumping.

2) If you CAN pump smoothly and consistently, chances are you’re ready to start playing with small, safely built jumps.

3) Take everything one step at a time. And have fun at every step.

Passing on the Braaap,

— Lee