Forward Elevated Hop

[skate4flip]

Hi. Please read this before taking the poll (if the poll works)

I have been working on the new trial skill levels with Carol McLean. One of skills we are debating on to put in is hopping forward to a elevated platform (forward spike is the term on the draft). I have seen people hop to the right or left when hopping on to something, but i haven't seen hopping forward to get on to something. Is a forward spike a valid trials skill that should be included in the trials levels?

[cyberpunk]

Do you have to do it from a still, or can you roll at it? Making it a rolling hop I guess ^^

Because hopping forward without any momentum is fricking hard.

[skate4flip]

It would be doing it from just hopping in place. Rolling hops are used for a different skill. There are three kinds of spikes. Rolling, left, right, and were debating in just hopping forward from a still stand is a good skill to inclucde or not.

[James_Potter]

so...a 'spike' is an upwards hop? I thought those were sidehops...that's what we always call 'em 'round here....

And I don't think you should talk about a forward one, because like whoever said up there, they're frickin' hard.
Except for rolling hops, of course.

[munipsycho]

I like the idea. I jump straight onto curbs and other obstacles a bit higher from a stand still. It's a valid skill. Why not track it?

[skate4flip]

A hop to a higher elevation isnt necessarily called a spike, i guess that just the name they have been using.

I think a forward hop could be a good skill if you dont have enough room to turn 90 degrees and hop sideways, but i think it would be hard to hop forward onto anything high though. Keep voting.

[halfbike]

Well If you're stoped you might as well just side hop since you've lost your momentum. It's just like learning to ride chest on seat. It's not a fun or impresive move, you just have to learn it to pass off the level.

But if you need more skills to make the levels, then yiou might as well put it in.

[ChangingLINKS.com]

Originally posted by halfbike
Well If you're stoped you might as well just side hop since you've lost your momentum. It's just like learning to ride chest on seat. It's not a fun or impresive move, you just have to learn it to pass off the level.

But if you need more skills to make the levels, then yiou might as well put it in.

As an off-road rider, I use the skill a LOT.
First, I would suggest calling it simply a "forward hop."
Secondly, it can be fun and impressive (depending on the situation).
It's good for hopping in places where there is limited space for the wheel to travel, like for intance hopping through a bush to a higher landing.
I can see how most street (trials) riders would see little use for it - because often times there is plenty of room for the wheel to be angled all 360 degrees.

[vivalargo]

Static forward hops are common in Muni. I use them alot on flat rolling over a trail littered with doll-head to football sized boulders (or similar terrain). Since the terrain is flat, you stall a lot and can't roll over some stuff and gotta jump it, often with no room to juke the Muni sideways. It's a strenuous move with no momentum but often the only other option is is get off. For street stuff, it doesn't come into play much, though I don't play on the street much.

JL

[skate4flip]

Originally posted by vivalargo
Static forward hops are common in Muni. I use them alot on flat rolling over a trail littered with doll-head to football sized boulders (or similar terrain). Since the terrain is flat, you stall a lot and can't roll over some stuff and gotta jump it, often with no room to juke the Muni sideways. It's a strenuous move with no momentum but often the only other option is is get off. For street stuff, it doesn't come into play much, though I don't play on the street much.

JL

Do you think the skill would be good for trials? Maybe for trial lines that have rocks and other natural stuff?

[ChangingLINKS.com]

It would be great for trials lines.
Remember, the "urban trials" we see today evolved from the "natural trials" commonly experienced in off-road.

Lots of guys are worried about hopping high (like 30").
That type of hopping isn't common in off-road riding (because there is usually "another line").

Limiting the space is a great way to make easy obsticles extremely challenging. Another tip would be to add sand, or put everything on angles. So many courses have "square surfaces" and are clean.

The point: A lot can be learned from nature about setting up a (man-made urban) trials course.

[James_Potter]

I believe that forward hops are very commonly used in forward gaps, including just jumping straight forward in MUni like some people have mentioned...but I really haven't seen anyone do a high hop from a stillstand facing forward. It is common in MUni, but isn't that more just to get over like a root, or a rock, or something, rather than actually getting onto an obstacle as is done in trials?

[ChangingLINKS.com]

Originally posted by James_Potter
isn't that more just to get over like a root, or a rock, or something, rather than actually getting onto an obstacle as is done in trials?

It depends on the situation. A lot of the time these "forward hops" are meant to be "rolling hops."
M-uni is exhausting.
Often times all the sprinting needed simply isn't there.
Moreover, M-uni is dangerous.
Sometimes it's important to "look before you leap."

For these reasons, it's common to come to a dead stop, then make the forward hop.
When riding UMX-style, it's common to use the forward hop (and hope to convert more of those static forward hops to rolling).

The stopping is used in "forward drops" as well. I think I have the most fear about forward drops on steep rough terrain at this point. A good trials course will have those as well. Again, it's often best to try to convert that technique to rolling (as seen on the Kris Holm/Irene Northshore clips).

[skate4flip]

Originally posted by James_Potter
I believe that forward hops are very commonly used in forward gaps, including just jumping straight forward in MUni like some people have mentioned...but I really haven't seen anyone do a high hop from a stillstand facing forward. It is common in MUni, but isn't that more just to get over like a root, or a rock, or something, rather than actually getting onto an obstacle as is done in trials?

In the draft the tallest forward spike is 15", so its not that high. How high do you think it should go up to? (in later levels)

[ChangingLINKS.com]

Originally posted by skate4flip
In the draft the tallest forward spike is 15", so its not that high. How high do you think it should go up to? (in later levels)

Check the most recent Yoggi videos.
I think he was pulling 3-4 pallet forward hops in series.

Advice: Use the same obsticle twice.
1. Instruct riders to complete the hop side and/or forward.
You can also force the forward hop by limiting space.

So the direct answer to the question is "as high as side hops" but definately 4-5 pallets (15"-24")