Helmetcam video of 9-year-old psyching herself up for a ski-jump

Here's a POV video of a fourth grade girl psyching herself up for her first run down an intimidating ski-jump. The tension mounts as she narrates her anxieties and checks in with her instructor for comfort, and the payoff -- a successful run and delighted cheering -- is all the better for it.

Girls first Ski Jump (via Kottke)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Greg Van Antwerp

WOW! You know what?…There might just be hope for the future. If a nine year old can face that kind of challenge and reach the bottom hungry for more…WOW!
- http://noctilucent-studios.blogspot.com/ Noctilucent Studios
  
  Awesome video. There is SO MUCH hope for the future. Fascinating thread on how all of this might turn out taking place over here.
  
  http://forums.joerogan.net/showthread.php?t=211590
  - EH
    
    regwall
- BarBarSeven
  
  How can you say that!??! This child went down the ski jump without her parent right next to her & perhaps tethered to her. Without constant parental guidance, children just turn feral, right?
- cubejockey
  
  “60 seems like nuthin’ now. WHOOOOOOOO!!!” LOL
Palomino

I was 36 when I was poised to go over the lip of Weavers Needle in Arizona. I didn’t trust the rope that was no thicker than my thumb and I cried from the unsurity of it all. The high from my accomplishment outweighed the ribbing I received at the bottom, I wanted to go again.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=584800268 Steve Mendoza

That was awesome.
chaopoiesis

Thank you.
vattenpipa

In an age where basically all media hitting your senses has been manipulated, edited and scored so as to impact you the most it is very nice to see something that simple and human.
Go her.
brerrabbit23

DOITAGAIN
DOITAGAIN
DOITAGAIN
DOITAGAIN
DOITAGAIN
Ben Gracewood

I want someone to give her a huge high-five and a hug at the end!
HahTse

Girl’s got balls…
- NI MEN HAO-DY TRAMPOLINA
  
  No, she doesn’t. She has ovaries. And GUTS.
  - http://about.me/roxanne.weber Roxanne
    
    Ha! Great point.
http://twitter.com/ninjadrop Kevin

now try the 180!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Andy-Murdock/783770273 Andy Murdock

Cool
autark

reminds me of first time jumping off a bridge… sitting atop a full sized half pipe… quitting a job to go on tour.

anticipation and fear are generally worse than just actually taking the risk and doing it.
Paul Birkmeyer

I was surprised to read it was a girl. Sounded like a young boy to me. One youtuber claims its his son…
- jimh
  
  I thought it sounded like a little boy too. Actually, I’d bet on it.
ocker3

There was another kid (sounded like a boy) at the top encouraging her, as well as an adult.
- iread2
  
  I think that was her mother.
Labbit

DO A BARREL ROLL!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gus-Mueller/1126894782 Gus Mueller

that’s what the internet was made for — shit like that. did i even speak english when i was 9?
grimatongueworm

Just thankful there was no overbearing parent at the top brow-beating her into doing something she didn’t want to do. Not that anything like that happened to me in my childhood. I mean, it’s not like I had a step father who took sick pleasure in concocting scary challenges for me to try, and would call me a baby-sissy-thumbsucking-pantswetter if I chickened out. NOT THAT I’M ANGRY OR ANYTHING!
- blueelm
  
  I feel you. Nothing like having some one taking even the power of confronting your own fears away from you. Now all I have is the fear but it’s aaaaall MINE!
  
  No, not really. Haha… ok yeah really.
http://twitter.com/criminalcrafts Miss Demeanor

“60 seems like nothing now” my new hero
http://www.fatjerry.com Dimmer

Interesting audio: moving fast with zero wind noise, but external talks with folks are crystal clear. And no bumps at all on the way down the ramp. I’d be well suspect unless there were a new video game about to come out that shows how fun snow stuff is…
- crnk
  
  Troll, is that you hiding in there? I hear plenty of wind noise. And it is obvious you know nothing about ski jumping-as the ramps are meant to be quite smooth…possibly the reason they were taking ‘no snowplow’ was to prevent her from creating unevenness.
  - AllyPally
    
    UM, no. If you snowplough at that sort of speed your skis will slow and your body will keep going. Big crash and possible ligament damage.
    
    But you’re right that the run-in has to be really smooth.
  - jimh
    
    No snowplow, because if you slow down you won’t make it to the landing zone, and you will land flat and hurt yourself. If you go straight without checking your speed, you’ll clear it. You need speed, and the worst thing you can do is go slow because of fear…
- tylerkaraszewski
  
  Those GoPro cameras are specifically designed for stuff like this, and they have thought about how to keep wind noise down with them. I own one and it actually comes with instructions for reducing wind noise and the (completely awesome) recommendation to change out one part for another (both are included) if the camera will be exposed to winds greater than 100mph.
GIFtheory

“Here goes… something?” is my new personal motto.
franko

i watched this yesterday, and my heart was in my throat at the beginning. when my partner sent me the link and gave me the setup, i said, “did she scream like a little girl?” and he said, yes, but she did it. and i said, “well, then she’s got more guts than me. i’d scream like a little girl and then chicken out.”
blueelm

I could not do this even now. Kudos to that kid!
- Ipo
  
  Maybe you would love the movie “O’ Horten“. I do.
  - blueelm
    
    I just put it in my queue, thanks.
http://twitter.com/nothingsmonstrd nothingsmonstered

I think I need to begin every day by watching that video.

Here goes … something.
http://twitter.com/mkelley mike k

why would someone pretend that was their boy. those youtube comments are fucking crazy
Mister44

“Here goes something… 9 years is a pretty good run. Id be considered middle aged 1000 years ago. Some childhood disease probably would have killed me by now 200 years ago. So I am really on borrowed time now.”

LOL – good for her.
noah django

although today I would be eager for the chance to ski jump; at age nine, i would never have done this. i would have chickened out at the top and probably cried. then again, my overprotective mother would never have let me near a ski jump, enabling the fear of never testing myself, never allowing myself to be great. thankfully i’ve overcome those fears, at least where physical challenges are concerned (fear of people has taken longer, but i’m mostly there now.)
this young lady is superb. i am very impressed, and I am happy for her. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US HOW GREAT WE CAN BE!
andygates

Reminds me of my first abseil so much. Mind you, I was a grownup. Props, kiddo.
http://profile.yahoo.com/QOAEEIAI3G7PQG2LMKJH5FPJZY Skip

Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way…turn.
taghag

gah, that looked terrifying! hooray for her! :D
bart4u

Looks like she is a kid that grew up around a ski resort and I bet is already a great skier. Look at the other kids acting like it was no big deal. Those kids have little fear and learn so fast. Good job for her.
- swadepascal
  
  It is at the Utah Olympic Winter Sports Park. She is probably a Park City kid and more than likely a great skier.
petsounds

We should be bus-ing inner-city kids up to do this because most of them don’t have these kinds of opportunities. A lot of kids have never even been to a mountain or seen more than a few stars in the sky.
- johnnylloydrollins
  
  Ah.. the anxieties of rich children. :) still pretty amazing and I agree, more under privileged kids would benefit from something like this.
http://doran.pacifist.net/ Doran

Awesome. Best thing all day.
milkman

I can’t wait until my daughter is 9! Great way to start a morning, and a Monday.
http://maggiekb.com/ Maggie Koerth-Baker

I am not ashamed to say that this video made me cry. Good going, kid!
- prof_jellis
  
  Me, too, Maggie. Both times :-)
pKp

So much like my first time abseiling of a building…and I was 17 at the time. Kids: they’re fucking fearless.