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Foam Blocks or Giant Airbag?

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Flik
Posts: 150 - Karma: 229
I am just wondering, for those that have tried them, what would be better for summer training; using foam blocks as a landing or a giant air bag like the one at one of the camps. I have messed around with the foam blocks before at gymnastics places and you can basically land on you head and have no issues at all. Does the bag hurt if you really screw up? Just wondering... I know Woodward and a few other places use the foam but the bag seems pretty tight. And yes I know they are both very expensive.
Jul 18 2009 3:17AM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
i've been to woodward but haven't used an airbag, but i would guess it is softer. the foam is soft, but if you went as big as you can for an airbag, i think it would hurt more
Jul 18 2009 3:23AM
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Flik
Posts: 150 - Karma: 229
And of course I'll throw out some karma for the help
Jul 18 2009 3:28AM
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assface
Posts: 4319 - Karma: 2,031
it seems that the airbag would be a little worse than the foam pit. but always foam pits are off hill and airbags are usually on hill. i havent tried either though, sorry i couldnt really help
Jul 18 2009 3:31AM
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Ignorant
Posts: 107 - Karma: 15
i havent tried em either, but a bet airbags would hurt more, like i bet you would get hurt if you landed on your head
Jul 18 2009 3:40AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7808 - Karma: 1,414
Well.  The whole idea behind the airbag is if you crash it doesn't hurt, but if you land you can ride away, just as you would on snow.  I don't think the airbag hurts too much worse.  They have all that stuff extremely dialed in.
Jul 18 2009 3:47AM
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Ignorant
Posts: 107 - Karma: 15
oh  haa ive never seen one
Jul 18 2009 4:01AM
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THUGwife
Posts: 1909 - Karma: 301
i was thinking the other day it would be super fun to session a foam pit but getting out of it would suck
Jul 18 2009 4:04AM
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assface
Posts: 4319 - Karma: 2,031
apparently they throw you a rope and get kinda towed out of it
Jul 18 2009 4:05AM
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followCam
Posts: 1907 - Karma: 446
its pretty difficult to get out of an airbag aswell, but to whoever said you're meant to ride away^^ if you land on your feet yur meant to fall to the side, i guess so you dont go 100mph off of it, and so there's less chance of your edges ripping it
Jul 18 2009 8:25AM
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EMK
Posts: 1632 - Karma: 669
I rode away from the air bag in LDA cam. There are a few different types.
Jul 18 2009 8:46AM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
u can ride away? isn't that just the katal landing pad not the one they have at windells?
Jul 18 2009 8:57AM
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.Asain-Skiier
Posts: 3708 - Karma: 977
well it depends on where you would put it and stuff like that
Jul 18 2009 9:24AM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Just curious, anybody know how much an airbag such as the one they have at windells cost?
Jul 18 2009 9:54AM
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Josh_B
Posts: 255 - Karma: 34
I have no idea how much they cost.  Probably upwards of 10000 maybe.  But i think foam would be alot softer.
Jul 18 2009 10:02AM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
ya but its a real pain to get out of those things (or so i have heard) with skis on
Jul 18 2009 10:05AM
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Flik
Posts: 150 - Karma: 229
They are expensive. I don't know if it is the same brand but they have them at bigairbag.com. I am almost wondering if you could make your own. It doesn't seem very difficult.
Jul 18 2009 10:06AM
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abelG
Posts: 138 - Karma: 79
I would say airbags!

i'm currently spending my summer in Dubai visiting my parents, and they happen to have an airbag here in Ski Dubai. It can hurt pretty bad if you land on your neck or head. Foam pits in my opinion are generally softer and stuff, but like someone said earlier - Airbags are on hill and that simply cant be beat!


Jul 18 2009 10:16AM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
why does dubai have so much money!!!! i never new they had a bag jump
Jul 18 2009 11:09AM
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7-3instacall
Posts: 999 - Karma: 1,005

I tried airbag and I'm pretty sure it would't hurt no matter how you fall EXCEPT if you fall directly on your head, that might be a bit painful, but other wise no matter how you land as long as it's not on your head, you're good

Jul 18 2009 11:20AM
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inactive
Posts: 4772 - Karma: 97
ive bottomed out at our local foam pit, gotton foam in my eyesears mouth, and its always a bitch to get out of. I stay away from foam pits
Jul 18 2009 11:29AM
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EMK
Posts: 1632 - Karma: 669
sorry for being so unhelp ful to thred above. I have used a foam pit and a airbag(the type where ou can land on it and ski away, not the type they have at windells and coc) and id say in tearms of soft ness they were about the same, i never landed directly on my head though. and it is cool to land stuff on to the bag.
Jul 18 2009 11:33AM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
are you kidding? it seems insane difficult, at least to make it safe. it's multiple layers of air that have to be designed to compress right, plus all the crazy materials you would need. definitely not easy
Jul 18 2009 11:43AM
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stormtrooper
Posts: 1190 - Karma: 454
I have tried both, windells air bag, and foam pit at copper, the foam pit wins by far! if u land on your head in the pit ur fine, u do it in the air bag u could get broke off, also when u land switch in foam u just fall backwards, u land switch in the bag u stick and get wipped backwards and scorpyning and it can really make ur neck sore. also land on ur face in foam is fine, landing on your face on the bag means like rubber burn and goggles slam to the face.
Jul 18 2009 12:02PM
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jfletcher
Posts: 1208 - Karma: 188
tried them both, foam blocks win
Jul 18 2009 12:22PM
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Shark.
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 270
how bout you get a less big airbag and then put foam blocks on it! yay!
Jul 18 2009 6:47PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
not to mention the huge air pump you would need
Jul 18 2009 6:54PM
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Flik
Posts: 150 - Karma: 229
Thanks for the info.
Jul 18 2009 7:48PM
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musick13
Posts: 913 - Karma: 44
I'd put it in the range of- A Shatload to even more
Jul 18 2009 8:45PM
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keenan.
Posts: 159 - Karma: 59
windells bag is $25 grand and people got hurt on it from it being a hardish/sticky landing.
Jul 18 2009 9:47PM
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tedmgee
Posts: 1502 - Karma: 111

air bag for what?

like skiing then jump and land on an airbag with your skis?

or just a tramp then land on an air bag? i heard air bags while your skiing fucks you. because your moving forward then when you land you stop and sink but your momentum is still going so it fucks your knees

Jul 18 2009 10:06PM
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*LiNeLover*
Posts: 1224 - Karma: 256
foam blocks for sure!! my friend has a whole set up at his house with the tramp and a huge hole filled with like a thousand foam blocks and i have NEVER gotten hurt landing in it besides the foam feels really weird on your face and feet..
Jul 19 2009 4:04AM
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.Roockley.
Posts: 3857 - Karma: 4,000
airbags are fun to mess about on, gives you a good idea on wheter or not you have the trick dialled

landing on your head doesnt hurt as long as someone has hit the airbag before you and got air out, the first hit when an airbag is up it has lots of air in so its a harder landing, but after that it's all good
Jul 19 2009 8:48AM
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Steeze-On-Toast
Posts: 679 - Karma: 92
airbags rule, ive learned a load of stuff on them and ive never got hurt landing on my head or anything sketch like that, theyre super fun as well, just kinda roll out of them to get out, easyy(Y)

for foam pits, never skied in to one, but the gymnastics ones are sick, just a bitch to get out of, depends on the size of the kicker youre going to be using as well
Jul 19 2009 10:15AM
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NMkeaun
Posts: 155 - Karma: 23
i have herd that the airbag can hurt sometimes but usually its pretty nice but if i were i would go with the foam blocks.
Jul 19 2009 11:07AM
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TheUngroomed
Posts: 1251 - Karma: 335
I have never, ever seen anyone ride away from an airbag, that would be cool.  Foam i think would suck to get out of but is probably a little softer than the airbag
Jul 19 2009 1:19PM
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.Roockley.
Posts: 3857 - Karma: 4,000
you can do it if you land flat on your skis and leaning slightly backwards, you just slide forward pretty fast, done it once with a front flip and it was scary, didn't mean to do it
Jul 19 2009 5:27PM
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Ryanvdonk
Posts: 12808 - Karma: 1,945
water!
Jul 19 2009 8:55PM
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@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
Foam all the way
Jul 20 2009 12:10AM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,893
In order of safety:
1) Water
2) Katal style airbag
3) Foam Pit
4) Windells style or flat crash pad

I have spent more time researching this than anyone.  I have worked with guys who build crash pads for movie stunts.  Water is the safest.  You can give yourself a concussion but it is nearly impossible to suffer a spinal cord injury going into water unless the jump is monstrous.   Anybody jumping into a foam pit or onto a crash pad should understand that they are dangerous.  If you land head first, you can break your neck.  Woodward at Copper works with you for about an hour making sure that you know how to avoid going headfirst into the foam pit.  Foam pits that are not maintained correctly are deadly.  You have to fluff the foam regularly.  If it gets wet, it's basically ruined. 

The katal style airbag is genius.  Not quite as safe as water, but pretty close. 
Jul 20 2009 12:09PM
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rocMALONEYphotos
Posts: 1128 - Karma: 661
word!  Tyler Battersby was in the foam pit trying some triple flips and went strait down to the bottom and fractured his neck. luckly the kids all good, but it is dangerous
Jul 20 2009 12:40PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
that happened to MALONE in the same place. He wasn't hurt as bad, but def. went to the bottom of the pit head first.
Jul 20 2009 5:24PM
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Barmski
Posts: 4342 - Karma: 811
Ive landed in woodward at copper's pit completely headfirst many times in awkward positions and I was fine so ANYTHING can happen for better or worse. I just think some people end up landing worse then others. Nothing is 100% obviously and everyone SHOULD always know this, plus woodward makes it clear that injuries are still possible. Also I understand you are there to learn, but hucking like a mad man is always going to do more harm then good. A lot of people at woodward lose sight of this because its too much fun.
Jul 20 2009 5:39PM
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Flik
Posts: 150 - Karma: 229
Do you know the name of the place and where it is?
Jul 20 2009 11:30PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,385
Black Diamond Gym in Park City (more specifically kimball junction, right off the freeway).

I'm pretty sure that's the place it was at. I have heard a bunch of people talk about it, I think that's the place.
Jul 24 2009 1:13AM
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Billiards.
Posts: 6853 - Karma: 816
sup
Jul 24 2009 1:18AM
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Clandestino
Posts: 149 - Karma: 22
I just buy houses and build handrails in my front yard, and put foam pits in the back yard with a ramp off of the roof.  Build it boyee.
Jul 24 2009 2:40AM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,893
That's wack if he really bottomed out.  That place should be shut down until they fix that.  For the record though, you can break your neck going into foam even if you don't bottom out.  The foam can get packed down in spots. You really need to practice rolling out of stuff if a trick is going wrong.   You can't just huck your carcass and expect to come out uninjured. 
Jul 24 2009 10:23PM
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zagfan5
Posts: 2608 - Karma: 144
the Katal style airbag is so rad. google it guys. its crazy
Jul 24 2009 11:01PM
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willy_baller
Posts: 1622 - Karma: 693
it does suck getting out... ive been going to woodward every weekend and its a good work out... have to hang on the rope and swing to the edge of the foam
Jul 26 2009 3:03AM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,893
Dam, you're going to look like a gorilla from all that tazaning out of the pit.  Props.
Jul 26 2009 1:47PM
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