THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507130218
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 58 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CAMDEN LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
PATRICE BARRINGER has no fear of flying. Soaring through the air at 50 mph with nothing to hold him back but a pair of skis, water, and gravity, the 15-year-old Barringer has ski jumped with the best of them and crashed with the best.
Barringer, a resident of Richfield and a rising sophomore at Mt. Pleasant High School, knows that to get the best jump, you have to take some risks. Barringer jumped 126 feet in the Boys III, Class C Division at the River City Challenge Water Skiing Tournament last week. The crowd at the tournament was noticeably attentive when Barringer, with his red shock of hair under his helmet, hit the water. They knew they were watching an artist at work.
``You just have to know where you're at,'' he said before his turn on the ramp. ``If you respect the ramp, it will respect you.''
Just a few weeks ago, Barringer had a significant crash. ``I cut up my foot and my knee, I needed stitches,'' he said. ``I went 140 feet on my face!''
Members of the River City Ski Club are still talk about the time Barringer tore one of the fins off his skis because he was trying to get that last-second edge on his jump.
``I hit the corner of the ramp. I was just trying to cut hard all the way through,'' he said.
Barringer, who has jumped a personal best 134 feet, said the key is getting the right combination of speed and lift.
``You're pushing 55 (mph) over the ramp. The hardest part is your cut needs to be at the base of the ramp. You have to ride the jump a certain distance from the ramp,'' he said. ``You know when you get a good jump, you get extra float. You're only up about three seconds.''
Barringer's cuts have been quite good. He finished second in his age group in jumping in the regionals in 1991 and third overall (jumping, tricking, and slalom) last year.
Barringer, who has been jumping since age 9, said the five-foot ramp is intimidating at first.
``When you first look at the ramp it looks like a brick wall,'' he said. ``But you've got to go over it or nothing will happen.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Patrice Barringer, 15, of Richfield, soars through the air during a
jump at the River City Ski Club competition held July 8.
Patrice Barringer who has jumped a personal best of 134 feet, said
the key is getting the right combination of speed and lift.
by CNB