Can somebody explain the pump System to me a little better? I’m spazzing out.

[INDIANAJUNE2]

I understand the concept up pumping in the transitions , but in the tutorial it starts you off pumping in the flat ground then it keeps switching , that’s confusing me ???

[Nermanater]

basically just release anytime you're on the curved part of the ramp - both coming down and going up

[Rogan]

You aren't pumping, you're crouching and releasing to pump, and it's dumb.

[alex]

Originally posted by Rogz:

You aren't pumping, you're crouching and releasing to pump, and it's dumb.

Huh? Is that not what pumping is? I don't skate but this is how it works for me IRL on skis and mountain bikes. The Skate series represents it with the same hold/release mechanic, because you have to set up before the transition (the concave part of the ramp), then do a thing in the transition.

The physics are pretty cool: in the transition you're a mass rotating around a point, just like a weight spinning on a string, or a figure skater (or a person in slippy socks on hardwood) spinning with their arms out. If you're crouched in transition, or your arms are out while spinning, your moment of inertia is high. Standing up in transition is like pulling your arms in: center of gravity moves toward the center, moment of inertia lowers, and the law of conservation of angular momentum means your rate of rotation around that point goes up, which can only happen if your linear speed goes up. This takes energy, of course, which is why it takes so much effort to pull your arms in while spinning or stand up in transition.

The tutorial tells you to preload pumps both on the flat and coming down from the vert because physics don't care if you're traveling up on the curve or down on the curve. Either way, go into the curve crouched, and stand up before you leave the curve, and you're putting energy into the system that makes you go fast.

People say this is also how pumping a playground swing works, but I cannot begin to visualize the movement of your center of gravity doing all the stuff you do to pump a swing.