Cast Out

[Horton]

When the data base got hacked I lost an intersting thread about cast out. Below is what AC said. Links are all broken.

First, there is no substitute for actually skiing the course. If you are not getting at least 25% of your skiing through an actual course, you need to find a way to make that happen. That said, the off course skiing you do will give you a big advantage over most skiers who have access to a course all the time and are too lazy to go out and free ski. Consider this good fortune. If you had access to a course all the time you'd probably be a pig-with-lipstick like the rest of us and skip the free-skiing entirely.

So how do you take advantage of your good fortune? Start by doing less pulling and turning, and more cutting, casting and carving. Let the ski do what it wants to do and stop forcing things.

1. Pulling

Stop that! Don't pull. That's old school and it makes everything more difficult. Watch the very best and you will notice that they are very relaxed at the point of maximum rope tension, right behind the boat. Free skiing is the perfect place to practice correct body position and skeletal leverage through the wakes. Relax your arms. Relax your shoulders. Distribute rope tension equally between both arms. And relax your face for crying out loud. No grunting. Again, watch the best. Even on their toughest passes they look calm and relaxed throughout the course, even behind the boat.

2. Turning

Turning is over rated and we all exert far too much energy doing it. Relatively speaking very little of what you do in the course should involve turning. This is a fairly simple concept to grasp and to explain to others. You'll hear things like this: "as you approach 1-ball look down coarse at 3-ball", "counter turn your shoulders as you approach the ball", "be patient, ski back into the course", "sit down on the ball". What's the common theme of all this advice? De-emphasis the turn. Stop making contortions with our body to get the ski to head toward the next ball. Instead shift your center of mass into the course and let the ski do the work for you. In other words, carve.

Most of your time should be spent cutting, casting and carving.

* Cutting: what you do instead of pulling (see 1. Pulling)
* Casting: If your life goal is to someday make 28 off, then you can stop reading this post. You don't have to be a slalom skier to make 28 off, and you don't have to cut, cast or carve to make 28 off. If, on the other hand, you are working to get through 28 off and beyond, then definitely read on.

Undeniable truths:

• Most people don't cast for squat.
• Those who have casting nailed won't tell you for one of two reasons: 10% know exactly what to tell you and wont. It's their secret. 90% haven't a clue how to teach you to cast. I am blown away by the number of really good slalom skiers who haven't the slightest idea how they do it or how to teach it. Worst yet, those very same skiers will give you all kinds of advise that will make it harder and harder for you to ever establish a consistent repeatable cast in your slalom technique.

Casting separates the men from the boys and it is the very thing that you can learn out of the course far better than in the course.

Here's what you do:

A. Learn how to cut. See (1. Pulling) for help on this. You want your cut to progressively create more and more tension on the rope as you approach the centerline behind the boat.
B. When you reach the centerline, relax your knees and ankles and let the ski pass under you and away from the boat (watch Karina carefully at this critical point. Knees and ankles relax. Nothing else changes. Nothing).  That's it. Nothing else should change. No other movement is involved. If the slalom god in the boat tells you to do anything else at this critical point (at the centerline) smile and node, then ignore it. I am amazed at massive amount of "wisdom" imbued upon would be excellent slalom skiers regarding this split second, but most important point in the slalom course.

Learning to cast is best practiced with the luxury of the lack of buoys in your way. So if you ski without a course for some of the time, this is where you have a great advantage.

* Carving: what you do instead of turning (see 2. Turning)

Cutting, Casting, Carving. Practice these things outside the course and you will be glad you did.

 

I  like you have occasional access to course, but have world class free skiing 4+ days a week. For the past 3 years have gone to Skitek for a week in May to start season. Like Horton said free skiing with a purpose is excellent and good instructors can give you plenty to work on. Add some video and photos and you have a great opportunity to make some major change in style. Had a chance to ski on a private lake this last week and with 4 sets to dial in width, rhythm, edge change, and a decent gate, was able to ski complete pass 28@34. Yaaaa! As far as pointers go, can't agree more with AC. Was a yanker and puller from way back.

 

[Horton]

There are a couple of posts from the last few years that really influenced my thinking. The below link has the text from the old black CarbonFins forum. What Bruce said changed my thinking about slalom more then anything I have read or heard in years.

http://ballofspray.com/vanillaforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=23

 

[tsixam]

I agree. Bruce post about handle tight has influenced me as well. When I think about it and do it even my hardest pass feel pretty easy. When I don´t think about it even the “easy†passes can be almost impossible to run.Tsixam

[MrJones]

Two great posts. I totally agree with you about the value of free skiing. The truth is that I often only do it when our course is blown out and there is a sheltered side of the lake where it is a bit better. I should do it more often. I do have to say that it can be hard to transfer things you are doing in a free ride to the course. i.e. when I rode the RS-1 free skiing I thought its cast out was amazing. I did however find some problems with it when I got in trouble and could not make the smooth, unhurried turn from open water. Of course that is really a separate ski issue and took nothing away from working on mechanics and feel. 

Bruce's post is excellent as well and I remember reading it on the old site. I was actually discussing this with someone at the lake tonight in relation to Karina's skiing. Her skiing seem to be the example of what you are both describing.  Zero excess movement behind the boat, handle locked in tight until at the buoy line, quick off and back on the handle with an great arc and little loss of speed. She is taking women's slalom to the area of Deena in jump back in the day.

sj