Any advice appreciated

[Cam]

Me free skiing yesterday 22 off 34 mph, trying to get smooth and keep the handle tight. I am open to any tips or criticism.

Thanks

Cam

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eRwv255BidI

[RichardDoane]

Why the second attachment to the rope, is that hot water to your handle ?

[Cam]

The water temp is around 2 degrees centigrade.

Yes it is 6mm plastic pipe taking hot water from the engine.

[Cam]

Not really, it is a very shallow lake trickers hate it as the wakes are so low, I always get a shock when I ski elsewhere, just my bad technique showing.

As for the temp we are well wrapped up and feel warmer than we do when we go into spring suits in May.

[Colin Canski]

Cam

 Why are you skiing in 34f water? I used to do the same but is it really fun? Plus the chances of injury are so much greater. Although JB Ski is open all year round, John Battleday put me straight one frosty winter's day, he asked me what I hoped to learn skiing in such cold water?

 Alot of our US cousins have a rule of thunb; combined air and water temperature needs to be at least 50f, that 20c to you and me. I'll start skiing again at 16C.

Good skiing by the way considering the conditions, and if the addiction is so great, go with Brent's advice. Maybe even slow the boat down to 49-52kph and do 6-8 non stop back to backs, which will give you a hell of a ski fitness march on the rest of us.

Is that Box End Ski Club?

[Cam]

Colin

No it is the national centre in Scotland.

I work offshore and miss half of the normal season so skiing through the winter gives me a full season, also living in Scotland if I was to wait for 16C I would be as well taking up golf, didn't get to ski in shorts last year at all.

Four of us have been skiing through the winter for almost 10 years now and so far have had no injuries as we stay within our comfort zones, unfortunately we can't back to back more than 2 passes as we get too much backwash to make it skiable.

We used to stay in the course all of the winter but now most of us are doing a lot more free skiing and working on technique which means we are not pushing it too hard and I can't remember the last time I fell in, anyway if I wasn't enjoying it I wouldn't do it and it stops me hibernating.

[cliveous]

Hi Cam, we at Southlake are also still Skiing, we might not learn a lot or improve through the winter but we do it because we enjoy it and we now have the added bonus of a sauna. Apart from the cold hands and feet the body stays warm espieccially after a few minutes in the sauna, I always do some warm up exercise and light stretching, work up a bit of a sweat then there less chance of injury.

I like to run a few easy rope lengths and then shorten to my target rope length and free ski out of the course. gets me thinking more about technique(not that I have any) rather than failing to run the pass.

Must say though this winter has been harder than normal.

[Cam]

Hey Clive, Southlake rocks I still haven't beat the 2 @ 13 I got there in 2006, maybe this year.

This winter hit early  so November and December were hard with a lot of ice and high winds but it has eased of a bit now, I don't think we have had it as bad as down south, I am working in the garden today and you are probably snowed in.

Woody will be jealous of your sauna he has been trying to get one at the centre for years.

 

Brent, all our guys have their own ways to keep warm I personally have double shells with Intuition liners which keep my feet warm. A normal set is 8 passes where I spin the1st two and then drop at both ends after that, we normally come on the boat and stick our hands in a bucket of warm water after 4 passes, it is also nice to have the break.

The hot water to the handle is in it's infancy it is working but not as well as I had hoped for although I did have a full set last time out without taking a hot water break.