How long does it take?

[LakeOneSkier]

So last week a few of the neighborhood women were sitting around, having a few drinks, talking about skiing. Ya gotta love 'em. :-)

 

 

They somehow got on the topic of how long it takes to work your way through a rope length. Comparing their spouses they came to the conclusion that it takes about 3 years. This comparison included one of the top big dawgs, one that runs into mid-35 off' and one that came into skiing later in life.

 

 

As I thought about this I had to agree with them. I'm the mid-35 off guy and it took about 3 years for me to get through 32. It's only taken me a months to get to 3 @ 35, and while I hope it doesn't take me 35 more months to get into 38, even if it does it will be worth every minute on the water.

 

 

What has your experience been?

[jimbrake]

My experience has been that my wife doesn't sit around with other ski wives talking about how long their husbands take to master a line length. Jayzus. I can barely even picture that. I wish that were the case with my wife.

Oh, but you asked a question, though. The answer is probably anywhere from days to years. Kids that are getting the hang of new speeds and new line lengths (and this is probably true of older but athletic, fit beginner - intermediate skiers, too, but is especially true of kids) can improve dramatically in a matter of a few sets and certainly can improve several speeds and even line lengths in a season given enough sets. Older (like me) skiers can take years to get to a new line length. As you get past 40 I think you have to work your ass off to stay strong enough and you have to be mentally "youthful", so to speak, in order to believe you can improve and to have the will to keep fighting to learn and improve. When I was in my late teens and earliest 20s I improved a pass or two per season. That learning curve slowed during college and afterwards, but kept going upward with time and sets under the belt. Late 40s and beyond has been a flat line to a decrease to a plateau, but I keep fighting to turn that curve back up. And...f__ anyone that dares to think you should give up.

[Chef23]

My 11 year old goes through new passes like crazy but he is on a different learning curve than I am. I am thinking by next year or worst case the year after he will be beating me.

 

What do you mean to work through a new rope length. Do you mean to make a pass or to own it where you feel like you can make it every time? I have come to own 28 off this year and make 32 maybe 15-20% of the time. I don't get through 32 enough that I can talk about how I do at 35. I am hoping it doesn't take me 3 more years to own 32.

[MrJones]

This of course goes without saying, but with anything progress slows as you reach a higher level of performance. Schnitz has a table somewhere regarding how many thousand of passes it takes to run "X" rope length. I have to disagree with there being any set number of years/passes/etc. If you are fit mentally and physically, have good equipment that is set up well, and most importantly can practice with skiers who are better than you are, you will get better fast. The fewer of those variables you have going for you the longer it will take.

 

Jim-I'm not giving up either, but unfortunately in our sport there always an end of the line. Hopefully it is just a very short one!

[Chef23]

I didn't know I need to be physically fit. That is definitely my problem that I will try to fix over the winter.

[MrJones]

It's the "mentally fit" part I struggle with the most!!!

[ForrestGump]

It also depends on how you train.  I think we all want to go chase that last buoy. When in reality, we should be backing it up a few passes and hammering at those perfectly.  Mueller's been telling me this year that "practice makes perfect, only if you're practicing perfectly."

[Than_Bogan]

IF you're working with somebody who knows what their doing AND you're listening to them AND working on getting better (as opposed to just banging the same way all the time) AND skiing regularly for as long of a season as you can, then I believe it's possible to add a pass every year for a while.  But at some point this slows down drastically.  In my particular case I was able to maintain that pace almost all the way to my plateau -- which I reached about 10 years ago!

A big reason that I'm on this plateau, though, is that I'm no longer really doing everything possible to get better.  I have other priorities in life, and relative to them I am "satisfied" with my skiing.  Of course, I'm also getting older, but there are plenty of folks 20 years older than I am who can beat me, so I don't think that is (yet) a big factor.

At this point I would need to a) train a longer season, b) train harder off the water, c) spend a LOT of time with the top level experts, and d) be willing to get a lot worse before getting better.

As of right now, none of those are in the cards.  Possibly they may be someday, but by then I may really be old. :)  Meanwhile, I'm doing everything I can just to maintain!

[lakeaustinskier]

I just want to talk (and dream) about a bunch of women sitting around talking about skiing.....................

[h2odawg79]

How Long?  -depends upon 3 key factors: Information, ability and opportunity...

Oh, and enuf Green to support this silly disease!

[thager]

AMEN Brother!! Pass the cash!!