Teaching my wife how to run the slalom course

[pq2]

My wife is already running the "mini course" well and 100% of the times, now she started trying to pass the normal course so she's being shadowing the buoys. She goes to 1 but she's not able to get to the 2nd, and as she goes thru the course she gets narrower.

 

She was skiing on the mini course at 28,then I went to 26 but I don't know if it is better or worse.

 

Will appreciate any ideas.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Horton]

When you work it out let me know.

[pq2]

hehehe

 

now im worried

[jwroblew]

Have her do a 1 ball start, pull out really wide and early into 1 ball, she should than be able to really back side 1 ball and be in good shape at 2 ball. After she is running the rest of the buoys you can have her start working on gates and 1 ball. Beginners tend to start to narrow on their pull out for the gate, making it hard to get wide into one ball and even harder to be wide at 2. A 1 ball start forces width.

[Wish]

Also add to that, have her shadow 2 ball (if having difficulties) go for 3 and 4 then shadow 5, go for 6. If she is getting 2 and has difficulties getting 3, shadow it, and pick up 4 and 5 ball and shadow 6. Won't feel like such a huge wall to climb trying to chase every ball and not get past ball 3. When mastered add the skipped ball 5 or 6. When thats mastered add ball 2 or 3. Also before she chases any buoys have her take two passes of just leaning and getting that stacked stable strong position. Basically she pulls out to the side of the boat (as u drive down the course) and leanes away trying to get in that perfect body position and maintain that hold and try to stay outside the buoy line the entire length of the course. Better body position the easier it is to stay out there and truly feel what is happening. Repeat process for leaning the otherway on the way back. IMHO this drill is great for beginner levels before starting any set. Works wonders.

[pq2]

Thanks jwroblew and Wish, I will post the results, I just don't want her to get frustrated. She has done the pull out in previous classes but I think now she will understand it better and it will help a lot. Thanks again

 

[Razorskier1]

Get her to a ski school. Teaching your own wife the slalom course can be hazardous!

[pq2]

I know, we will go to a ski school soon, were we live there are no ski schools. Hopefully at the end of the summer we will be with Arturo nelson in Miami. Agree with you on teaching the wife can be hazardous, thats why I was asking for ideas, that way she can read this later and see that it is what other people recommend.

[Chef23]

I would also have her go to 24 mph. 26 is probably a little fast.

[HO 410]

It's kind of a bummer to crush the mini-course and find yourself poking the ski at 2 like you're about to set a record. I don't feel like there's much you have to do with technique or fitness to take the ski out that extra couple of feet on each side. I'm thinking back and there are probably three concepts that eventually helped me get around the orange buoys.

 

1. Give yourself a chance at having a strong start. Whatever works, being a righty, I could never drop in at 1 like everyone wanted. The key is giving yourself some good pace to start the pass.

2. Stay engaged on both sides. You want to try and keep maintain that pace you started with.

3. Don't chop your turns short. Doesn't quite matter if your technique is perfect when you don't let it ride out.

 

Part three was my stumped me for longer than I thought it should. You're so used to seeing the course from a certain geometry that it takes quite a bit to forget that and just let the ski go a little farther out. It never really set in my mind until breaking for the winter. It felt a lot more normal with some time away from slalom.

[A_B]

What I have found with kids is to have them run one side regular and the other side go around mini. To help build confidence, use their strong side pull to get out to the regular balls and weak side to the mini course. If you don't have a floating course, just shadow the regular buuys, cutting in front of them.

 

One of the better exercises is to have her try to pass the driver leaning out in good form on each side and when she gets this, then start narrow to wakes and but through them with good form. This builds a good foundation to use when swinging in from out wider at the balls.

 

Don't be aftraid to slow way down. You can run passes at really slow speed if on edge.

[pq2]

Thanks to all for your inputs tomorrow we will be on the course applying them

[Ali]

Ill add one more. Make sure she is having fun:-)

 

cheers

Ali

[skidawg]

What ever you do keep it fun and don't get frustrated.

[kfennell]

Someone needs to listen to their own advice!

[skidawg]

@kfennell-two notes on your comment, 1. I am speaking from experience & 2. start ur own thread titled: Teaching my husband how to slalom ski.

 

Hope no one takes offense to this, kevin skis at my lake.

[skidawg]

BAM

[pq2]

Guys, great news, my wife did 1 and 2 four times and a few 5 and 6.

 

Thanks again for everything, the best of all is that she was very happy!!!

 

will keep posting future achievements

[lcarnes]

That's the secret to keep her going...even baby step accomplishments made me happy when learning to run the course-in fact, they still do!

 

The secret to getting me through the course was to finally understand that I needed to start my turn well before the buoy. Different coaches tried lots of different words to get me to understand it (get more angle, lean harder, shoot for the imaginary purple buoy, etc). Finally one day, April Coble said "just go around the buoys" and it clicked. Something will click for your wife too!

 

Consider sending her to the women's only week at Coble Ski School the week of September 11. There is something about women encouraging women that makes us all a little better!

[pq2]

Thanks Icarnes, the Coble Ski week sounds great.