Late season in MN

[Razorskier1]

I've been working on technique ever since SkiWatch on October 2nd. In the last three weeks I've skied all -32s and just worked on my new gate. Thursday after work I ran a set of twenty-eight -32 passes. Friday after work I ran a set of thirty -32 passes. Yesterday I ran a set of fifteen -32 passes. My coach has been telling me that if I just get it right here, then I should be able to just walk right down the line again.

 

Today it got up to 65 degrees. About 4 the wind died down enough to ski a friend's course on our lake, but it doesn't have pre-gates (mine has 55s, but was windy). Ran two -32s, then seven -35s, then had boat traffic to wait out. Second set ran -32, -35, then four or better at -38 four times trying to figure out where to go out for the gate. Fifth try I ran it easily. On that last one I did what my coach said. When I was waiting for the pull up I said, "just run it like -32". Got up and ran it. Officially the latest in the season that I have ever run -38. It felt great! Just had to post that.

[thager]

Nice. I free skied then put the boat on the trailer. Was too windy for course but now that I am home lake is glass. Figures! Got some work coming up in Las Vegas. Anyone on this board ski there??

[6balls]

Listen to me now and hear me later, I am here to pump (clap) you up (sorry, been back in the gym being a meat-head since have not been skiing). @razorskier1 is going to blow up next season. Little by little it's been building and falling into place after taking a necessary step back to re-tool in order to move forward.

Lots of PB's this year all over the baller board...let's keep pushing it and set a pile of new one's next year!

[jipster43]

@razorskier1 I've been implementing your gate @ a much lower level, but the success has been instantaneous. It works for me at 15'-28' and got me to 32' for the first time - where I nearly got to 3 ball on my first attempt. Thanks for speaking words of wisdom!

[Brady]

@razorskier1, could u post some video please? Great post btw! I had to give u my weekly awesome button!!!

[Razorskier1]

@douglaslbrady -- don't have any fresh video since my change in gate -- it has mostly been just me and my wife out in the boat. What I can say is as different as this is for me, it is probably not revolutionary for most. I am now using two distinct points for my gate. First, I get up on the whitewash. Second, when the boat "hides" the right side 55, I start a long, gradual lean out while watching the gates and one relationship. My elbows are in tight and my handle is low and by my right hip. By doing this I can judge where I want to be coming up before turning in. I am turning in when the left gate ball and the one align. This is much earlier than I turned in before. It is so early, in fact, that if I then built a bunch of angle, I'd miss the gate early. Instead, I just take an angle that is probably around a 45 and hold it. I'm on the right hand gate ball every time. Then simply hold the handle "lighter for longer", ski to a point 20 feet early of the ball and let the boat start my turn for me and let my ski finish. Hook up to the handle, block (not lean hard), and off I go to the next ball. Keep the handle, lighter for longer, ski 20 feet early, repeat.

 

Posture-wise I am working on staying tall with the core engaged. When I skied faster and with more angle, I tended to have to really bend the knees going into the turn to slow the ski down. Now I am not as fast going in, and have much less knee bend in the pre-turn. I just stay tall.

 

Oh, the other thing I picked up from something Nate Smith said was that I "rise up" over my bindings as I am releasing the handle into the turn. I don't have a better way to describe it than that.

 

If I get someone in the boat before it freezes I will try to get some video. Otherwise I will do it in the spring.

[Wish]

@Razorskier1 "Ski to a point 20' before the ball" . So where are you in relation to width at that point? And "let the boat start the turn for me" not sure how to interpret that. Didnt your edge change alread happen if your 20' shy of the ball or is the boat starting the turn something other than edge change? .... About where do you feel the ski change edges?

[Razorskier1]

@Wish -- that is my visual target as I am coming off of the second wake. My ski is pointing at a spot 20 feet early of the ball. The edge change happens more slowly if you are pursuing a lighter for longer approach. It starts by the second wake, but I'm still on the leaning edge well outside of the wake, just with less and less edge and less and less force. Handle stays in two hands and close to the body. I'm not onto the inside edge until well outside the wakes. By keeping some outside edge pressure, the handle and the boat naturally force the final part of the edge change to where I roll to the inside. When I'm doing it right, I've still got two hands on the handle all the way out.