Best way to learn the course.

[gyoung]

What is the best method to running the course? Is it best to slow down to 26-28mph (and risk sinking too much), or should you increase the speed and focus on going round ball 1and 2, go just inside 3 and 4, then try to go round 5 and 6. Does anyone have a method that has helped teaching people. Thanks.

[robhawaii]

Go slower. There's nothing better than making all 6. If your sinking, try pulling longer not harder . pulling longer should give you the speed to make the turn without sinking. If you're still sinking go a little faster or get a bigger ski.

[robhawaii]

Go slower. There's nothing better than making all 6. If your sinking, try pulling longer not harder . pulling longer should give you the speed to make the turn without sinking. If you're still sinking go a little faster or get a bigger ski.

[coxjon]

I'm 6 foot 5, 12 stone learning the course at 24 and I don't sink at all. Any slower might be a struggle

[coxjon]

I'm 6 foot 5, 12 stone learning the course at 24 and I don't sink at all. Any slower might be a struggle

[Sethro]

12 stone=168 pounds or so...you could probably walk on water with 6'5" sized feet. What ski do you use at that speed?

[Sethro]

12 stone=168 pounds or so...you could probably walk on water with 6'5" sized feet. What ski do you use at that speed?

[coxjon]

On a senate-c

[coxjon]

On a senate-c

[ForrestGump]

Don't do it! Give up now! You will be far better off. You'll spend less money. And your significant other will like you more.

 

:)

[ForrestGump]

Don't do it! Give up now! You will be far better off. You'll spend less money. And your significant other will like you more.

 

:)

[SkiJay]

My vote would be to go slower (24 - 26mph) AND get a bigger ski. The big ski doesn't have to be a state of the art tournament ski either for super slow speeds. At Ski-it-Again.com, you can get a couple year old intermediate ski that is an inch or two bigger for a song. Take the wing off and move the bindings and fin forward ~¼". It will teach you the rhythm and width of the course. It will be more stable which is good for confidence. It will be less work so you can practise for longer. It will get you up to 30 mph, and it will make a great newby-guest ski.

[Cam]

@shaneH it's too late he is on one ski and will be hooked like the rest of us.

I learned the course weighing 180lbs at 24mph in the eighties when the 15 off rooster was enormous, got to be easier now.

[A_B]

I like to throw some 28 off free skiing in for rookies at the end of a round. Helps them have fun and feel more characteristics of slalom skiing, speed, slowing down, quicker turns, and less rope and wake to deal with.

I second the slower speeds though.

[GOODESkier]

I ask beginners to go early on the gate, shadow 1-3, and then try to get wide enough or early enough to turn 4-6. Sometimes skiing ball 1-2 and missing everything else is anti-climatic. If you can finish with 5-6, then there is a sense of accomplishment. Also something to remember, don't chase balls to just make a full pass. Work on the form and precision of good skiing above all else.

[gyoung]

Thanks for all the advice, just what I was after. Looks like I am going to swallow my pride and slow the speed down and try and keep good body position. I am on a senate C so hopefully it should cope with the slower speed. Skiing the course definitely highlights how bad a skier you really are, but it's so much fun. @ShaneH my wife is learning how to ski at the moment so hopefully she will get the bug too. The money side of things is still a problem.

[GOODESkier]

Nothing better than skiing with the wife and kids! Money well spent!

[Wish]

Slow and easy witha Radar P6.

[JJVDMZN]

@Gyoung,I'm currently also learning the course, what I do is ignore the entry gate, and go straight to 1 Ball, I can then turn earlier and reach 2, 3 etc, once I can achieve all six balls then I'll put my attention on the entry gate.

[eurosport]

Definitely slow the speed down. I used to think you had to start 30 or higher but then slowed down to 28. Just started making it more consistently at 30 mph. The best advice I could give you is relax yourself and let the ski work more. Up until the end of summer I would muscle my way and barely get thru 28 mph. I had and still do have to really focus on changing edges after the second wake. As much as you want to pull out far and long to the ball it has a negative affect.

[Wish]

All 6 buoys can be yours at 25mph+ ...and for cheap.

 

$16 dollars a ball. And that's just your first pass. Get it while the gettn is good.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Radar-P-6-67-Inch-Slalom-Waterski-NEW-/400552447897?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d42c94f99

[gyoung]

@wish that looks really cheap. I mainly freeski at 34mph and only set the course up every couple of weeks. Do you think the p6 would be good for me.

[Wish]

So basically it's very similar in many aspects to their high end skies. So it will work in the course IMHO. And that was proved to me by a friend we ski with when he rode it the first time. Slowing the boat down is the key. I wish I had equipment like that way back when. Woulda been such a steep learning curve vs what I went through. I agree that good coaching can take you a long way but even great coaching cant make up for someone learning the course but skiing to fast. And if you think it's just not high end enough and that it wont run short line at it's published top end speed of 30mhp, I think the boys at Broho would say differently.

.

[crashman]

@wish that looks really fun. I like how the broho guys always enjoy themselves no matter what conditions.