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Can Binding Alignment be the problem


JJVDMZN
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I'm LFF, 78kg, 1.82m and skiing on a 2013 Connelly V 67' with Double Sidewinder Bindings and as you can see by the video still new in the game.

 

The feeling I get after turning to the gate, Ball 2, 4 & 6 is as if the boat wants to pull me over, I then compensate resulting in me not making Ball 1, 3 & 5, my position after turns at 1,3,5 feels good / better.

 

So my question.....

 

If I open my feet/stance on the ski more to "duck" stance will this prevent that feeling of being pulled over? (at this moment the bindings are aligned straight and I don't know if they can be moved).

 

Maybe there is something else wrong, as I said I'm a beginner, any advice will do.

 

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  • Baller

Why 16m? That's going to really exaggerate form breaks compared to 18m.

 

And I think you can slow down to 43kph and still be comfortable. When learning, the slowest you can tolerate is where you want to be.

 

That should let you build a little rhythm. Then stop thinking about everything else and focus solely on leverage position / stacked / whatever you want to call it.

 

I doubt rotating the bindings will do much at this stage.

 

Oh also, if you'd like to get some advice specific to what you're doing, I'd suggest zooming in a lot. Can't see much detail in your body movements.

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  • Baller

I am with @Than_Bogan‌ , you should go 18m, 43 or 46, bigger ski if it feels too slow. At these speeds, it is unlikely that either bindings or fin setup are a problem. Did you take out the wing?

 

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  • Baller

I am with @Than_Bogan‌ , you should go 18m, 43 or 46, bigger ski if it feels too slow. At these speeds, it is unlikely that either bindings or fin setup are a problem. Did you take out the wing?

 

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  • Baller

When the speed feels "too slow" it usually is because the skier isn't generating enough speed prior to the turn.

 

Try not to solve that by shortening the rope or increasing the boat speed.

 

Focus on getting stacked, and generating speed in the pull.

 

When you get it right, you will be entering the turn with more than enough speed to avoid that sinking feeling.

 

If you have concerns about your set-up, I suggest getting a lesson from someone who can check that things are set-up correctly, then at least that will be dealt with and you can focus on technique.

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I'd go so far as to say that the single biggest mistake made by beginning course skiers is not going slowly enough. Like @ral said, get a bigger ski if needed.

 

Slowing things down gives you the time to actually focus on what your doing, instead of constantly reacting to the buoys. This is the same reason that those of us who have been at this for a long time still spend a ton of passes on a line length that is 3 passes easier than the one we really "want" to run.

 

Slowing down is really hard for most people, because we got into this because the feeling of flying across the water is fun. Nobody said "dragging across the water," right!? But the slalom course is so damn fun that it's worth learning. And you'll get into much higher speeds a lot sooner if you build a foundation at a crazy slow speed.

 

The other sneaky thing at work is slack. For some reason, slack tells the beginner's brain that the boat is going too slowly. The opposite is true. Slack is generated because you didn't get across soon enough to flow into a good turn. Thus you are going faster than the boat at the apex, and it's this "catching the boat" phase than causes the line to go slack. More boat speed will exaggerate this problem, giving you less time to get ahead of the turn. More *skier* speed on the way across is the solution. The key is you need to create the *space* before the buoy to execute a good turn. Getting accross faster means getting there earlier and then this beneficial cycle can continue.

 

In general terms, the same goes for 16m. Yes, it feels "snappier." But it's also much less forgiving: a small error quickly turns into a total form break. In particular, the rope tension comes back on much faster as you leave the buoy, so if you're already late and/or slightly out of position, it will break you over and leave you in a terrible position for the critical journey across the wakes.

 

Sorry for the Wall of Words. Trying to say the same thing in a lot of different ways. Hope it helps more than it hurts!

 

Final note: The above advice assumes your only goal is to progress rapidly in your buoy count. It may or may not contribute to other goals, such as having fun as you learn. So you'll have to balance that for yourself!

 

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@Than_Bogan and @Jordan, thanks alot for the input, I will go back to 43kph and 18m and practice being stacked / basics.

 

I can assure you that I'm having fun, been doing the course since Nov 2013.

The whole family's addicted

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