Help! Self Preservation Needed

[DLskier]

This is my second full year of skiing in the course. Every once in a while I have the dreaded tail pop as you can see in the video below. Has happened on both my on and offside turn (LFF). Currently on a 67'' 2012 Senate C, fin is at stock settings, front boot run forward @ 30.25 w/ RTP. Any insight would be great as I seem to dislocate something each time this happens. Pass below is 15/32.

Thanks for the help!

 

[SkiJay]

@DLskier‌ The tail usually pops out when too much of the tip is jammed into the water. Think of your ski as a teeter-totter; if one end goes down hard, the other end gets levered upwards. Maybe just being aware of this will help you ski with the tip at a more constant angle to the water.

 

Having your bindings forward of stock is not necessarily a bad thing. But if you are blowing out the tail a lot, try moving your bindings back to stock or even a little behind stock. That will make it harder to push the front end of the teeter-totter so aggressively into the water.

[ski6jones]

Looks like in the middle of the turn there is a pretty big splash coming off of your right leg just before your ski skips out. If your knee and shin are hitting the water with any force that will push upward on the ski through your leg and cause it to lose it's grip in the water.

[Than_Bogan]

I see two related issues contributing to the pop out. The first is your stance coming into the ball. Stand taller and make sure your hips are forward. When hips drop back at that point, it sets you up pitch forward at the waist as the turn pressure builds. Tall and hips forward is strong and balanced.

 

The second is reaching back for the rope. Instead allow the hip to complete the turn first and then grab the rope. Reaching back too soon causes the shoulders to rotate in which forces you to bend at the waist.

 

Then once you break forward over the ski, your COM moves both forward and down, practically yanking the tail out of the water.

 

Fwiw if you're looking for general coaching, you're drifting way in on your gate. Your pullout looks great but then you basically throw it away by drifting half way back before making a turn for the gate. Experiment with pulling out later and/or slower, and then make a good turn in right from your apex.

 

Hope some of this helps! Good luck and have fun!!

[Than_Bogan]

I debated whether I should mention this, but in the end it seems like I should: I'm a touch worried if you're having injuries on a fall like that, because those are going to happen a ton in this sport, and sometimes a whole lot worse.

 

So fair warning! :)

 

Meanwhile, I watched this again, and this time I think I see you actively trying to step on the tail entering the turn, which is the immediate cause of leaving your hips behind. In other words, what may be an attempt to dig in the tail ultimately has the exact opposite effect!

 

Instead, keep your head and shoulders back, but your hips forward. The pressure is only going to build as the turn happens, and so any break at the waist is going to mean getting pitched forward. It's kinda like picking up something with your back (bad -- hunched forward) vs. your legs (good -- upright).

[A_B]

Stock as in measured to stock or left where it came from the factory?

 

[DLskier]

Thanks for the help guys. Have not touched the fin but it is within about 0.005—0.01 from stock at worst.

[gregy]

@DLskier I think it would be worth checking fin and boot and put them to stock or best recommended settings. Record your present setting before you change it though in case you want to go back.