Why Tournament Scores Don't Reflect Skiing Ability

[ozski]

Because sometimes to some people this happens.

 

 

[lpskier]

Yes, they fall on their opener.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Isn’t that another sign you are in M6?

[pcmcon729]

Funny clip, but I totally disagree with the above statement. Mental toughness is part of the game as well as skill. One needs to train both aspects to attain peak performance for when it counts.

 

[Drago]

X2⬆️

[jayski]

It is not the definitive measure of ones ability but it is a factor of ones overall ability

[ScottScott]

Its all relative..... Most people's tournament scores aren't going to be as good as their practice best certainly. Many factors go into that, including how many tournaments you go to (and how long since the last tournament,) and conditions at these tournaments, but primarily.....you get one shot at it (per round.) In practice you can take multiple shots, back to back, at your toughest pass. Thats what makes tournaments what they are.....

[bigskieridaho]

I agree, I can PB all day long in practice, but for some reason my nerves get the best of me in tourneys and I forget how to ski. Hopefully the more I do the easier it will get. Honestly enjoy the atmosphere of being around a bunch of great people on a weekend.

[Horton]

@ScottScott as you get to higher and higher level skiers I think you will find that best legitimate practice scores and best legitimate tournament scores are very close. My all-time best score was actually in a tournament. I have run one ball less than my all-time best dozens and dozens and dozens of times in tournaments and in practice.

 

Skiers that tell the story of that one time they ran 3 or more buoys more than normal.... if they know it or not something is not right especially at 38 or shorter.

[ScottScott]

@horton No doubt. The consistency that will come with the skill level you accomplish after years of practice, and consistency of practice time, will result in more consistent tournament performance. At my skill level, my inconsistencies in my skiing mean I have a 50/50 shot at having a bad day at a tournament and my best could be a full pass below my practice best.....especially as the inconsistency of my practice schedule means I may or may not get to be in best form come tournament day. AND for the ordinary hacker like myself, scheduling/finances haven't allowed my to go to a tournament in a couple months. During that time I have put in a good bit of practice/training time, and I am skiing consistently almost a pass better than my tournament best.

 

I fully expect to better my tournament best by a full pass the next tournament I go to (next spring.) Which means I'll likely wipe-out going through the gates on my opening pass.

 

Last tournament I went to I was so distracted by the clear water I was focused on something hanging down under the 1st ball, then I realized it was the elastic, and the sub-buoy, and the anchor line, next thing I knew I couldn't get through my opening pass. Tournament before that I lost count on my opening pass, looking for gates after the 4 ball.

[jimski]

Lighten up

That's a funny goat

[ski6jones]

Ski lots of tournament sets and the difference in scores will diminish to near zero.

 

The goat is hilarious.

[mmosley899]

Ski practice like tournaments, ski tournaments like practice, my best scores are in tournaments! But so are my worst...

[RichardDoane]

if the worst thing to happen to me is a lousy tournament round/score then I'm pretty lucky, and +1 to @mmosley899 's post above

[ozski]

It was meant to be funny and for the record I've had plenty of practice sets where I feel just like that goat. I do wonder if my driver suffers from this at times... :)

[Chef23]

Skiing ability and tournament performance can be different. As @ski6jones said the more tournaments you ski the more that gap will close.

[DW]

Because practice does not challenge the mental component of competition pressure.