Spraymakers Episode 8 - Core Fundamentals

[ROBOT]

 

[carlm6298]

Thank u guys very much!

[chris55]

Again !!! Listening you guys you are making it very simple and I like it ... a lot...!!! Looking forward to go back to ski when we will be alowed and work on your words, straight arms and alignement !

(I am a 15off skier 32-34mph)

[jhughes]

Truer words have not been spoken in this sport. Great job guys, anyone who listens to this advice (and tunes out everything else they hear) is sure to improve this summer, myself included.

 

What’s interesting and also problematic about this sport is that it’s so fun to do that even with terrible form you can ski through -28 and have a blast doing it. That’s how folks like me ski for 15yrs with poor fundamentals, not realizing that is what’s holding them back and that it could be so much easier. Bent arms really starts to catch up with you at -32 in my personal experience. Hoping to really “feel this” this season.

 

I think Trent said this but other than your gate glide the next opportunity to achieve this alignment is out of 1 and that requires closing your gap to the handle with your hips, not your free hand, out of the turn. That was a light bulb for me last fall.

[Chris Rossi]

Thanks for the nice comments @carlm6298 @chris55 @jhughes. Spraymakers has been a fun adventure so far and we hope that in some small way, we can help pass the time until we all go back to putting up big sprays for days! Hang in there everyone and stay safe!

[vtmecheng]

This podcast is fantastic. I have listened to a few of them multiple times just to try and really slam some of these things into my incredibly hard head.

[Dockoelboto]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful. As someone just trying to figure out what I'm going it is helpful to know some basics I need to work on. I bought a skidoc and hopefully video analysis will help. Plus maybe I should hire a coach. Any in wa?

[Chris Rossi]

@vtmecheng dont worry, all of us skiers have thick heads! The really important concept is to build an understanding of how the entire package works. Each skier's technical flaws usually stem from areas in technique that they understand the least. The more in depth your understanding, the quicker your road to improvement.

[vtmecheng]

@Chris Rossi sad thing is that I have at least some understanding of the more base level concepts you are talking about with respect to alignment/stacked position. My problem seems to be getting my body to do what I know I should do when turning into and crossing the first wake. From video, I'm not bad on the pull-out but some mental block happens when I turn in that causes me to shy away from the strong position of alignment. Season is early and this is my main focus going into this year.

[Dockoelboto]

@vtmecheng I feel your pain. My offside pull has a serious mental block and I cannot for the life of me stay in a strong position. just can't figure it out. Glad I'm not the only one

[Chris Rossi]

@Dockoelboto When you attach a handle to a post, can you get in a good off side pulling position and hold it? Sounds too simple right? Well, a high percentage of skiers have poor form while leaning against the post. So....when they go out to ski, the same poor technique shows up. This is what Im referencing when I recommend that we want to fill in as much understanding about every phase of skiing in order to start to progress. If you've been stuck at the same place for a long time, this is definitely an issue.

[2Valve]

Appreciate this very very much. Hoping to stop muscling my way through the course this season.

[JAS]

Skied with Chris 10 years ago and these were his main speaking points back then. I totally was the arm flexing, jaw clenching, gasping, and rope pulling guy he was talking about. In many sports you simply work harder to perform better. Not waterskiing. Rossi figured it out a long time ago. One of best coaches ever. A very fun review.

[Dockoelboto]

@Chris Rossi This episode answered a lot of questions for me. I've never had "proper" instruction and just learned to free ski growing up on my own. Now I live on a lake and have access to a course but I don't know what I'm doing. Like many I tend to be too much rear foot heavy as I'm afraid of OTF falls. Ironically it then tends to make me break forward at the waist on my offside pull thus increasing my risk for OTF. The episode talks about equal pressure on the feet and straight arms. Just recently I have been trying to practice positioning on dry land, I wasn't sure how helpful it was as so far it hasn't transitioned to form on water. Against a post I feel a lot more pressure on my front foot and can shift weight much more easily. I'll keep practicing good positioning. I definitely need more understanding of core fundamentals and frankly all aspects of skiing. Thanks for the episode and input! Helpful things to think about and practice on. I'm hoping to incorporate more video into my learning, I think that will help a lot. Thanks!

[Chris Rossi]

Thanks @2Valve! @JAS glad someone was listening to me :)! @Dockoelboto you're on the right path...keep learning and trying!

[2Valve]

@Chris Rossi A very valid point you made was about the skier's who are totally winded after every pass, and can't even talk. I'M THAT GUY! :(

I think you've turned on a light and hopefully I can "walk into the light", as they say.

[vtmecheng]

At least with video it's easy to see mistakes so we don't keep doing the same thing, thinking we are stacked while far from it.

[Garn]

Hi @Chris Rossi What do you do to know when to pull out for the gates? Do you look for where the boat is in relation to the 55s? Do you line up something else? And as the rope gets shorter, do you pull out slightly later?

[MDB1056]

Great podcast. Definitely one of the best talks on fundamentals I've ever heard. Clear, easy to understand. We can all improve by putting the basics to work. Thank you gentlemen. Well done!

[Chris Rossi]

@Garn timing is different for everyone but I reference the front of the boat to the upcoming pre-gates. I set my pull out timing to be ideal for my shortest passes and then it works just fine for my longer ones.

 

@MDB1056 thanks for the kind words.

[UWSkier]

On the pullout subject @Chris Rossi, I notice you like to start your pullout closer to the wake than @TFIN does. That just a personal preference thing?

[Chris Rossi]

@UWSkier one thing both @TFIN and I stress is to have your speed built by centerline or directly behind the boat. For the gate pull out, we are already starting our pull out after the centerline so I try to start as close to the wake as possible to be as efficient as I can in this area.

[dchristman]

I've been looking forward to your new installments every Sunday @Chris Rossi @TFIN . I'd like to hear what you guys have to say on the topics of vision, quiet eye, and visualization. I left an audio message through anchor.fm, do you get those messages? I would have expected an automated email acknowledgement since they make you create an account to leave a message but maybe they don't do that.

[Chris Rossi]

@dchristman thanks for the kind words. We appreciate your suggestions for episode content and will throw them in the bucket. Thanks for listening! Anyone not familiar with our podcast can go to www.spraymakers.com for more info!