Cross-over success?

[Cooper_Trelawney]

I recently stumbled across some videos on You Tube of Cable Waterski slalom competition and Cable Waterski jump competition. Both look similar to skiing behind the boat but both events seem to have a lot of technique differences. Are there any skiers who have had great success with both modalities (boat and cable)? I wonder what Freddie Winter or Freddy Krueger would do if they took their skills to the cable in their respective events.

[Than_Bogan]

I saw a video of cable slalom about ten years ago, and I am still scared to open my eyes in case it is still on.

[MattP]

I think there are a number of German & Russian skiers that have had great success in both. I do not think there are any cable 3 event sites in the USA. Mainly jumpers come to mind. It is very much a different sport in how the rope/line tension can be manipulated but there are for sure some crossovers.

 

@KirkLee is in this video.

 

[Rednucleus]

That is a totally different pull vs a boat pylon. Crazy angle skier lean. Almost like a different sport.

[lpskier]

Now I see where @adamhcaldwell learned how to lean. And I think the Israeli guy was really Todd Ristorcelli.

[mike_mapple]

Back in the day OWC had the slalom course, and a jump on the big cable..I did see a few people go off the jump, and I did the course years ago, sadly it did not stay long as kids tried to hit the jump on wakeboards.

[Clydesdale]

Is cable slalom safer than a boat? Without wakes less likely OTF. And if you do you’ve got the lift of the cable to pull you up-similar to short-line barefoot fall.

[Stevie Boy]

I started out on a cable system, totally different to the boat, no wakes, soft pull , you can just lay on the line, the cable has give in it, so 35 off is not 35off more like 32off or a little longer, timing is very different, the cable is a lot more forgiving.

I think Boat skiers can adapt to the cable, but moving from the cable to the boat is a steep learning curve and all those bad habits you got away with on the cable, you are not going to get away with behind the boat.

Cable to Boat, you will experience some fairly harsh OTF,s, you will be punished by the Boat if you do not pay attention to Body Position.

[LoopSki]

Why though?

[Stevie Boy]

@LoopSki is that aimed at my comments, if it is basically, the pull comes from overhead and you can get away with poor form, on the cable there are no wakes to disturb your balance , when you get behind the boat, it feels like a Locomotive with not a lot of give, the pull is much lower/stronger, and you have wakes to contend with, so if you have poor form you are going to pay the price.

They both require different skill sets, all my bad habits come from my time on the cable, if I had my time again, I would pay the money and learn to ski behind the Boat.

Cable skiing is cheap and could get a lot more people into the sport, but when you move to the boats, you more or less have to start over again.