Did you learn anything ( about skiing ) this year?

[Horton]

?

[RichardDoane]

If my vision is down, so is my score. 

[rawly]

   I’m beginning to learn that straight arms and line tension after the wakes are the keys to running short line slalom . My previous interactions with the rope were “ Get me there , I got this “. And that has gotten me through 35 , but only because I could generate enough speed to somehow run it . I have taken forever to get the mindset of “ Get me there , now take me out “ .  That sounds better than “ take me up “ , but riding the swing up on the boat is a concept that I’ve heard about , but could not figure out. I may be slowly figuring this thing out ? It’s tough to convince yourself that to get wide you shouldn’t try to get wide. Especially on your toughest pass. 

[MISkier]

There were some things learned and some things re-learned:

1. Learned - Should have bought new ski two years ago.
2. Learned - Buying Mikro-Just should have been done much, much sooner.  Binding moves have been too drastic without it.  Needed to move binding back, but not as far as the standard adjustment increment allowed on my binding plate.
3. Re-learned - When standing up out of the gate pull out, need to commence glide with left arm across abdomen and handle low and near right hip.
4. Learned - When turning in for the gate, slow it down a little to complete the turn more fully and continue setting the correct angle before increasing load.  "Just keep turning" away from the boat and resisting as the load progresses through to centerline.
5. Learned - C2 is not the best setting for me anymore.  A2 (and maybe A3) is better on the MC, A1 on the club 200 (6.0L), still need to determine on the Ski Nautique 6.2 and Malibu.  Way more swing with the A settings and a much earlier, slower turn, with a better finish.  The upcoming resurgence of the 5.3 will present new challenges.
6. Learned - New reference point for gate pullout.  Improved gate consistency.
7. Learned - Goode Kevlar gloves are better than the Amara palm gloves I had used for years.
8. Learned - S-Lines X Series is a good rope.
9. Learned - I must change into dry gear immediately after each set.  I get too cold too easily and then successive sets are worthless, as I stand awkwardly on the ski and have no flexibility (way too stiff and contracted in body position).
10. Re-learned.  Skiing is sometimes muscle memory and I have the dumbest muscles on the planet.

 

[jhughes]

Shortline skiers ski up high on the boat. Long line skiers ski back on the boat.

So simple, but big concepts work for me and when I ski with this in mind it makes many little tactical things happen. Mainly feel this at 32 and 35, the feeling is "I'm starting the turn so late!" But really I'm just climbing a bit higher before turning. When I hook up with the rope there is truly the feeling of working with the boat, it's beautiful. It makes 28 feel like a ton of rope.

I've been skiing "behind" the boat all this time which makes things very "point to point".

Mind blowing thing for me. Will underpin all further progress.

 

[MitchellM]

1 hour ago, MISkier said:

There were some things learned and some things re-learned:

1. Learned - Should have bought new ski two years ago.
2. Learned - Buying Mikro-Just should have been done much, much sooner.  Binding moves have been too drastic without it.  Needed to move binding back, but not as far as the standard adjustment increment allowed on my binding plate.
3. Re-learned - When standing up out of the gate pull out, need to commence glide with left arm across abdomen and handle low and near right hip.
4. Learned - When turning in for the gate, slow it down a little to complete the turn more fully and continue setting the correct angle before increasing load.  "Just keep turning" away from the boat and resisting as the load progresses through to centerline.
5. Learned - C2 is not the best setting for me anymore.  A2 (and maybe A3) is better on the MC, A1 on the club 200 (6.0L), still need to determine on the Ski Nautique 6.2 and Malibu.  Way more swing with the A settings and a much earlier, slower turn, with a better finish.  The upcoming resurgence of the 5.3 will present new challenges.
6. Learned - New reference point for gate pullout.  Improved gate consistency.
7. Learned - Goode Kevlar gloves are better than the Amara palm gloves I had used for years.
8. Learned - S-Lines X Series is a good rope.
9. Learned - I must change into dry gear immediately after each set.  I get too cold too easily and then successive sets are worthless, as I stand awkwardly on the ski and have no flexibility (way too stiff and contracted in body position).
10. Re-learned.  Skiing is sometimes muscle memory and I have the dumbest muscles on the planet.

 

This post is gold.  I learned a lot just by reading!

[thager]

Make sure your home course is still accurate so that when you visit other places you don't embarrass yourself! Installed my course in 2002. Stays in year round. Originally a portable course before it was a permanent with accu-sink some spring street button clips have corroded away allowing  some pvc sections to move. Had two this year which moved 1.5 feet narrow on 2 ball and 5 ball. 

[Lars]

hang on to the handle further out to the buoy, front foot pressure at the ball, turn with hips 

[jedgell]

That I have the knees of a 90 yr old, and taking a season off  sucks. But that meant my boys got more water time and they kicked ass!  

[WakeChaser]

This year, I transitioned from free skiing to the course, and it’s been quite the learning experience! One of the biggest takeaways for me was realizing just how much form matters—far more than I initially thought. While having the right gear and setup is still super important, it's the technique that really makes the difference in performance.

Breaking old habits has been tougher than expected, and I underestimated how challenging it would be to rewire my muscle memory. The process of improving my form and adapting to course skiing took way longer than I anticipated. But despite the frustrations, every bit of progress feels worth it.

On the technical side, I also started tuning my skis a bit more and currently ski on a Works 2 Medium. It might be a bit undersized for me since I’m around 200 lbs. but I'll tackle that issue next season. While tuning, I also learned just how much wing angle can make a difference. Being an engineer, I 3D printed a set of wing angles that helped significantly. My onside turns are looking really good now, though I’m still struggling with my offside, especially with my shoulder dipping coming out of the turn. I’m open to any ski tune suggestions, or another ski if anyone has recommendations!

On a positive note, I joined a ski club this year, and the skiing community has been awesome! Everyone’s super supportive, and it’s been great to connect with others who share the same passion. I also had the chance to volunteer in adaptive skiing, which was an incredible experience. It really opened my eyes to a different side of the sport and was truly rewarding. 

[lefty]

1.Found a visual reference point to start moving out left-life changing

2.passes can be run even with poor gates and bad turns, just keep skiing

3.free skiing can help course skiing BUT only if free skiing with intent, especially on height(width).otherwise it will detract.

4.less bend, more send

[tjm]

Skiing motivates many things. 

[Dano]

i think much less about the ski and think way more about where the handle is, where I am in the course and where the boat is.  Leaning and pulling are not in my thoughts at all.   Unfortunately, this past weekend,  I also learned that skis break. 

[FullFlavorPike]

This is probably the same thing every open water skier who wants to learn the course says: Turns out everything I thought I knew about skiing was wrong and I have a lot to learn. 

[MitchellM]

1 hour ago, FullFlavorPike said:

This is probably the same thing every open water skier who wants to learn the course says: Turns out everything I thought I knew about skiing was wrong and I have a lot to learn. 

These are my exact thoughts.  I've always been an open water skier.  Had lots of fun behind the boat making turns at my own pace.  Leaning hard to get high up on the boat.  Paid little attention to my stance or the handle.

As I now try to learn to ski in the course, the years of bad open water have behavior come back to haunt me.  I have no idea how to decellerate and turn around a buoy.  I pull way too long and don't cut across with enough angle to be effective.  It's a struggle.

[UCFskier]

I learned Brooks might be the coolest person in waterskiing, thanks to THE GRAB MATTERS pod cast

[ETskier]

As I get older, I have to relearn all I forgot more than learning something new. By the time I get it figured out, season's over.

[morfoot]

Having Rheumatoid Arthritis sucks when it comes to water skiing and especially in the course. Your hands are fine one day and the next they aren't. It's harder to finish your turn on your off side when your knees say screw you, It ain't happening.

When you're freeskiing, you're doing EVERTHING right but as soon as the course is out, you fall apart.

Form is Key, The very first Pre-turn sets the mode of the ballet dance you're attempting to perform down course. FINISH your Turn!!!!! Don't be afraid or too proud to drop the speed when you're learning the course and different line lengths

 

[Jaypro]

I did @Horton, for the first time I worked with a coach from July to current.  I skied with Trent Finlayson this past March at the Boarding School and learned a lot. My ski partner started skiing with Trent in June, and I jumped on the next month.  It was the best money I ever spent. I send a video, he reviews it, we chat and/or text, then I attempt to implement.  My skiing has improved significantly.  

[Horton]

Like most of you guys I hate posting video that shows my flaws but let's talk about my flaws and what I have spent the last few months trying to change. 

The above video is 5 cuts from off side going toward on side.

In the first 3 you will see my left shoulder coming up, my hips and shoulders rotating clockwise toward the pylon resulting my feet moving forward. I think I taught myself to do this thinking that it was smoother and lighter. This is the genesis of my absolute crap on side turns.

Anyhow the last 2 wake crossings are where I am now. It is FAR from perfect but I am making progress. I am trying to simply maintain a static load from hookup to edge change and feel the load in my left shoulder all the way across.  Not trying to ever go harder but simply not diminishing the load. 

I watch someone like Brando Caruso going toward on side and just can't imagine how he does it.  He is a LFF - look at his hips & shoulders heading toward 1/3/5. This is perfection.

Looking back it is clear that @ColeGiacopuzzi @Swini @TFIN @grubbs @Terry Winter @AdamCord all tried to explain this to me over the years.  I have smart friends but clearly, I am a little slow.

[C5Quest]

@Horton.  Seems to be what ive been struggling with this year.   The difference in maintaining the connection and riding it or going to hard and straight to the ball.

[Mastercrafter]

5 minutes ago, C5Quest said:

@Horton.  Seems to be what ive been struggling with this year.   The difference in maintaining the connection and riding it or going to hard and straight to the ball.

Same. 

If I try to stay connected to the handle and ride the line up and out to the buoy, I seem to pull long. 

If I edge change when I should, or close to, I tend to come off the handle too early. 

That's just one example of a handful of movements that seem to have a counter-productive "reaction" when I work on them. It seems to often be one or the other for me, but I need to do both. 

One of these years.. 

 

 

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Stance is so undervalued in our sport. in the past year working with Trent & Rossi a lot and taking steps back to take that huge leap forward, stance has been a huge one. I'll be the first to say it never has been a key to me up until this past year. The more we can stay over our feet the more it allows us to ride the swing. The second our ski is in front of us and our body is behind you're not riding the swing anymore, you're not moving up high on the boat.  I Think Joel Poland, Asher, Rossi, TFIN to name a few are very good examples of people who stay on top of their feet everywhere. 

Building on the above if we can do that it allows you to be the weight at the end of the line, where you're freely swinging instead of stopping your momentum with added arm movements . I think less is more off the 2nd wake. @Chris Rossi  @TFIN 

[Ski2000]

Learned a lot this year. 
Got more consistent at 32mph 15 off. Getting more of my 22 offs to happen. 
Also learning I suck, as my main ski partner (my 15 year old son) went from 28 /15 off sometimes, to not missing a pass into 36mph getting some good passes at 22 off at 36. 

[phski]

patience waiting for the Denali review !