lcarnes

In his book Mastery George Leonard called it the plateau. It's the part of the journey that happens before the breakthrough IF you frame it as an essential part of the journey. Then you can embrace the "flat spot" as a signal to break your practice into smaller frames and refine and adjust without expectation of performance. In other words, what @jhughes said. For me, framing it as a slump makes me look for quick fixes that end up being bandaids.

I've always skied in an RTP, but it took quite a while to get the right formula. I need it to hold my foot snugly, without cutting into my ankle and without ripping in the first two weeks. The Wiley's top rubber is the best by far - but their RTP design doesn't work for my foot. So I have them make me a custom design on an HO plate (which has more cushion than the Wiley's plate) and with a shorter, curvier pattern on the top. Works great for me.

Will Asher: "This has been the best week of our life." From the webcast, the vibe appeared to be fun and energizing. Plus, the throne was a very clever idea. I can see a lot of people attending in person next year. Well done!

I've been following this thread with great interest. On the very day @JeffSurdej started this thread (June 10), I recorded a podcast with Tyler Boyd where we had a wide-ranging conversation about the recent Masters, leadership, growth and investing - and what he invests in making sure every athlete gets their due while he's on the microphone. Hope you enjoy the conversation and learn as much as I did!

Mystic Waters is less than an hour and a half away. Austin Abel (grew up in Hickory) runs a ski school there - and will do ski only pulls as well. Opening again in the Spring.

When Chelsea Mills decided to take up tournament water skiing in her 20’s, most people would have said she was a decade too late. She is now ranked number 8 in the world and still improving. Besides being a water skier, she is a multi-sport mindset coach and a high level tennis coach. Her window into the world of elite sports has given her some powerful insights into the difference mindset can make. She shares a lot of her training secrets in this episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed podcast.

I was thrilled to record this podcast interview with David Benzel for the Creative Spirits Unleashed podcast. Yes, we talk water skiing in this episode - and we also talk about leadership and influence, especially in contexts where we have little or no control. This one is densely packed with wisdom. I learned SO much from this conversation, both while I was having it and then when I listened back. I get something new every time I hear it. I hope you enjoy it. Would love your feedback on what you liked and what you would change if you had a magic wand!

Here's a fun to watch the video of the shot above. You can see photographer Julie Parker in the boat along the shoreline.

Can't say enough good about Camaro. I'm 5 9 and wear a men's medium 2mm, but could probably use a small. It's all I need - no more shorty or dry suit.

@Luzz given your focus on mental performance, you should also download the one I did with Bruce Anderson. His work in performing under pressure is solid - and rewires the brain very quickly.

Hi everybody! I host a podcast called Creative Spirits Unleashed. Today, I posted an episode with Natallia Berdnikava - who was the first woman to jump over 190 feet. She also has set records in trick as well. She won Masters while still in college and has been on the podium all over the world. As a water skier myself, I was interested in learning how she trains, deals with nerves on the dock, and manages her recovery. We go deep in this conversation. I certainly came away with some useful insights for both my skiing and my life and I hope you do too. The links are above, and you can easily listen as you drive via the podcast app of your choice.

I've combined my ski trips with business trips for years. Fly into Jax, work, drive to Jacks, ski, fly home from Orlando and repeat. More than once I've had a business meeting with a bikini under my suit for the ski set happening after the meeting was done. I also hold leadership retreats at the ski lake we now own. My clients have learned that a ski set will typically happen sometime during each day of the retreat. They love riding in the boat and learning what the sport is all about. It's a good test under pressure for me.

We just discovered a new-to-us trail last weekend - Wildcat Rock. Can't say enough good things about the views or the quality of the hike - if you like straight up! Less than 30 minutes from Abel Ski School and Mystic Waters.

Definitely consider coming to Western North Carolina. Abel Ski School at Mystic Waters - Austin Abel is a phenomenal coach. You can stay on site - three options at this link. You are within 15 minutes of a world class hiking/mountain biking trail at Buffalo Creek and within an hour of the Blue Ridge Parkway with epic hiking all along it and near all that Asheville offers. There's a lot more to do for fun as well. Personally, I like to go horse back riding, and the whitewater kayaking on the Green River is some of the best anywhere.

Our lake has a large power line over it. We asked the power company to add a pole to create more clearance over the water. Not sure what would have happened if we had splashed the old line - but have had no problems with it since they raised it.

Here are the permitting rules with restrictions for a 750 acre mountain lake that used to REQUIRE vertical sea walls and now requires rip rap when sea wall repairs are done. May have some ideas for you here.

After I wrote this piece I came across this thread. We are talking about the same dilemma. It strikes me as another nail in the coffin for the sport of we keep making it harder for people to compete. In business, you raise prices when the demand is high. When demand falls, you find out what it takes to attract customers. Seems like skiing is "raising the prices" when demand is low. This is a damn hard sport. For people who start the sport young, going down in speed over the years is not a big deal. For someone like me who started in my mid-forties, climbing the mountain to my top speed was almost a deal killer. I wonder how many potential skiers we have lost?

Don't chew gum! Huge choking hazard. Practice breathing while doing handle drills on land. Eventually it will transfer the water...

Looks like several options on She Skis Strong Ski Sites listings...

Here's a better link - it appears that you can sign in with your "provider" to watch it.

We had a nice segment highlighting Austin Abel waterskiing at Mystic Waters. First episode aired this morning on the Discovery Channel. You can find future episodes here. It is the Lake Lure episode. I might have called waterskiing the fountain of youth and the most addictive sport ever...

I've been going to Women's Week at Coble Ski School for 9 years. April gets such great results with that group because she understands the differences in physiology between men and women, so she can coach to how a female body can gain leverage. She also embodies confidence, which is contagious. Annie had some insights in her talk that I am still trying to understand. I will say this - the very day I watched the talk, I happened to open a pickle jar later in the day. Using her technique, that sucker opened right up. Can't wait for ski season!

Graston has done wonders for me. Highly recommend it, and yes, it hurts when it's being done.

@Nando Here's what www.asknaturalist.com says: Freshwater bryozoans are tiny colonial animals that can form jelly-like masses, which are often found attached to sticks or docks. Bryozoan colonies can be as much as a foot (30 cm) in diameter.