david_ski

6 days in NorCal plus 2 days in Florida (LaPoint's Ski lake) in January.

I would call that a miss. 10.03 A Miss or Riding Over A. Skier Turn Buoys. It is a miss to ride inside a turn buoy or to ride over, straddle, or jump over a turn buoy. But there is no penalty for grazing a turn buoy with the ski or part of the body. Riding over shall be defined as hitting a turn buoy with the ski so as to move it significantly from its position or temporarily sink it. Hitting a turn buoy less severely shall be considered as grazing.

I had to do the 180 flip on one of my vest back pads this last week. slalom falls typically doesn’t mess with the pads. On the other hand, trick skiing will do a complete scramble of the vest lower back pad.

the training pole is a game changer. I also used it to get the feel of a side slide and how to do a 180degree back wrap. One of the many tips given to me this year was with the pole do whatever it takes with your arm to initially get your balance, but then work it so you are only using light finger pressure. That way you are truly balancing on the trick ski correctly. With me I found there was one down side of going back and forth between the pole and rope starts. The down side was the first rope pull up after a pole run, I had to really concentrate, and keep my front toes pointed to the boat because you don't need to do that as much on the pole. After you get the deep water starts down pat, you can start trying slides and 180's. You will fall, but getting back up is not an issue.

Another key point to think about is to keep your head up. It is really hard to not look at where your ski is on the water. Work on looking forward at the driver or bimini and not constantly on the ski. As you gain confidence, your vision will move up from the ski. Looking up is extremely important when you get to trying backs. The instructional videos touches on that, you look down and you are going to fall. There is also a Matt Rini Radar video on YouTube about binding placement that is also very useful. I had Brooks Wilson look at my trick ski. Since I was only trying to do surface tricks, he had me move my front binding forward a little more, and the rear toe loop backwards a little to give me more stability.

@101driver No apologies needed. I had used the boom to teach new skiers how to get up on a single skis. My boom has been unused for 20 years. My primary ski partner suggested that I use a boom to get the feel for a trick ski. Over the last month at tournaments, I have had several trick skiers give me tips on how to manage the boom. When you are first learning to use the boom, use everything to your advantage to get the feel for your balance point (hands, arms and muscles) and work the side slide. Bend your knees to get the weight on to your front foot. As you learn where your balance point is you will be able to do the side slide and hold onto the boom with just your fingertips and not need to muscle your way to get it. Once you are there, try it on the rope. I would go down the lake on the boom, and return on the rope. Keep going back and forth. It also helps having an observer in the boat giving you real time tips while you are on the boom. (They are going wet). The boom with a realtime coach helped me a lot. Today at regionals I got my SideSlide, 180 Back, and 180 Front. PB for me. Through a rules misunderstanding, I only got one pass. Hindsight, I should of been allowed a second pass. I scored everything I could do on the one pass. I just didn't get try my questionable tricks at the end of each pass. I now need to work on my reverses and the "O".

@ALPJr @101driver My suggestion to get up is work on a boom for several days. That helped me get the feeling of where my balance point was once the ski is on top of the water. Actually after just 3 days on the boom once in September, then twice in April I was ready to try long line. My first long line experience I had a 50% success rate at getting up. I don't worry at all about getting up today. After May and June I could cross the wakes and almost get the side slide. I did score my first side slide in a late June Tournament. My first tournament, success was just getting up and not crashing as we went around the island. Today, I was successful with SS, FB, BF. I almost have the Reverse FB. I still can't quite get the reverse SS. It is missing about 10-15 degrees. My plan is to only do surface and wake tricks. Tricking has helped me get away from being too slalom obsessive. Other than last week, I have only had 1 slalom + 1 trick set 3x week. Last week I did 2 slalom sets plus the trick set, and I just focused on my 32off's on the second slalom set. Last thought, think seriously about using the boom. Even after you have mastered the deep water start, the boom is a great tool to get the feeling of the ski position for the side slide, and how to execute the back. It all helps to build confidence. There is a good set of you tube videos search "Trick Skiing H5 Initial Tricks" by @trickskiing3561. There are 9 videos (H1-H9) from getting up, boat speed, rope length, to initial surface tricks.

@DefectiveDave @gsm_peter @jhughes bumping this thread. After 5+ years how is your tricking progressed? After several years of prodding by my ski friends, they have convinced me to start tricking now that I am in M7. I have never tried the trick ski before this year. I have been on the trick ski for just 6 weeks (~22 sets). I deep water start almost every time (+90% success). I confidently cross the wakes, and I am still working on my first trick the SS. It is getting close, but not quiet there yet. Every time I am on the trick ski the more comfortable it gets.

I ski on B2 with my boat (03 196 with Zoff) and a 14 200 both with 5.7L. I have found that skiing in tournaments behind 6.0 & 6.2L promo boats (Malibu, Nautique, and MC), I ski better with the B1 setting.

I really like the 'white boat', and get to enjoy is at least once a week.

This was a great thread for a trick newbe Just a month ago was my first attempt on the trick ski I am comfortable behind the boat and doing wake crossings. I am working on the SS. I have used the boom down the lake, and on the rope coming back. The boom has been a good tool to work on learning the balance position when the ski gets slippery in the 90 deg position.

Bobby should take a job with TWBC as their color commentary guy

I have heard lift your belly button high, and point your belly button where you want to go.

Great Tread. My montra has always been 'tall at the ball', but today I will work and focus on working to be tall before the wakes and use my legs and not my arms @ 28 and 32off.

Guilty