A little update about my absence here lately:
I have dialed back my skiing time in order to pursue my passion of orchestral music and work at getting better playing Double Bass. Over the past year and a half I spent about 5 hours every day practicing, and as a result I will be starting my freshman year at Indiana University as one of 2 music majors studying double bass performance this August, and I can say I have never been so excited about something in my entire life. Many of the great bass players across the country went through Indiana University, and now it's an incredible thing to see my hard work pay off in a big way.. The drawback of course, is spending less time at the lake.
But I have reaffirmed the necessity of a few things while practicing all these hours that apply to skiing
1.) If there is a hard passage with lots of notes the best plan of action is to slow it down - Whether it is the boat speed or simply breaking it down in slow motion in your head, you can access the data in a more understandable way if you aren't flying through it at 36mph
2.) I go into every practice session with a deliberate plan of action, working on one thing at a time - Always ski with a purpose, have a plan of what you want to improve and how you want to try to improve it. I consider the practice room to be a laboratory.. the lake should be the same, experiment around with things. something is bound to be magic, you just have to take the time and effort to find it.
3.) If I have good playing posture, I will not only be able to play better, more efficiently, but also more comfortably. at the end of the day my back will not hurt and my arms won't be exhausted - When you are stacked on your ski, you get across course quickly, efficiently and safely, you won't feel as if you are about to eat it, but most importantly at the end of the day you have used your body correctly and you have saved yourself aching arms and sore quads (or more permanent issues) which are byproducts of bad body position
4.) Rhythm & timing are more important that notes and being in tune. I spend all of my hours obsessing over the perfection of intricate rhythms. the result is a piece of music that flows extremely well without ever feeling a sense of urgency (regardless if I miss a note or two. - focus on the true rhythm of skiing, strive to make your offside as smooth as the onside. push yourself to feel like you are in control of the pass, not the other way around. The better your rhythm and timing are the less ZO will hit you and your driver will be able to counter you more effectively.
5.) I just bought an incredible new bow (the stick with horsehair when moved on the strings makes sound) which is professional level, hand made by the best bow maker in the country. playing it has upped my game tenfold, everything is more articulated and my sound has a more lyrical quality to it. Your gear matters - Get the best ski you can get, for the money you have available, not because of the name on it but because of the feel of it. get the most comfortable gloves you can find, and get that custom handle with the exact diameter handle that feels perfect in YOUR hands, and hell, if you think you'll be more confident on your ski with that badass ski vest with the big American Eagle on it, then buy it, because it doesn't matter what someone else thinks about your gear, all that matters is that you feel absolutely comfortable with it. so you don't have any reason to not go out and kill that next pass.
I hope some of this helps someone out there, I have lot's and lot's of things that I could have put but these are the best ones I thought of.
I really miss all the time on the water, so if anyone knows of a place near Bloomington Indiana to catch a quick ride, let me know and I might pop in someday.
-Bryan