BallOfSpray

 See the Worlds best Skiers and Boarders as the tour visted Russia, China & Malaysia for all three rounds of the 2009 IWWF Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup.

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Top junior water ski athletes from across the nation have been selected to the National Junior Water Ski Team and the National Junior Development Water Ski Team for 2010.

The 36 selections, decided upon by the American Water Ski Association’s Junior Development Committee and International Activities Committee, are based upon tournament performances during the 2009 tournament season.

Based on the selection criteria, the top-12 athletes are named as National Junior Water Ski Team members, while the remaining 24 are named to the National Junior Development Water Ski Team. The teams will not compete in any international tournaments, but they may train together.

A motion to change the name of USA Water Ski to USA Water Ski & Wakeboard was voted down by a count of 53 to 46 on Sunday by the USA Water Ski board of directors. The USA Water Ski board of directors held its annual mid-winter board meeting at USA Water Ski headquarters in Polk City, Fla.
In other news, USA Water Ski officers were re-elected as follows: Don Bucher, chairman of the board; Jim Grew, president; Tom Ghiloni, vice president; and Sara Chappell, secretary/treasurer.

Jim Jaquess (American Water Ski Association), Doug Koch (American Barefoot Club) and Doris Rohner (American Kneeboard Association) were approved as USA Water Ski honorary national directors.

The 2010 USA Water Ski budget also was approved as proposed.

Source: http://www.usawaterski.org/default.asp?Display=875

 Jaret Llewellyn, one of the most decorated water skiers in history, recently joined MasterCraft Boats‘ team of professional skiers.

“My family and I had to look at who we believe is committed to water skiing for the long term and we see MasterCraft leading the pack as usual,” Llewellyn says.

Llewellyn owns more than 100 professional wins and 11 world records. MasterCraft Boats says it is thrilled to have such an accomplished athlete on its team.

“Jaret Llewellyn has a long history with MasterCraft, dating back to his time as a part of our team during his early competitive years,” says Ian Birdsall, MasterCraft VP of International Business. “Since then, he has become an icon in the sport and holder of many coveted waterskiing titles, a number of which have been achieved behind MasterCraft ProStars.

“In the year that MasterCraft has signed the first-ever exclusive six-year agreement to become the official tow boat to both the World Cup and to all IWWF world-titled waterski and wakeboard events, it is fitting that we welcome Jaret back to the MasterCraft Team.”

Source: http://waterskimag.com/features/2010/01/29/jaret-llewellyn-joins-mastercraft-boats/

One of the more common struggles I witness while coaching slalom skiing is how to manage control of the handle and body position throughout the edge-change process.

Many skiers make the mistake of combining the release of the handle with the edge-change. What achieves greater results is separating the two... the edge change should occur somewhere close to the center of the wakes, while the release of the handle should be done about half way out to the width of the buoy from the center of the wakes.

What you're looking to accomplish is maintaining a hip-to-elbows/handle relationship that stays the same all the way from the completion of the turn, through the wake crossing, and up to the release (again, about half way out to the buoy from the center of the wakes). As you complete the turn feel your hips and your handle come together. You should be able to feel your elbows pinned against the sides of your vest. If you have any gap at all between your vest and your elbows, then your position is not as strong as it could be. As you approach the wakes soften your legs, and allow the load you have built up through the cut to release the ski from its cutting edge on to its inside, turning edge. The key here is to keep your body's core tight. Maintain your position of the hips, the handle, and the elbows. The only body position change here is in the lower body. With your ski on the inside edge, ride it out halfway to the buoy's width. This is where you can start your handle release. Allow your self to ski out, and away from the handle.

By maintaining this strong body position through the edge change, and waiting longer to release the handle you will set yourself up for much earlier, wider turns.Ski with Terry at Ski Sunset Ranch

Written by Terry Winter

Horton: What are your goals for 2010? 
Stisher: To finally balance my family, business, and skiing appropriately.  Although I would like to be in the finals for every event, I can't sell my soul or abandon my family or my business to do so.

Growing up waterskiing all I ever heard from Water Ski Schools and in Water Ski Lessons about fine-tuning your waterski was fin movements.  Fin adjustments, fin adjustments, fin adjustments.  It's my personal belief that the binding movement is the most underrated waterski adjustment that you can master.

 Within the past 5-10 years waterski bindings have really seen advancements.  These advancements include the way the bindings can be adjusted.  Bindings for the most part have only been able to adjust in ¼ inch increments.  Bindings now come straight from the factory with the ability to move down to the 1/16 or even the 1/32 of an inch.  With the ability to make adjustments this small you can accomplish the same results as fin adjustments if not more and with more control and less time.

Skiing at several different lakes throughout the summer it's necessary for me to make ski adjustments in order to have my ski ready for competition.  Depending on how the water feels my ski usually requires a forward or backward movement of my bindings of a 1/8 - 1/16 inch.  When skiing at home and dialing in a ski my binding movements often get down to a 1/32-inch.   All these movements usually occur with little or no fin adjustments.  I typically start with a standard fin setting and go with my binding movement routine.  If I had to give advice to a fellow waterskier looking for that extra 1-2% edge to get him a few more buoys, I'd say master your binding adjustments and spend less time with your fin.

Written by Nick Parsons

Ski with Nick at Ski Sunset Ranch
 

Hi Nick, 
 
It was great to read your article as i've recently purchased a new ski and feel i haven't quite got it set up right yet. Whilst i'm uncomfortable making fin adjustments as i don't have the knowledge or tools to do it i have tried moving my bindings. As a basic rule how does binding adjustments impact the performance of the ski. i.e. By moving them forward does this put more tip in the water and cause a sharper turn? Are binding adjustments similar to fin adjustments in terms of impact on ski's performance?  
Simon,

The basic rules for binding adjustments are as follows.  A forward movement with the bindings (from stock position) will add more nose pressure and make a smoother slower or longer arcing turn.  Backwards is the exact opposite.  A backward movement with the binding (also from stock position) relieves nose pressure and makes the ski carve a tighter arc with a more abrupt finish.

There are fin adjustments that can simulate binding movements.  It's almost opposite of binding movements.  Moving the fin backwards is a similar movement to moving your bindings forward and forward with the fin is the opposite.  If you are unsure in your fin adjustment abilities I'd recommend leaving the fin in the standard setting.  Try experimenting with forward and backward movements of the binding and see what works best for you.  If you are interested in increasing your fin and binding adjustment abilities I'd recommend a one on one water ski lesson here at the ranch with either Doug, Terry or myself.
Cheers,
Nick
Ski with Nick at Ski Sunset Ranch

WINTER HAVEN - Gov. Charlie Crist will be among the special guests in attendance Thursday when Merlin Entertainments Group Florida reveals its investment plans for Cypress Gardens and its intention to transform it into a Legoland amusement park.

News that Merlin had purchased the historic theme park from Lakeland real estate investors Rob Harper and Brian Philpot came Friday.

During Wednesday morning's Polk County Commission meeting, Commissioner Randy Wilkinson congratulated Winter Haven for getting "Legoland."

An e-mailed memo to the commissioner and his colleagues states that Cypress Gardens will become the fifth Legoland park operated by Merlin Entertainments Group worldwide and the second Legoland in the United States. The other U.S. Legoland is in Carlsbad, Calif.

Thursday's news conference in Cypress Gardens' Magnolia Mansion will begin at 10:30 a.m.

According to a news release from Merlin Entertainments Group, the speakers for the news conference will include Crist and Nick Varney, the chief executive officer of Merlin Entertainments.

Congressman Adam Putnam of Bartow, state Sen. JD Alexander of Lake Wales and Florida Attractions Association Executive Director Robert Skrob also are among the invited guests for the news conference.

Merlin Entertainments Group is the second largest attractions company in the world. Only the Walt Disney Company is ahead of it.