LAFAYETTE, La. — Alison Lindy and her University of Louisiana-Lafayette water-ski team took first in the Division I Collegiate Waterski National Championships last October in Austin, Texas. A freshman tricks and slalom specialist, Lindy was ready to play collegiate hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter before skiing scholarships took her down to the bayou. Here, the 2010 Centennial High School graduate discusses her life in waterskiing and her favorite Minnesota lakes.
Q: How did you get your start waterskiing?
Lindy: My dad taught me when I was 3 years old. They would hold me up behind the boat. I started skiing on one ski when I was 8, which is harder to do and gives bragging rights.
Q: Did you go to school in Louisiana to ski all year?
Lindy: I was set to play college hockey at Gustavus but then I was offered scholarship money at Lafayette. I took my first look down here Aug. 17, drove down on Aug. 19 and made my first class Aug. 20. You could ski year-round here but of course I'll be home for Christmas break.
Q: Did you know Louisiana-Lafayette had a ski team?
Muscat, Oman: Finishing fifth in a field of 11 – behind a 1-2-3 medal sweep for super power China – might be enough to satisfy many athletes from around Asia. But not Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah, who wanted much more – even at seven years old!
“I am not happy,” said the Malaysian tiny tot, after finishing fifth in the women’s tricks event of the water skiing competition at Barr Al Jissah on Wednesday afternoon.
“I want to be a world-class skier so I have to practise a lot more.”
In this respect she has an advantage, as her father runs a water skiing business at Putrajaya.
“My whole family does it, and I like it because it is challenging and exciting,” she adds. “I train for one hour a day, sometimes two, and I also like watching videos of water skiing tricks in the evenings.”
Aaliyah is small, even for her age, and it took some courage and strength to tackle the choppy seas. For the marathon swimming at the same venue earlier in the Beach Games, the sea was calm and flat, but a stiff breeze churned up the water for the skiers and resulted in some tumbling crashes.
When the “new school of slalom” fad came out a few years back, there were some key similarities identified between snow skiing and waterskiing that few people had previously bothered to consider. Many of these were contrary to the established “proper” slalom technique, but on analysis, proved to be very valid and effective when applied to slalom.
I believe the most important, and most overlooked similarity is that the snowskier tries to keep his upper body constantly facing downhill while letting his hips and knees do all the work in turning. Similarly, the slalom skier should keep his upper body always facing squarely downcourse. The fundamental basis is stability of balance which leads to efficiency of movement – keeping the ski(s) moving instead of stopping. Applying this concept to the slalom course is equally valid – and makes several other key body alignments fall into place.
Shoulders facing downhill, eyes and shoulders level. Note how well balanced this skier looks.
Photo 1. The snowskier's upper body is still and the hips/knees are doing the work.
LAFAYETTE, La. — Alison Lindy and her University of Louisiana-Lafayette water-ski team took first in the Division I Collegiate Waterski National Championships last October in Austin, Texas. A freshman tricks and slalom specialist, Lindy was ready to play collegiate hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter before skiing scholarships took her down to the bayou. Here, the 2010 Centennial High School graduate discusses her life in waterskiing and her favorite Minnesota lakes.
Muscat, Oman: Finishing fifth in a field of 11 – behind a 1-2-3 medal sweep for super power China – might be enough to satisfy many athletes from around Asia. But not Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah, who wanted much more – even at seven years old!