Breaking at the waste

[Jarydcohen]

Hi guys... I'm having a problem on my offside, I'm working on opening up on my offside but as soon as I open up I break at the waste, so if I don't open up I get no width, and if I do open up I break and the waste and fall, I need help, please!!!

[RichardDoane]

post a video if possible, that way we can see your style and issues

[skidawg]

waist, not waste (sorry, mom was an english teacher)

[Ed_Obermeier]

As a broad generalization breaking at the waist is usually caused by getting back on the handle before you completely finish the turn (aka pulling off the ball).  When I have this problem it's usually when running late or trying to rush.  When I make myself wait longer to get back on the handle (allowing the ski to run all the way to the finish of the turn) it's generally not an issue. 

On my offside turn I sometimes tend to lean forward and in as I reach rather than stand up and counter with my hips which also causes me to break.  Video analysis will show that pretty quickly if that's the case.

Ed

[Gern Blanston]

I agree with Ed - I find I break at the waist when I'm not patient enough.  I need to finish the turn and bring my hips to the handle.

[Jarydcohen]

Thanks guys... So you saying I should be more patient in the turn and wait for the handle to come to me? I've been struggling to think of what I've been doing wrong but this makes sense.. Thanks guys :)

[Ed_Obermeier]

So many things about slalom skiing are counterintuitive.  The shorter the rope, the faster you go, the faster you think you need to do things. For me at least, the more patient I am and the more I try to slow certain things down i.e. getting back on the handle too soon, at what point I start to pull/resist, making sure I'm in a properly leveraged position BEFORE I start pulling/resisting (just to name a couple) the better I do. So IMO I'd say yeah, be more patient and wait for the handle to come to you (or ski your hip back around to the handle, another way of saying the same thing). 

For me it's a constant battle between the consious mind knowing how I SHOULD be doing it and the unconsious minds overpowering natural desire to rush as things get faster.  You get to the point that you're doing things fairly well, think you've got it down, start relaxing and not remaining focused on basics and bam, you've taken two steps back.  So I have to constantly remind myself to be patient in the turn and to stay focused on the basics. 

Ed 

[robscholl-OF]

If I just think, "Ski my hip to the handle," it all takes care of itself.  No break at the waist and amazingly enough, my ski finishes.  Amen to what the others have said as well.

OF 

 

[malibudude]

Ed, pretty much summed up the major items.  I'd also suggest that if you drop the handle down or into the water can also contribute to breaking at the waist.  The other is if you are not over your front over your knees and, therefore, sit back out of the turn and stiff leg it causing you get on the back of the ski, almost guarantees you'll break forward.

[LeonL]

Take a look a Chris Rossi's article in the September issue of Water Skier.   He references what he calls the 'Power Triangle'.  Saying the same thing some of you guys said only in different words.   Also in 'opening up' sometimes the ski slows more than you're accustomed to and you get too slow, then the boat pull you over.