technical skiing issue

[6balls]

Buddy took rapid fire still shots of a succesful 35 on me, perched in a kayak near the course. Set up to balls looks fantastic, but after rounding the ball my tip comes up significantly before coming back down and taking off. He has pics of this on BOTH sides. I know this is costing me precious time and is hurting me at 38. In one photo it looks like I have bent my back leg in order to compensate for the issue w/ski tip still high...at that point turn is about done, the line is tight and in both hands. Wonder if it's too much initial angle, then I bend back leg to re-set proper and then off to next buoy.

I skied 3 35's in a row tonight on each of two sets and could see my tip come up after passing under the rope.

I've tried keeping head more level, more knee bend, reaching down the buoy line etc. Any thoughts? Am I failing to let the ski finish? Snapping the turn and over-rotating to rear foot?

What concepts could keep me over the ski better at the finish of the turn for a smoother hook up and earlier exit? More patience? 35's are fine but I know it needs a fix for consistent 38.

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

[thager]

6Ball, I'm nowhere near your level but I'm skiing on Razors Fisher orange. That happens to me if I drop back as I connect with handle instead of driving my knees and hips in the intended direction of travel with elbows in tight and handle low.

[eleeski]

As long as your ski tip goes under the rope instead of over it you're OK! What you describe happened to many of the skiers I watched at Nationals (Badal and CP come to mind although I doubt that it was intentional). How you emerge from the turn - whatever it looks like - is critical. Fix your 38 by skiing 38 not beating yourself up on successful 35s.

 

I'm going to grind on my ski to make the tip rise instead of smoothly skiing into slack.

 

Nate Smith's ski, however, had no tip rise. He looked weird (in a high performance way). Maybe you are on to the heart of Nate's success but I could not figure out how he was doing it. An oversize ski? Lightning fast reflexes? When we figure out exactly what he does will that be Midwest style?

 

Horton's disclaimer about not listening to anything I say applies here, Eric

[rq0013]

I have watched Nate and talked with others about his style. From What I see Nate "falls" into the turn, less with his center of mass and more with his entire body.

[jdarwin]

6balls - try moving your front binding (or both) forward 1/8". Not saying that is the answer but if it is happening on both sides, may solve some of the issues.

[Than_Bogan]

yeah, with that happening on both sides, I'd definitely try a few quick boot adjustments, both forward and (if that doesn't work) back. (In my limited experiene with boot movements, I've noticed that many skiers instinctively overcompensate for boot position and thus it's possible for the symptoms to be the opposite of what you'd expect.)

 

If this is the fix, it should probably feel better instantly, so I wouldn't spend a lot of time trying it. Just something quick with a chance to help.

[6balls]

Thanks for comments thus far. I tried up a hole...seemed to make a real shovel out of it and harder to cast outbound. This doesn't affect me until 35, then shows up. Have been trying to think of a sight line or concept that will work in my head. Lots of ways to say something that means the same thing in the end...waiting to hear the thing that goes "click" in my head so I can work with it!

[jdarwin]

If you tried boot movements, try moving your fin back .010. I avoid adding length to correct because of the outbound issues you referenced.

[Razorskier1]

Ok brutha -- one other possibility. You may be rocking your shoulders forward in the pre-turn. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Stay still over your bindings coming into the ball and through the reach, and you may find that you are still and over your bindings coming out. As I think more about what I saw last week, you clearly come forward more than most coming into the turn. Quiet on the ski, quiet on the ski, quiet on the ski.

[Wish]

@6balls That thing that goes "click" in your head may ultimately require medical attention. Mine did.

[6balls]

Hmm...you are right I do rock forward, ski then comes in and I need to get back before line is tight or risk bent over pull or out the front. This pushes back of ski to more angle than necessary while rotating weight to rear foot and requires quick reset to less angle. Works at 35...at 38 not so much.

Now to fix this...

THanks all!