Has anyone ever learned to ski 36 mph after age 25?

[skifreak]

We were discussing on the drive home tonight that most people probably learn 36 mph when they are kids and move right from skiing something like 32/-28 to 36/-22. It is Hard to ski 36 -15! I can run 34 and 34/-22 almost every time, but only a few times getting through the course at 36 now. I am thinking I will go back to 34 for a while and run a bunch of -22 and -28 maybe and then slowly speed the boat up at those rope lengths.

 

Thoughts?

[skifreak]

oh, posted with wifes account, imagine I am a 29 year old man when answering

[Than_Bogan]

I learned 36 as an adult. DAMN fast. Must establish leverage position quickly so you can hit it hard but not for too long. 36/15 is waay harder than 34/22, but 36/22 is a much smaller step, so you can look forward to that someday.

[skifreak]

Yeah I am having a real problem with my pull into 2. For the longest time i wasn't getting into the good position, trying to pull right out of the ball, now I am getting into a rood position and getting a ton of speed but holding it for too long. I guess I need to consciously start coming out of my pull earlier at the lower speeds and carrying speed out so that I am not having to change at the higher speed.

[Than_Bogan]

Post a video for some more targeted advice.

[apodawil]

I too joined this sport later in life. I started skiing the course at the age 22. Started at 28 mph and during that spring time I got into 36 mph some time during that summer. I really got stuck at 36 like yourself. It is a hard pass! Try to pull though the second wake with good body position like you do at 34 mph (more than likely) put push down with your legs more. To say this different. After you hook up after your turn think about doing a squat against the boat, though the second wake. Hope that works.

 

This may help, may not. if you try 34 alot take you wing off. This will give you more speed into the ball

[gregy]

I recreational skied from about age 7. I didn't try the course until age 18. I never free skied more than 32mph but was able to learn 36mph within a year to year in a half. Shortly after I first started the course, I spent a week that spring at ski school and another week that summer. Both at Bennetts, which I think really helped me at to learn 36 mph. I'd highly recommend going to a good ski school.

 

When I was a kid I was into half pipe, vert skateboarding and one think I learned from that is sometimes I have to push myself to do things that make me feel uncomfortable. I still do that when I'm try to learn shorter line lengths.

 

All that being said, I'm glad I'm in the 34mph age group now.

 

Good luck, keep at it. You can get it.

[kfennell]

Yeah we are looking to go to ski school next summer maybe, already have this summer booked up.I am fortunate though that I live where there are already world class coaches including a coach from Bennets, Lori Kreuger and Wim Decree who I can get lessons from here. I need to definitely use that more!

[GAJ0004]

I started trying it at age 24. The keys are get maximum angle across the entrace gates. You want to clip the back side of the right gateball with the top of your ski. Get and stay as wide as you can, and most important bent and soft knees around the turns. Let the ski finish the turn, or you will lose angle.

 

[Than_Bogan]

@GAJ0004 That's a great point -- soft knees are huge and were one of the things I now remember that I really had to work on.

 

Stiff legs can mean running straight, and at that speed that takes you way downcourse in the blink of an eye.

 

Finish that turn with a little extra knee bend (or ankle gend or softness or whatever way of thinking about it works for you) and see what that does for you.

[DanE]

When I was still skiing @22 off 36 mph I opened @15 off 34mph and opted up to 22off 36mph, much easier IMHO than running 15 off 36 mph.

[jwroblew]

I didn't start skiing until I was 24, first time I say a course was 26, I did manage to get into 38' off before I aged down to 34. I still ski 36 every once and awhile, I think it's more fun than 34.

 

I see a lot of people open up at 22' @ 34 and then go to 22' @ 36, instead of opening up at 15' @36.

[GAJ0004]

When I skied 36 MPH I would start at 32 MPH 15 off, then go 34 MPH 15 off, then 36 MPH 15off. I could never run it unless I started slower. I would always spin at each end until I cleared 15 off 36MPH. I would never stop until I shortened the rope. I skied 36MPH in practice until I was 38 years old.

[JDM]

I skied for years without speed control, so who knows how fast and then finally started skiing in a setting that allowed me to focus on the course and started tournaments, but not until I was 30 years old, which is when I first tried 36MPH. It felt so freaking fast at first. This is my third year at that speed and am just now feeling comfortable after years of skiing slower speeds. Finally getting into 28 off consistently. The key for me is maintaining outbound direction and not skiing down course at any point, because with the boat speed and speed you generate, the second you let yourself go down course you are done.

 

 

[35 in the bag]

The opt up idea is a good one.

 

Back in the seventies & early eighties we were forced to run long line (75') at anything less than our max speed. So learning 36 on a 75' rope was a difficult and dicey thing and a prerequisite to learning 15 & 22 off. Most tourneys were single round too. So quite a few times I opened at 34 longline only to fall at 36 longline even though I could run into & through 28 off very consistently. Ah..........those were the days. Our speed control system was located between the driver's ears.

 

JIII

[unksskis]

I couldn't consistently ski 36 until about age 25. It's a lot easier than 34