8 Bouy Slalom Course - Difference

[Slalom101]

I have been reading about slalom skiers using an 8 bouy slalom course and "how they get that much extra" out of their training. How is this different to running an extra pass or two on a 6 bouy slalom course?

[Waternut]

I would love to ski an 8 buoy course for training. You faults start showing up more and more the further down the course you get. If I barely make 6, I know that there would be no way to make 7 or 8. Plus that's two additional balls you can practice your preturn, turn, and wake crossing on without having to drop, start up, go around the island, and all the other aspects that use energy but don't really matter.

[liquid d]

33% more turns in one pass

[Stevie Boy]

Perhaps I have the wrong end of the stick here, the 8 bouy course is staggered so that you can ski six bouys on a short lake, I do not think you can ski 8 bouys ?

[MattP]

There is a full 8 buoy at Okee. not an over lapping course like others have, but 8 full turs a pass.

[Ilivetoski]

Its no diffrent. Its not running 8 buoys instead of 6. People use 8 buoys courses for short lake set ups. I have a friend who I ski with on occasion who skis at an 8 buoy course. I cant stand skiing there. I ski at a normal size private tournment ski lake with a USAWS regulation 6 buoy course. On my course I get deep into -32 and have run it 1 time and his lake I get maybe 1 1/2@32 just not enough time to set up after you get up. Before the boat PLAINS OUT you are PULLING OUT FOR YOUR GATE. Tell me how that works.

[Ed_Obermeier]

I have been reading about slalom skiers using an 8 bouy slalom course and "how they get that much extra" out of their training. How is this different to running an extra pass or two on a 6 bouy slalom course?

 

Where'd you read that?

[Stevie Boy]

Best training video " The Wilson Brothers " Spin it to Win It

[Taelan28]

If youre on a actual ski lake then it would not really be beneficial. If you have the space then of course it would help. Why stop at 8? why not be a man and go around 12 or 16 buoys?

[ntx]

Go to youtube and do a search for "12buoy madness" Watch Kevin Melnick run -32 off @ 36 mph at Firebird lake. Pretty awesome

[pugs]

@EdO. I while back (Spring spring maybe?) Schnitz had an article about the benefits of skiing an 8 ball course, which I believe was at Okee.

[webbdawg99]

There is some confusion here. @MattP is correct. When someone says an "8 buoy course", they could mean one of 2 things. One: a course that has 2 more turn balls with one set of pre-gates and gates at each end. Two: a pair of overlapping courses used on a very short lake. There are 2 different entry gates and 2 different exit gates. With the second setup mentioned, there is no entry gate preceding the first 2 balls. You ski past these 2 and run the last 6 so that the boat has enough time to get up to speed on the short lake. Kinda hard to explain....easier to see.

 

@Ilivetoski. Here is a video of the 8 ball course at Okee....

 

[Ed_Obermeier]

I'd never heard of an actual 8-buoy course like that, that's why I asked. Pretty cool idea though. I've built a number of 8-BALL courses (two overlapping 6-buoy courses) for customers but never an 8-BUOY course. Wouldn't be a problem to build one though, if anyone needs one. :>)