Another video... Any comments welcome

[paul]

Long time TWSF member - first time BOS posting...

 

I struggling at 35' (my 32's aren't as easy as they should be either). I am obviously have trouble on my offside keeping my hips up.

 

[paul]

hmmm embed didn't work - I suck

[wwk87]

I'm by no means an expert, but one thing that may help is getting wider on your pull out.

[racerdjs]

I don't ski close to your level, but what a gorgeous setting for a ski course!

[6balls]

Gotta get wider on pull out. The narrow pull out creates a situation where you have to pull too long and at shortline that will kill you. A long pull there gets you too high on the boat too late (and fast) making the turn very challenging.

You pulled all the way to the time you took a hand off. Take the wider gate, pull shorter to one, initiate(begin) edge change earlier with two hands on the handle, remain outbound to nearly buoy line before you give that handle up.

[sunvalleylaw]

Hi Paul. I am Steve, a BOS newb here as well. Nice skiing in a nice looking place! I also don't ski at your level but was curious where the lake is. Based on your avatar pic you snow ski as well. Where do you snow ski? Cheers!

[GaryWilkinson]

Paul, nice skiing btw. just some fine tuning. Like all others, I agree your cut out for 1 Ball/gates is narrow. Extend that out wider and earlier to get a better angle on 1. Event hough you made the 32 pass it was mostly late from the 1st ball and that wont help you at 35. The result from not skiing wide enough / fast enough, is narrower turns, ski faces down course too much resulting in hooking (over-turning) some of the balls in your 32 pass and getting progressively later.

 

So right from the start on the pullout, get a balanced skiing stance more on your front foot with hips over middle of the ski. Push you hips further forward on the cuts thus getting more ski in the water and better control and, strangely enough, less pull on the rope. Andy always told me that the boat is the weakest when you are wide so use the early width to your advantage to turn more away from the boat. Once in that position you will accelerate better AND carry more speed into 1 ball with LESS tension on the rope. This results in a turn under control, wide of 1 ball and you'll end up "back-siding" the buoy and be well ahead and in a strong position. I trick that I am now using is from Than's thread/article on Trailing arm pressure, is when I get to the 2nd wake I ensure my trailing arm is in tight by giving it a tug on the handle thus bringing that arm in close at the all important pre-turn. It also reminds me to have my hips more forward. Do a search on Than's thread on "trailing arm pressure" and you'll see what I mean.

 

But 1st things 1st: cut wider for your 1 ball cut and ski faster with a sharper, earlier angle, especially at 28 and 32.

 

This is all IMHO as I am at the same spot ( a few at 35 off) as you are. Good luck!

[Than_Bogan]

Yep, @6balls has nailed it here. Do all that and -35 will fall every time.

 

The only thing I'd add is that the 1-hand gate isn't doing anything for you. You're using a 2-hand gate style, except dropping an arm off. I'm not an expert on a 1-hand gate (I use 2 and I'm not even an expert on THAT), but I do know that for it to make any sense it has to look more like going around a 0 ball.

 

If you can follow @6balls advice, the much wider apex outside the course may result in making more of a "real" turn. If it doesn't, my personal advice would be to use a 2-handed gate.

 

Btw, it's crazy how much your skiing style looks like mine. Not sure that's a good thing... :)

[rawly]

Good skiing,I'm about where you are(5@35)looks like you need to get your hips forward on the gates and the crossings in that direction. You look nice and stacked out of 1,3,5,but slightly un-stacked on off side crossings. Let us know when you run that 35

[paul]

thanks all. The course is on Shumway Lake near Kamloops BC. Snowskiing in the monashees (backcountry).

 

Interesting comments on the gate pullout. I usually try to get to the buoy line (not sure if I am here - definitely not on either my 28 or 32 pass. )

 

I will definitely try to get wider and see what happens. My 35' gates have been very problematic this year (obviously since I am narrow and due to the mass between my ears)

 

I have been working on changing my vision this year and looking more down course to open myself up to the boat. I have been battling with getting enough angle from my ski but in the last couple weeks it has vastly improved.

 

I'll post another video sometime - I tweaked my back on the weekend running 4 at 35 so I am out for a bit - its coming though.