Definition of ''Edge Change''

[jRoe]

I recently skied with a pro coach and asked him to define the edge change in physicial terms. I had a page full of my thoughts and other notes I had gathered to help me try to improve on my edge change. I ask the coach to read them to see if he agreed with any of these ideas.... well after he read them, he kinda wadded em up and put them in glove box, I could see he was thinking, as he hooked up the rope to the plyon. I'm on platform fixing to drop in water ,...ready for his answer, his quote was''There is no edge change''. I'm like what !!!

[Than_Bogan]

Fwiw: I, too, do not perform a conscious edge change. I recently discovered via some back-and-forth here that skiers seem to be kind of binarized on this: Some focus very much on when and how to change edges, and others focus on completely different elements that indirectly cause an edge change.

 

I have no clue when I change edges and if someone tried to teach me a technique related to that I'd have no idea how to apply it.

 

The only time I notice what edge I'm on is when I extend away from the handle. Since I seem to be on the opposite edge on each side, my math background allows me to conclude that I must have changed edges somewhere in between! ;)

[Marco]

I'm with Than. Edge change is something I never think about. It is the result of doing a bunch of other things, like loading and unloading the ski, which is a result of the amount of angle taken, which is related to how leveraged your body position is, etc...

 

The only time I notice my edge change is when it is really late, telling me that I am too narrow and skiing at the ball.

[ForrestGump]

The ski changes edge due to hydrodynamic pressure against it's running surface. A very smart, open rated skier once told me the ski will edge change at max load against it. Whether that is directly behind the boat, at the buoy you just left, or 10 ft after the 2nd wake is up to you. He told me you vary where the edge change happens not by something you do at the edge change, but everything you do before. If you need to edge change earlier, you have to move your work zone back.

[thompjs]

Shane that s**ks. Too bad (for me) it is true.

[Than_Bogan]

Ah, good. Was hoping to hear from Shane on this -- he has a good way of describing it.

[sunvalleylaw]

I like how @ShaneH says that. Obviously there is an edge change. My guess is the coaches don't want to talk about it as something you do, but as a result of what you have done. We talk a lot about edge change in snow skiing/boarding, and one can go back and look at the edge change from the evidence on the snow. (at least on the groomers). But it is how the edge change is occurring that is more important.

 

Since the waterski is riding "in" the water, it is a little different. I would guess it would be hard to effectively change edge from just tipping the feet/boots/ankles as you literally can do snow skiing. But in both sports, what you are doing leading up to the point the edge changes (and what you do after) is at least as, and probably more important to focus on.

 

I noticed on one of my last runs at the Black Butte course the other night that on a couple turns, I let that whatever process that resulted in the edge change, whether it was correct or incorrect, happen a bit early so that I popped off the wake as I was changing edge. Obviously not the correct series of events. (though it was pretty fun). Before I was holding my edge through both wakes better then allowing the sequence of events resulting in an edge change to occur after I was through the wakes. I immediately went back to holding my edge.

[MrBrown]

Great discription Shaneh!

 

Here's some valuable articles by "homeboy Terry W. and the Malibu Runner up, Rossi!

 

http://www.usawaterski.org/pages/Instructional%20Articles/Slalom/SlalomTransitionZone.pdf

 

http://www.usawaterski.org/pages/Instructional%20Articles/Slalom/ProperEdgeChange.pdf

[jRoe]

Well, thanks for the feedback... to finish my story the pro coach said its '' result of what you have done'' leading up to that edge change, Just like Marco stated...

So I have been working on his tips and man it not easy.. I have trouble running my -35 consistently. Some days i can run 3 in a row other days I'm 1 for 4. The coach told me i was ''pushing'' at times behind the boat. This pushing causes the ski to Slow which leads too narrowness at the ball or bad edge change (take your pick) . I can still push my way thru that pass but it's a rodeo --- and I'm not a good cowboy!

[ForrestGump]

@jRoe I'm finding one of the hardest concepts for me personally to get is how to resist the load with my knees, without pushing. You are not alone.

[Ed_Johnson]

I find the more I can shift COM in the direction of travel at the hookup, the better "Rebound" I get off of ZO, chrisper edge change, and better directional carryout.

[sunvalleylaw]

@Ed Johnson, I am really interested in that. When you mean hookup, do you mean at the end of the turn, when both hands return to the handle? If so, (or even if not), I am very interested in how you move the COM in the direction of travel. That is a big thing in snow skiing too.

[ForrestGump]

@sunvalleylaw It's in the knees and ankles.

[sunvalleylaw]

@ShaneH, thanks. That is what I was thinking, but wanted to be sure.

[Than_Bogan]

Once again, different ways of saying the same thing are key. I have a ton of trouble understanding any COM movements b/c I don't know where it is or what muscles to use to move it. But driving the knees and ankles forward is something I can do (and try to, with varying degrees of success).