Beginner course addict looking for help... 28' off.

[Rivvy]

Hey I am just starting to click this year with my 2008 prophecy and am looking for some advice. I am stuck at 28' off. I am skiing 34 mph, on a 65" prophecy, with stock fin settings. I am thinking about starting to dabble with the fin, but am a little reluctant after reading a number of posts recommending to leave it alone. I will post a video of me free skiing tonight but will follow that up shortly with some more footage in the near future. For all you short liners out there I am looking for some advise. I am running out of summer and want to conquer before the snow flies.

 

 

Thanks guys.

 

Ball of Spray Newbie.

[tfriess]

It says your video is unavailable...

[6balls]

Welcome to BOS! The video is a little distant, but still appears you must be too far on the back foot in the lean as your ski tip comes up at the wake. You are also narrower free skiing there than you will need to be in the course.

Like most of us did, you pull until edge change, make quick and complete edge change while reaching simultaneously and coming up course...this kills your width but is comfortable right now because it keeps your line tight as you ski. It won't cut it in the buoys, though.

The most challenging thing in this sport IMHO is the outbound non-pulling phase that brings width.

You will gain energy and speed by leaning with better balance over your ski, the trick is to take this energy outbound, not down course. Initiate your edge change early(meaning begin to rise up out of the deeper portion of your lean), and as you roll to your turning edge maintain outbound with two hands on the handle...it's not time to release and turn just yet. Even at 35 off I can nearly look down the 1,3,5 buoy line before my hand comes off.

Some video closer up and/or in the course would be helpful, too.

[RichardDoane]

@rivvy - your driver gets an A for going straight, even while playing with the camera, just for fun shorten the line and you'll get the feeling of being "free of the boat" in your pre-turn, where's that lake ?

[crashman]

"Even at 35 off I can nearly look down the 1,3,5 buoy line before my hand comes off" @6balls that is a very useful piece of information

[Than_Bogan]

Somebody recently stated that at -39 "you have to hold the handle forever." I have to assume this is true, because man do I have to hold on to it long to have any chance at -38.

[Rivvy]

Awesome response! Thank you so much. I will repost a video in the next couple of days with some fine tuning of my technique. The lake is in MN. A metro lake. It was an awesome evening. I will be focussing in on getting my weight over my ski more and holding on with both hands longer. I've learned that any pulling I do after crossing the wakes results in slack. I am interpreting the feedback as get into that turning edge earlier, hold that position longer while being balanced over my ski, and don't release that hand until just prior to the bouy. I do sometimes have a hard time getting that offside edge.

 

Sorry I don't know how to zoom in with my gopro.

 

Thanks again!

[Skoot1123]

@Rivvy - Nice! I noticed some of the same things the guys above have said. But also that your offside (at least I think your right foot forward) cut across the wakes you flatten the ski a little bit just before hitting the first wake. This will make you "hop" over the wake and make you lose angle that you create during your turn. In essence, it just pulls you down course/down the lake.

[6balls]

@rivvy, what lake in metro MN? @razorskier1 lives on Minnewashta, I'm over in Litchfield and ran buoys on my lunch hour today just south of town.

[Rivvy]

That sounds like an awesome set up! Im in the White bear lake area.

 

Where should your hardest pull be?

[RichardDoane]

into the first wake

[6balls]

Look at @skidawg's profile pic to see a great shot of keeping the handle with both hands while riding the turning edge outbound. Advanced skill.

[Rivvy]

ok I would like to preface this next video. It isn't the greatest film but I said I would post something in the next couple of days so here you go. I don't want you guys to think that you are wasting your time on me. I think this sport is a lot like golf once you start playing with stuff everything goes. I was not able to get access to our lake course so it is free skiing again. I do like the "leverage" advise. Putting weight on that front foot and trying to drive that outward felt pretty good. You can't really tell in the video but I did feel more comfortable on my on side vs offside doing this. Holding onto the handle later had mixed results. I seemed to get more slack by trying to stay in the leverage position until just before the turn. I really won't see any of the fruits until I get myself in to the course again. Maybe tomorrow. It may be a few more days until I post again. I had a brain lapse after skiing and did some footing (water was just too nice to resist). You know the rest of the story, lets just say that now I remember why I'm a swerver not a footer.

 

Thanks again for all the advice. I will keep working on it.