Early Season Open Water Training - Line Lengths

[2tracmind]

Our group of skiing buddies are now on the water. We will be free skiing for 1.5 months before a course goes in.

What is the advice from short line skiers on tactics to maximize this free skiing time ?

1. Line lengths, if you want consistent 32's this year what length should we free ski ?

2. Width. Without turn balls to go around our width is unknown. How crucial is this when working on technical free skiing.

3. Other suggestions or strategies ?

 

My view is to ski a bit longer line and dial things in, then shorten. My partners are choosing to free ski at the pb length almost exclusively. Feedback ?

 

[Ed_Johnson]

I am a big believer that you should mix Free Skiing with Course Skiing, especially when trying New Technique...Video really helps in this arena.

 

..Since you don't have a course at this time, I would work on a Leveraged Stacked position cross course, followed by a transition that will use your angular momentum to maximize "Outbound Direction." Then Counter Rotation to a smooth turn, simulating looking down course, to keep your head and shoulders level to the hookup, while keeping the handle with a Low Anchor Point...Then stacked leverage position, while moving Center of Mass in direction of travel.

 

Don't be afraid to keep shortening the line much shorter than you would in the course..It will speed up your reflexes and teach you to be smoother.

 

Good Luck, ED

[lpskier]

I recommend starting with several sets at your starting line length, which in my case is 28. After some sets when I am starting to feel comfortable, I shorten, and ski each shortening length until I am comfortable at that length. You can take time and focus on technique. Maybe after two weeks/10 sets, I'll ski 28, 32 35, 35, 38, 38, 38, 39, 39, 35. I ski a lot of 38 and 39 free skiing because it will be late June or early July before I see 38 in a course, and if I ever run 38 again, I'll at least have some familiarity with 39. I have little chance of really focusing on technique at 38 in the course, so I do that work free skiing. That said, I did just spend way more on a new ski than I have ever spent before, so I had damned well better see some 39 this season.

[ral]

If doable, try not to free ski 1.5 months w/o a course.

 

Do not use anything longer than 28 off. You are not getting any timing or turning reference while free skiing, so go for the shorter lines you can run on the course (which are the one you will put less when on it...).

 

One of the big issues you face free skiing is cheating yourself regarding width. You can feel and look great with short lines, but most likely you will be skiing much narrower than what is needed. One thing you can do is put marks on the side of the boat, and have the observer giving feedback in terms of getting the right width.

 

Also, take in account that ZO behaves differently without a mapped course.

[lpskier]

@RAL Good point. RAL is suggesting you calculate the location of the rope on the gunnels for each line length and mark the areas with colored duct tape. Then, for example, if you are at 28 off, make sure the rope is in the 28 off zone on the gunnel. If your gunnel is white and your tape is bright colors, you can keep track yourself while you ski.

[Razorskier1]

I open water ski every spring, usually 2-4 weeks before I can get the time to get my course up. I find all line lengths useful. I usually run 28 off for a while, then 32, then some 35. Later in the season I will mix in open water and run -38 and -39 to work on figuring out the load, timing, etc. As for your timing, I think about using the whitewash after the second wake as my conscious point where I start to ease up on the lean and let the edge change start. It isn't a magic spot, just a spot that works for me and is consistent on both sides of the wake. I'd recommend starting with that as your "edge change point" to get your width and rythm consistent.