KC & Nate "Lock and Load"

[h2odawg79]

Here's 2 of the most exciting young Talents in the Sport demonstrating the importance of a fluid move into their Stacked position out of the turn. When I mention "Lock and Load" (as I have before) I am referring to the Military definition of "Being prepared and completely Ready" (a proactive measure) -Not in "Loading the Line"

 

They both demonstrate the effectiveness of being in a Great Leveraged position. i.e. a very stable "Tug of War" position. Skiing is Not a "Tug o War" But, the leveraged position directly out of the Turn is almost exactly done the same way and for the same reason as it is in Tug o War.

 

Watch Nate especially at 39.5 and out of #4 ball, (1:19min) He Turns and instantaneously "Falls Back" (he physically locks and loads) into a Great Stack (Tug o War) position. Then note his insane acceleration to #5 ball! Minus his Instantaneous Stack, into a great Tug o War position, Nate would get yanked OTF and tossed like a rag doll at a Yard Sale!

 

Watch KC doing a similar move especially at .42sec and 59-1:10. This clip jumps around and KC is not always on a very short leash, But his move is very obvious on the shorter lines, deliberate and very effective.

[SkiKolb]

Goods stuff, amazingly both of these guys stopped by to ski at LaPoint Ski Park today. You never know who may show up! When are you coming to ski with @h20dawg79?

[h2odawg79]

@SkiKolb,

 

Looking fwd to it. I'm still working out the final details. Geeeez, I hope that I can get out on the water soon and get my sea legs back before then...

[ForrestGump]

I just don't like describing it as "tug of war". In a tug of war, you're fighting the other side and pulling against them. We don't do that in slalom. Well, not if we want to improve. lol. Instead we harness the pull of the "other side". Same with "locked and loaded". The locked in part I get. But the loaded part infers a release or recoil. My concern is skiers can misunderstand the context of those two phrases and go down the wrong road of learning. I know from your explanation that's not what you mean, but to effectively reach others you can't use terms which will be misunderstood and I think those terms are.

[h2odawg79]

@ShaneH, I see your point and agree.

 

That is why I tried to specifically address the terms in the above post. "Lock & Load" in context to my orig. post; is not about the physical act of Locking down or Loading anything.

 

It is by Def. to "Prepare for an imminent event"... -it's a signal to be ready or prepared...

 

I agree (and stated as such) Skiing is Not a Tug o War. But, if you will take the time to watch KC or Nate in the above clips, (Still frame it even) you will notice their very distinct moves and more importantly, their body positions that physically and mechanically end up in the same position as Tug o war and they are doing it for the very same reason; LEVERAGE much like wrestling and Martial arts using Leverage to Harness the opponents power....

 

Now, in teaching someone to be able to instantaneously hit a Good Stacked (Leveraged) position, they must 1st understand why they need "it" and what "it" looks like and what it "the position" feels like. Then they can begin to try to achieve it.

 

This is where Dryland drills can be in part, a useful tool in building and maintaining the proper foundation and skills. -not to mention, they are a great tool for conditioning and stretching...

 

Also, I Love the Music on both of the vid. clips!

[Wish]

@h2odawg 79. Good stuff. I'd add to the dryland drills some water drills for the stacked feel. Chasing buoys all the time can make the task of learning that positon daunting. Stop chasing and start drilling a couple passes before you chase.. Stay on one side of the course, lean away from the boat, find that stacked position and try to stay outside the buoy line the full length of the couse. Repeat for opposite. If your below aged boat speed, do this drill at higher speeds. Shorten the line more then usual and see how far outside the buoys you can stay. The better the stack, the further out and up on the boat you will go. Lose the position and you lose forward speed and width. After one pass each side, chase away.

 

The other thing I notice with their skiing (because I dont) is how FAR out infront of them the ski is. Marc Shaw is another that comes to mind that does this. It never falls behind (a 135 prob for me). If the ski ends up behind you in the turn or even preturn, it is very very hard for the ski to finish for you to be put into that Locked-and-Loaded position as described. Andy pointed this out to me and had me push the ski out infront of me. So I tried it one pass but no luck. He asked where I was starting to push the ski out infront and I said behind the boat. He said there's not much you can do there. Too much load on the line. Start the push during your hook up and drive all the way through the wake. My ski did not fall behind, casted wider and the ski was were it needed to be at the finish of the turn for me to be stacked ealier in the right spot and not wait for the ski to catch up.

[h2odawg79]

@Wish,

 

Excellent points!

[jimbrake]

Not good to think of it as falling back either.

[aswinter05]

@jimbrake , what would be a better way of expressing that phrase? (so i can better understand) When I look at the Atlanta Pro AM advertisement on the left side of the website right now.... I'm looking at T-Gas wake crossing (or so it appears). It sure looks to me as if he's in a "falling back position." He's definitely not falling forward.

[BraceMaker]

@aswinter05 - falling implies uncontrolled motion, watch Nate Smith - he doesn't "fall" heck his torso doesn't hardly seem to move. Obtaining that powerful position is by nature of where he has smoothly transitioned to at the finish of the turn as he turned the ski back to the handle.

 

If the ski didn't finish the turn on edge with the body there, then indeed the skier would have to "fall" away from the line to get back there, but as is if the ski finishes on edge with out slack and the body is ready for the load to uptake then the body is a nice rigid structure. If you have slack and you fall away you get slammed, if you aren't on edge and you have to get back you're losing room to work and you don't get your acceleration.

 

Regardless I think working on that position statically works, but how to get there while skiing is not easy to practice on land. I know when I finish back at the handle, I feel like skiing is effortlessly, when I pick up slack and end up waiting for the pull I feel strained and slow and don't go anywhere.

[Horton]

Nate does not fall back on the line. At 39 off he is at a level where being perfectly fluid is nearly impossible. He is ever so slightly absorbing the load/controlling the load.

He moves his mass away from the pylon late and with precision.

 

[jimbrake]

Well said @brady. Falling back implies being in a standing up position first. You're in a lean in the turn already and as others have stated you should already be stacked with your feet ankles knees hips and core aligned. The main concern should be carrying that stack thru the turn with your mass travelling in the direction you want to go as you accel. Falling back is not in the direction you want your mass to travel.

[Horton]

@jimbrake wrong thread but close?

[h2odawg79]

Yes, the term “Fall Back” can be very mis-leading! One does not fall back on the Ski itself. But, rather back Away from the boat, with the ski on edge. The “Fall” aspect is actually more the combination of the allowing the Ski to move slightly fwd. (in front) and allowing your Arms to go straight, while moving or “pushing” the Handle directly down to your thighs.

 

Here’s some timeless advice from Chris Rossi

 

Quote: “When you place your outside hand back on the handle after a turn, think "load is bad, get rid of it" To do this, as soon as you feel load or pull from the boat, push the handle down. I think the big word here is "push" the handle down. Almost everyone I watch ski instantly "pulls" on the handle after the turn. Any pulling of the handle results in you holding your body upright, thus minimizing ski angle. By pushing the handle down your leg, you are letting your body fall more off the edge of your ski, thus increasing edge angle. The great thing about this is it takes considerably less energy to do, and you gain a lot of space into the next buoy. This lesson applies to every skier at every level.

If you are having a hard time visualizing what I am teaching, try this. Hook a handle up to a post or the pylon of the boat. Now put your self in your wake crossing position. From here I want you to pull harder on the handle. The visual for this would be to try to bend the pylon or post you are connected to. When you do this, what you'll find is that your body actually comes higher than where it started. Since the post doesn't move, any pulling force, will inevitably raise your body, thus reducing ski angle. Now get back in that wake crossing position and "push" the handle down your leg. Your body naturally falls away as far as it can, thus gaining maximum ski edge.

I'd like everyone to give this some thought and on your next ski set, see what you feel”.

 

Chris

 

[Wish]

@aswinter5 IMHO T-Gas to me is in a resistive position established because of the turn and at the point in the picture is no longer "falling back". By the very nature of the turn turning inward your body has to counter that inward motion by leaning or falling to the inside (what looks like falling away from the boat) of the turn itself. If you did a similar tight radius, high speed turn on a bicycle and did not counter by leaning, dropping, falling with your COM to the inside of the turn (not to much, not to little) and rode it out with yourself straight up and down, you would end up getting tossed over the opposite side of the bicycle as it relates to the turn. With that said, T-Gas already countered the turn by being back but with level and (for lack of a better term), open shoulders to the boat, and resisting, perhaps a little tug but certainly utilizing the boat to propel himself in the established direction without more fall back. I think that if you say "falling back", it gives the notion that you have to perform beyond what you had to naturally establish out of the turn so as not to fall to the inside for a splash down or get tossed over the outside of the turn. . So.. Falling back may not be the best term and in my head that position T-Gas is in comes from the natural physics of mass needing to counter the turn like on a bike and he's using that established leaning look for resisting to propel forward.

[A_B]

I think a key point is to get the ski around the turn and out in front so that it is not under you, or worse yet, behind you. This is the result of the reverse C and chair position with the ski out in front going into the turn. "Falling back" when the ski is under you is what creates the dreaded wheelie, pulling the tip up and then needing to reestablish angle, losing precious time and distance down course.

[jimbrake]

@horton - no, right thread. Just commenting on "lock and load" being something you ski into with your mass and already-established lean, not something you fall back into.

[Horton]

@Jimbrake

I agree with your post. Was just confused.

[ToddL]

Locked, Low, and ready to GO!