Baldman Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 Year and a half ago, skied 35 off 34 mph for the first time. Was late and slow so took a step back to try and get the proper speed and width to be able to run this pass consistently (plus have a real crack at the next one). Leans are getting better and I can feel the "hole shot" a lot better. In pictures/videos my lean looks good enough (but still working on it, both for intensity and consistency). My year long issue is the transition into 2. I am LFF and I can only seem to "snap" a consistent edge change if I really yank the handle in off the second wake. Going into one I just pin my elbows to the vest and the edge change takes care of itself just off the second wake. Some concept does not work going into 2. And the more load I get off of one the worse it gets at 2 (narrow and out of control, especially at 35). Proved this to myself by skiing in the wind yesterday (bunch of 28s in a 10 mph head/tail) and confirmed that only by yanking the handle in going into two could I snap an edge change and stay connected to the boat, not allowing the wind to mess up my pass. Without the yank I would fall at two no matter the loading out of one or whether it was a head or tail wind. (And I think my handle control at the ball is pretty good - in other words, it wasn't that I was connected in the preturn and lost it at the ball). The problem with the "yank" (about 50 to 100 lbs of pressure?) is it tends to pitch me forward, causing a bad early line especially at 35 and problems at the ball if my weight gets too far forward. Also my right elbow has been hurting for months (especially feel it during triceps exercises). I have tried taking out length, keeping shoulders pointed at the shore (helps with outbound on a calm day but ineffective in the wind), hips forward at the edge change, pushing ski forward at edge change, "soft" knees, all to no avail. As an additional point of data, I recently tried to adapt to a rear toe from the Reflex R (previously made the transition from double hardshells OK) and at my first attempt trying to round 2 it felt like I was on marbles, and the ski shot out so hard and fast I bruised my tailbone! Two months of working on it, including adjusting the fin numerous times to get more support, and I never could run a pass at any speed or line length. So back to R and old fin setting and back to old self. (No clue what was going on there after all that time trying, except may I "steer" with my back foot at two.) So, looking for advice from this sage group on whether to do any or all of the following. Get immediate coaching? Continue the "yank" but work on body position in the preturn? Take out more length? Experiment with new ski? Try a rear hardshell? Find another sport? :-) 6'3" 200 lbs LFF 68" A1 fin settings .794 2.482 6.776 wing 7 Reflex hardshell front Reflex R rear - bindings at 30 I think - feet as close together as I could get them (9 inches?) zero off C1 or Stargazer kx ++ clean fast water lake compared to ski ponds I have been on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller rq0013 Posted May 10, 2014 Baller Share Posted May 10, 2014 Sounds like a technique issue not a ski or binding issue. Video would help a lot. In my opinion it seems from your description you are releasing all of your energy at the edge change which sends your body and shoulders to the inside of the optimal path. This puts you narrow and fast into two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Texas6 Posted May 10, 2014 Baller Share Posted May 10, 2014 Need video to understand but it feels as though your abruptly changing edges rather than making a smooth transition while maintaining outbound direction from your leveraged position into your turn. You mentioned keeping your elbows pinned through the transition to one, but you didn't mention you were doing that on your offside? If your letting your arms get away from your body early, that will also leave you narrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ForrestGump Posted May 10, 2014 Baller Share Posted May 10, 2014 If you have to initiate the edge change with your arms, then things have gone down hill long before that. I faced the exact same thing. I couldn't figure out how to link the energy I was bringing into the first wake coming out of my onside to the turn on my offside. Before I first skied with TFin, he asked me what I was feeling AND what I wanted to feel. Which in my case I felt like I was free floating at 2/4 with no line tension to turn against. After two passes, he said this is easy..... you're letting your hips open to the boat at the centerline. So he asked me to think about nothing but guarding my hip alignment that I took into the whitewater all the way out to the top of the swing. So going through the gate, work on keeping the handle between the pylon and the left hip all the way to the apex of 1. And from 1 to 2, keeping the handle between the pylon and the right hip all the way to the apex of two. The difference in the line tension at the apex of 2/4(my offside) was amazing when doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldman Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 Awesome thanks all! Yes I cannot feel elbows pinned going that way although I am trying - might be related to the hip alignment per ShaneH - will give that a go tomorrow and report back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldman Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 OK I gave it a go and I think I can get that to work - as always figuring out how much to do it and a cue for doing it consistently will be the key. Thanks so much for all the help guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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