How do you approach new line lengths?

[Omland]

I'm curious how others approach new line lengths. I've heard different opinions, one idea I've heard is reducing the speed a bit to get the "feel" and then working back up to full speed. I've always just skied new line lengths at full speed but wondering as you get into shorter line lengths if there is a smarter approach. For me personally as I've worked up the rope I don't really feel like I ski different or that the rope line "feels" different so I'm not sure reducing the speed of the boat buys me anything. If I want to work on technique I 'd just go down to one of my easier passes. What do others do?

[markchilcutt]

My good friend and pro skier @chrisrossi has suggested i slow the boat down on my hardest pass. This has worked out well and i acredit running 35off twice in tournaments last year due to this approch.

I am a 34mph skier and was slowing down to 33.4 when working on 35off in practice then slowly increase speed from there.

I still slow down to 34.0 @35off on some days or try it at full speed. More than anything this approch builds confidence. If i can run 35off at 33.8 or 34.0 i can surely run it at full speed. Many others will disagree with this approach but it has done wonders for me.

38off is a whole other subject that we need not talk about today lol!!

Most important things i have found in this sport is to stay positive, realize some days we ski great and other days not so great, have fun, keep laughing and understand skiing bouys is a crazy sport!!

@Omland what speed and line are you skiing?

[Omland]

Thanks @markchilcutt -- Beyond confidence do you feel slowing the boat down helps you learn the rope length faster? If so, what do you think you learn when the boat is slower?

[bishop8950]

Good to hear you work on good technique first and foremost. Regardless of speed or line length we have to be aware of what we need our body to do to be sucessful. This can be done on easier passes or at a shorter pass at slower speeds.

 

How far do you get on your shortest pass? If one or two really investigate what you can improve on the gate regardless of speed. If you dont get out of one in good shape, stop and figure that out.

 

If you get good starts and get to 3 or 4 at your hardest pass, I think slowing down is a good idea. This way you can run the pass and get used to the path you need to ski at the shorter rope. Also gets you used to the visual difference (basically get used to not being as wide on the buoy or backsiding the balls).

 

I was barely running 38off at 36mph when I slowed to 34mph. After running a lot of 38s at 34mph I got used to the line and visuals. Now when I go back to 36mph 38 is easier than it was before. And I am more confident because I have seen it a lot.

[Waternut]

At least for me the joy of actually reaching a new length is finding out what it's like. Right now my PB is 4 buoys at 35off at 34mph. If I'm not making progress at full speed after 3-4 sets, I don't have any issues bumping the speed down some. However, I feel like I'm cheating if I immediately go straight to slower speed. My thoughts are feel it out first. 22-32off, I really never felt the need to bump the speed down.

[RazorRoss3]

I've found the slow boat is really nice for learning but I don't believe it's practical if your regular speed is 34 because 32 is a little weird. I've petsonally ran 35 at 34 mph while I've only seen 3.5 at 36 mph. It definitely helped me learn to run -32 this year.

[Ralph Lee]

shadowing the buoys has always helped me. I ski lots of sets on a new rope length shadowing the buoys about 8 to 10 feet in front of them. speeding the boat up on my easier passes has always helped me too.

[ozski]

I think the in between loops are a great way to ratchet down the line. And head to open water.....

[mwetskier]

i always make it a firm rule to approach the next line length with fear and trepidation.

[thager]

I always approach new line lengths from behind the boat....

[cragginshred]

This is my 1st summer solid at -22 and taking shots at -28 (at 34mph) so at -28 I take .5 off the rpm similar to what Rossi would encourage.

[markchilcutt]

@Omland‌ like @bishop8950‌ said the slower boat also has helped me with the visualization of the pass especially 35 off where your vision of the bouy line changes drastically. Another thing for me is I always feel rushed at 35 full sppeed but again feeling less rushed after running the pass slow. Builds great confidence in the skier. Slower boat has helped me master -32 and ran more full speed -35 this season than any other.

[schafer]

I think that's a big hurdle for me is I feel like 35 off(36 mph) looks so much different than 32 and I just struggle at 35. Perhaps this weekend I will slow the boat down and see what I can figure out.

[bishop8950]

If you slow the boat, it doesnt have to be a lot. If you ski 36 just slow to 35.5 or 35. You can go all the way to 34 but thats the most IMO. As @razorross3 said, a 34.2 skier going to 32 is a lot. I would go somewhere between 33.8 and 34.0. Shaving a little speed makes a big difference.

 

My wife started getting into 22' off this summer (so cool). Shortly after she ran 15' off at 33.8mph a few times in a row she started knocking it down at full speed. I am sure she got there sooner by slowing the boat rather than banging away at full speed. To top off her great season she went on to run 34/15 4 times in the CA ProAm and win the Am division!

[Fatroll]

This summer, my practice pb went from 2@ 35 to 1/2 @38. At the start of summer I could run 28 off 95% of the time and only ran -32 a 1/3 of the time. For practice, I would run -28 fast (+0.5 - +0.8 mph), then run my -32 at 34.2. The result was much more consistency at -32, plus I think it warmed me up. Now I run 75% of my -32s and have run a few a little fast. Working on -35 I would run at 34.2 to see what I could do, then slow down 1 mph. This week, in what may have been my last set of the year, I ran up the rope and ran a full -35 off for the first time at full speed. My point is that my work at -28 made my 32s better which gave me more cracks at -35. Slight speed tinkering has been a huge part of my improvement this summer... that and being less fat.

[Omland]

Ok, I think I'm sold. My last set will be today so not much use in changing things up now but next year I think I will try and force myself to slow the boat down a bit at my harder passes and see if that helps me progress faster. Thanks for the feedback.

[BrennanKMN]

I would always try one line harder. So when I was learning 15 off I would always end a set with 2 passes at 22 off at the same speed. That way 15 felt that much easier. When I was working on my 22 off I would do the same, always end each set with a few attempts at 28 off. Now that I am working on my 28 off I try and end each set with a attempt at 32 off.

 

I am sure this really only works for the longer line lengths and slower speeds. But I try and not mess with speed much. So far this technique has gotten my to be really solid at 22 off and making 28 off occasionally.

 

Plus it is down right fun. Even if I don't make a pass, trying a pass at 32 off is a blast regardless if I make it around 1 ball or 6 balls. When I hit 28off, it was like 'whoa', this is a game changer. MUCH different that 22 off for me.

[SkiJay]

My two favorites are speeding the boat up 1 mph at my current make-most-of-the-time length, and shadowing the course at regular speed but one or even two rope lengths shorter. Shadowing (running the course one boat length early) provides lots of experience with the new rope dynamics, and for -35, the new view down the inside of the ball line. Actually, I have a new favorite--ignoring the new line length until I can run the previous line with really good form most of the time.

[Razorskier1]

I try to not let them get in my head. The boat is going exactly the same speed at every rope length, so I don't need to hurry to the next buoy. If I just ski it like the line before it, that usually helps my success rate.

[drewski32]

When I was trying to learn to run 28@36mph I used to run the pass at 32, then 34 mph quite often. When I got a little more consistant with that I would sometimes run 32 offs at 32mph. When I started working on 32 off at 36mph it became less helpful. I would get away with mistakes and maybe get one more ball at 34mph, but I didn't really learn anything. Now I run 32 off about 60% of the time, and just stroke it at 34.