Keep what I have or update skis?

[akale15]

So I have not matched even my practice PB (2 @ 22off) since my collegiate days and although this summer has been the worst summer of opportunities on the water, I am frustrated that I can't seem to break the 15off/36mph hurdle. Over the past 3 years since graduation I have been trying to get on the water best I can (but has been less than desirable) and have had similar results. Typical set is open at 30, run up to 36 and usually average 2 @36mph. It is like this time and again and even after a couple sets a week throughout the summer I can't seem to increase my buoy count. (Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.) I will credit lack of water time is the biggest factor in my lack of progress but since running a course for the first time in the summer of 2009 I can't seem to get past 15off. I was hoping to have some video footage however I am not having much luck, although I will say I have been skiing with some very talented skiers who are great coaches as well, so I don't feel I am lacking on instruction.

 

As mentioned lack of practice is obviously the biggest factor but my next thought was my ski. I am currently on a 65.5" D3 Custom X5 with double high wrap Animals. I am 6ft and a merely 150lbs. Over the last 10 years skis have come along way and wasn't sure y'alls thoughts on if a new ski would be worth a shot in helping my skiing. So I thought I would ask the question, maybe try and demo some skis the rest of this season, and get a fresh start in 2016 on a newer ski.

 

I pray I never see a summer like the one I've been having. Between wife's school, work travel, no boat or lake/course access I have only had about 6 sets through a course all year. Wife and I are moving in April 2016, to East TN, and hope to find a place to ski a lot closer than 2 hours away. (This is one criteria come moving time.)

 

Thanks!

[BrennanKMN]

While I cannot help you with your ski question I can offer some help with the 15 off at 36 MPH. That was what I was working on all summer. It is nice to see someone else fighting that battle.

 

What I found made the biggest difference was a good gate and 1 ball. If I screwed up my gate, there was no chance of making it past 3 ball. I ended up fixing my gate by starting at 34 MPH and running one pass as a warm up and going straight to 36 MPH. The subtle differences between each speed kept throwing off my gate timing and screwing me up. As soon as I stopped running the slower passes and focused only on 36 MPH my buoy count shot up.

 

I hope you have a better season next year, having only 6 sets would be killer. There is no chance I would have accomplished what I did without 2-3 sets a week.

 

On second thought, I am going to give my 2 cents on the ski too. I am skiing on a 2009 Radar Annex. It's old and I am sure a new ski would make things easier - but I am a believer in technique over equipment (especially at our skill level). Before I started this season I set a goal, once I can run 22 off 50% of the time I will get a new ski. Setting that goal has just made me work even harder to run these passes. I want a new ski!

[andjules]

My 2¢:

- Don't worry about a new ski right now. Spend your time and money to get yourself some time on the water.

- In years where I can't ski often, consistency has been a big issue - any one turn at my hardest achievable pass is fine, but I can't put six together. That's just practice/time on the water.

HOWEVER,

- it sounds like you're stuck pretty consistently at the same spot. Find a good instructor, spend a little $$ on a couple of lessons, hopefully they'll zero in on the 1-2 things you need to get you past where you're stuck.

[Waternut]

Time on the water is definitely hurting you. I agree with others that lessons are a better value than a new ski unless you already know what you're struggling with and simply can't seem to fix it no matter what you try. I skied a 2009 Annex and thought I loved it but never made any real progress with it. The ski just didnt have the support under my feet so if I got on the front, it would shut me down every time. Switched to the 2012 Strada and immediately started working up in speed, up the line, and consistency went up as well. Technically the Annex was a forgiving ski in its day but the newer Strada was much more forgiving to me from a practical standpoint.

 

At your level and your time availability, you certainly don't need a new ski but a "new to you" ski may be beneficial. If you look on ski-it-again, there are 2 2013 67" D3 quests for about $400 and a 65" and 66" for $500.

[DaveD]

Every time I think about upgrading my X5, I go out and have a nice set. That just verifies that it's not the ski, it's me. Either that or the ski is possessed.

[JDM]

I know some guys that get into pretty short line lengths with the X5. It is a quality ski for where you are at. Reps and possibly some fundamental changes are likely the answer, but remember this is supposed to be fun!

 

[Chef23]

A couple of different thoughts. While that ski isn't holding you back from running 36 it may be a little small. You are fairly tall at 150 lbs and height factors into things as well. I don't think a new ski is going to make a magical difference but it wouldn't hurt.

 

My son is in Boys 3 and running 36 mph. One thing that helped him is running slower speeds and shorter lines. When he was coming back from an injury we started running him at slower speeds and shortening the line. Some sets would be all 30 mph into 35 off. Next set might be 30/22, 32/22, 32/28, 32/32 (not always successful) 34/22, 34/28 (not usually successful).

 

This summer after running a set that was 30/22, 32/22, 34/22 he asked to try 36/22 and ran it on his second try. He had never run 36/22 before and had only run 36/15 about 6 times and hadn't gotten past 2 ball at 22 off before getting hurt.

 

I think there is good value at running slower speeds and shorter lines (I had Lucky Lowe and Jaret Llewelyn suggest the same). It seemed to help his body position and stack as you need good body posistion to run 28 off and 32 off even at slower speeds.

 

Try mixing in some 30 mph sets when you try to run as down the line as far as possible. It is fun and seemed to help my son improve at 36.

[akale15]

Thanks for the input! As I agree, I defiantly need to spend some more time on the water. Hopefully I will see much more time on the water next year and a new to me ski (@Waternut) might seem more rational and cost effective.

 

@Chef23 I will have to give slowing down a shot. I have often thought of trying but hadn't really had much discussion about it.

[Chef23]

@akale15 I am not suggesting abandoning 36 mph but mix in some sets where you ski at a slower speed and shorter line not just slowing the boat down a 1/2 mph. That can help also but I think shorter line lengths even at slower speeds require better fundamentals.

[Waternut]

I'll second what @chef23 said. When I was working up to speed, the speed and turns were the only things I could think about with form and technique being secondary. Even 22 and 28 off will change your perspective on what's possible and you'll be forced to learn better technique to even come close to making passes. Articles on technique will make more sense as well.

 

As for bad days and good days on your ski.... it may be you or it may be your ski but often I've found that slight tweaks to binding position or fin settings can give you the comfort or wiggle room you need to run a smoother pass.

 

Get a cheap camera mount like http://www.theskidoc.com/ if you can't get someone to film you and post some videos up on here. Might not receive the worlds best advice but with a bunch of people telling you what you're doing wrong, one of them might click for you.