Baller Keukaskier Posted February 18, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 18, 2016 So when you first started course skiing, what one thing would you have done differently knowing what you know now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ Wish Posted February 19, 2016 Baller_ Share Posted February 19, 2016 One thing...? Ha!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ MISkier Posted February 19, 2016 Baller_ Share Posted February 19, 2016 I didn't start course skiing until I was 25. I took some lessons at that time, but didn't devote any effort to really find a site to practice on. I wish I would have applied for a course permit on our public lake back then and spent the time to put in a good, anchored, permanent course with sub-buoys. I spent a lot of summers just free skiing and wasted that opportunity. I also should have reserved more time and money to continue the lessons. Take lessons, find a course you can use regularly, dedicate some effort to getting some quality time on the water with a decent boat. I never had a problem waking up early enough to get the glass water and get the skiing done to leave the rest of the day for family, etc. But, I never spent that time on the course. So, the one thing I would do differently is commit to a consistent amount of time actually skiing a course. The worst slalom equipment I own is between my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Edbrazil Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Get the family next door to build their ski jump wider, as in 12' vs. 8', about 1952. And, invented the double cut. Then, I would have been the first to jump 100' at the 1954 Nationals on my home lake, in Jr. Boys! Before they did it in Men at the tournament. Now, if I can just find a DeLorean with a flux capacitor.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 6balls Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Get some coaching early. I was a bruiser just pulled and turned hard for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Orlando76 Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Wish I started (hardcore) when I was a kid rather 30. Dad sure tried to get me to be more serious about skiing younger, think the lack of peers into pushed me away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Texas6 Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 I would have focused on the one thing that yielded the biggest improvement in my skiing until I got it right and pounded it into muscle memory before focusing on the next thing.....early on in the course, things are happening too fast to try and focus on several problems....that one thing from long line to 22 for me was maintaining a stacked position.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller thager Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 I think I would have just stayed with baseball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller gregy Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Things have change so much from when i started. There is an endless supply of videos of professionals skiing on Youtube. We had nothing close to that when I started. Study those. 1) Coaching is good. 2) Video your own skiing and studying it is just as important. There are professional coaches that do video coaching and it can be really helpful. You never look as good as you feel so just expect that. 3) The GUT stuff is great. I worked on being more normal to the ski as proposed in the latest GUT and I was feeling less effort than before. 3) To me the number one thing that I wish I been told years ago and now only realizing. Slalom is all about timing. I've spent much of my skiing career chasing the boat which never allowed me to properly complete a turn and get angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddF Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 study and learn the most efficient way to ski through the course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller bigtex2011 Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 find a good coach. might be a local skier who several levels above the rest. dont be stubborn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller dbski Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Getting access to a course before the age of 50 so I didn't have 25 years of bad habits to unlearn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ozski Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Not taken a decade off the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Lovell Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Not taking 20 yrs off. Best decision ever to get back into the course though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Kelvin Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 I moved to the Houston area in 1988 and immediately started free skiing on the public lakes and rivers in the area. In 1994 a new ski community was developed and I didn't even consider buying a lot out there. Looking back on it now, it would have been tight, but we could have afforded to purchase out there and that would have given me access to other great skiers to ski with. It took another 10 years before another community was developed in an area I wanted to own property. Waterskiing hasn't been the same since. Everyday at home feels like summer camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Orlando76 Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Makes you wonder how MC let the '98 faults slip into production? Did they totally skip water testing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller aupatking Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 It eats me alive that I stopped seriously skiing at 13 or 14 and 20 years later picked it back up. Since, this has been the best 3 years of my life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ToddL Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Carbon fiber fins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ToddL Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 No, seriously - find a way to live on a competitive lake as soon as possible in your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Spend the money on Professional coaching. Surround yourself with skiers better than you at home and you will be surprised at how quickly you will learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller eleeski Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Hey, I went back in time and did everything just right! Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller DanE Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Get good coaching early on, I did not, still trying to unlearn bad habits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller oldjeep Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Not started on a fat ski that allowed me to lean forward and actually make it through the course at lower speeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Booze Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 1) I had virtually zero proper instruction (it was the 70's...we know so much more now). It was about big turns and big spray. I would have benefited from the knowledge of how important the stack is, and how important that spray-to-centerline zone is. I can say though, that I soon figured out I couldn't have those big turns and spray without speed and width...which requires a strong angle/pull/lean/etc through the wake. 2) A strong 2nd would be the importance of staying connected to the handle late rather than releasing early to slow down and sneak up on the ball. 3) It was all about generating maximum angle and speed right out of the bouy and slowing down as much as possible on the other side. Conservation of speed and momentum? Huh? LOL Geez, I still struggle to de-program those habits formed from the early days. I didn't get trustworthy or valuable advise and coaching until just a couple/few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogboy Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Like many above, i wish i had known what a course was, and recieved coaching at age 10, instead of 54, but it's never too late. Life is good. It would also have been nice to buy a house on a course lake at an early age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skialex Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 I would have saved 2 years of my skiing time trying to learn the West Coast style! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller liquid d Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 I would have started Duct taping my ankle long before i injured it 50 times! I also would never restring my own handle. There was also this girl from Sacrament California...ahh, but that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skidawg Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Take up golf☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️ Invested in Apple early on!!!! Mmmmmm? Can't say that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Razorskier1 Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Everything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted February 19, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 19, 2016 Don't laugh, but my first passes through a course were with double handles! It was a pain converting to a Proline single handle, but, long term that was probably the best change that I made out of the gate. The other big thing would be to NOT arm ski. We thought you had to pull the line in and tuck it. I hit a wall at 32 off at 36mph using this "technique". Proper leverage position was an epiphany! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ The_MS Posted February 19, 2016 Baller_ Share Posted February 19, 2016 I would never have sold my 07 Monza to Brian Brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted February 20, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 20, 2016 @MS that almost sounds sacrilegious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nautibynature Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I would've gone to Ski Paradise years ago instead of waiting till my 40th birthday. That was last year, we fly out in the morning for this years trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Lukin Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 bought an ob4 binding BEFORE I stuffed my foot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Zman Posted February 20, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 20, 2016 Maybe started skiing tournaments before I was 54... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller wtrskior Posted February 20, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 20, 2016 Ski more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller david_ski Posted February 20, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 20, 2016 COM and a strong pulling position. I started sking in a course when I was 40. 15+ years ago. With muscle and fitness I used to get to training PB 1 @38 with majority of 32's and some 35's. With age the muscle/strength ratio cant beat good form. I should of put more emphasis on proper pulling position behind the boat. I took last year off with no tournaments just to work and improve on pulling position. 3 weeks before my seasons starts. Target fIrst ski day March 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller bishop8950 Posted February 20, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 20, 2016 Come back from injury slowly. Did not wait long enough after 2 broken ankles and it wasn't great for healing or my skiing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ski6jones Posted February 21, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 21, 2016 I would find a good coach and see them often. I started getting good coaching after a couple years in the coarse. I'd be another line length or more ahead if I'd gotten coaching from the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller david_ski Posted February 21, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 21, 2016 @ski6jones: My best coaching was this last summer from Makayla H. I have had several coaching days in previous years from others. Makayla identified my lack of stack issue very concisely with a plan on how to fix. It was worth while having a 34mph skier coach vs a 36mph skier trying to coach a 34mph skier. We will resume coaching in the spring once ski muscles are back in shape. I need to have my last lesson plan drilled in before our next lesson occurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller DmaxJC_ski Posted February 22, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 22, 2016 I would have stayed skiing the course and taken the opportunities offered instead of taking time away from skiing to rodeo, and other silly things. Didn't realize what I was missing till I got back into it after 5 or 6 years away from it. Now having my kids enthusiastic about the sport, getting to spend that extra time with them doing what we love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ Wish Posted February 22, 2016 Baller_ Share Posted February 22, 2016 Joined a college ski team. Just assumed you had to be a really good 3 eventer. From recent social media pics and vids it seems that is not the case and it just looks fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skihard Posted February 22, 2016 Baller Share Posted February 22, 2016 I wish I could have started 25 years ago! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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