Ski line tricks?

[emartski10]

First post here on ballofspray,

 

I am really looking to take my skiing to the next level this year and I need to up my tricking. Does anyone on here have good tips or learning experiences for Ski Lines? I have had lots of people tell my to start by ridding over the line without leaving the water, but I am not sure where to go from there. I have been trying dry land practice and still not getting it on the water. Also any help with BFLB or FFL?

Thanks!

[Horton]

@eleeski

[eleeski]

SLB is the first ski line trick to learn. Master the weedwhacker (SLB, F with no air) to develop the balance and water sense. But that's not really the key to ski lines. Perhaps the best approach is to jump up, pull in the rope and rest the front of the ski on the line. Recover. Add some rotation to the exercise. When you can get past 90 degrees, continue on down over the rope. If you have a good release person, release the rope as you cross over the rope the first few times. Soon you will be able to ride away with the rope. It takes a lot of power and balance - but doable.

 

BFLB is a difficult trick. Start with huge double wake backs to the easy backwrap. Then get comfortable with big air BFL. It doesn't take too much rotation to get around backwards so be patient. Don't try to force the turn at the end of the flip - just put a bit more rotation through the whole trick. Disclaimer, I can't personally do this trick but have helped a few kids learn it.

 

FFL is just a huge power trick. Load the ski and the rope to get big air. Ride the lift all the way up before you commit to the trick. It takes more power and balance than I have.

 

Good luck, it sounds like you have a good foundation.

Eric

[unksskis]

For front flip, only go out a few feet from the boat spray/trough. which will help with going up and not as much out.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@esmartski10, if your profile is up to date, I see your trick PB is around 1600 pts. While you may be ready to start attempting SLB and harder flips, I think it will be better for your overall progression to spend more time getting really proficient on some of the less difficult tricks.

 

For example can you do at least 3 of the 540's consistent enough to put in your run? Can you do WBBs really fast back wrap to back wrap?

Can you do BFL and reverse consistently?

 

I would spend 80% of the time working on the 540s and back flips and less than 20% on SLB and harder flips. You will gain more points sooner that way and will set yourself up for the really high point runs in a few years. I see too many people focus on flips too early and are never able to get above 3-4000 pts.

 

When you do start SLB, Eric is right on the weed whacker approach. It's easiest to do on the outside crest of the wake to help your rotation. If you are RFF, go just outside the left wake, pull and turn counterclockwise over the rope. The wake will help you turn kind of like wake surfing.

 

And keep working on toes!

[lcgordon]

Toes is not happening

[Horton]

My trick to SLB is pull the handle back behind your body not just pulling it in to your hips

[ToddL]

SLB - which way do you rotate? (Seems like most people seem to rotate in the same direction as their reverse half wrap.)

[Horton]

RFF skiers goes counter clockwise.

 

@ToddL you confuse enough slalom concepts. Seriously please do not dive into a trick conversation. (I can and will ban you)

[ToddL]

< font = sarcasm > So, counter rotate towards my trailing arm... got it! < / font >

[eleeski]

@ToddL Actually, that's pretty good advice!

 

@lcgordon You get in the game with a hand pass, you win with the toe pass. And nothing is cooler than a big toe stepover.

 

@Horton There is a RSLB. Worth a try and the landing is easier. You are correct, RFF going counter clockwise is normal. But...

 

Seriously, I'll try your pull the handle back behind my body tip. Hopefully it will offset my declining strength which makes it hard for me to snap the rope in enough. Thanks.

 

Eric

[Horton]

@eleeski RSLB was in my run for a while in about 1990

[dchristman]

@mlusa had a pretty good write-up on SLB on a blog that I happened across some time ago. It was the only article in the blog and is apparently now gone, or at least I can't locate it again. I did print it out... when I find it I'll scan it and post it unless he happens to read this and has it handy to post.

[dchristman]

I found it:

 

Ski Line Back by Russell Gay

[Jibbo]

thanks @dchristman great article

[dchristman]

@jibbo you're right, it is a GREAT article - I certainly understated it. It is in fact the antithesis of this dubious W5F tip by another famous Russ in Tony Krupa's Ski Tips:

 

 

@mlusa ought to write a trick book.

[emartski10]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Can't wait to keep working on it.

 

@Bruce_Butterfield As for my trick PB that was middle of last season and I tricked a lot in the fall. Have BFL, reverse, and pretty consitant W5. Didnt have a late year tourney to post good scores to haha.

 

@Horton getting the handle behind the hips it's a great tip!

 

@eleeski just started working on the weed wacker approach and its great! Struggling once I move over to the other wake and attempting to get air. Dry land practice could probably help with this trick quite a bit?

 

@dchristman that is a great article!

[Horton]

@emartski10 some coaches say the word "advance". That means you really focus on getting your body closer to the boat. It is not the way I think about it but I think it is a key. Pulling straight in to your center does not get it done.

[unksskis]

A lot of people find backflip back to front, or a half cab roll, is easier than BFLFB, and the point values correlate to that.

[andjules]

Am I the only one who can't link through to the article?

[Chef23]

@andjules I couldn't either.

[Chef23]

@emartski10 do you do toes?

[dchristman]

@andjules @chef23 It appears to have really disappeared now. I made a copy of the page for future reference... @horton can I send you the HTML to put it somewhere to link it?

 

[Horton]

@dchristman horton@ballofspray.com

[emartski10]

Thank you for all the tips. I am getting close but still need some more air.

[Horton]

good start

 

[Russell]

@emartski10

 

It's a good start and many start it this way. To perfect it, you will want to start working on the timing of the 3 key elements. The key 3 steps for SLB should be done in this order: edge, push with your legs, pull off the top. You are doing it in this order: pull, then try to edge to beat the rope, no push with legs. The key is to edge first then pull. Many slb's are done the way you are doing it and the rope dips in the water making it NC. Here is a video on youtube of a SLB:

His pull starts at the same time as his push so it's not quite controlled enough, but it's still very good and credit. The slack at the end of the trick can be controlled better by the timing of the push of the legs and the pull on the rope. You have to set a good edge that loads the line, but doesn't create to much speed. The push off the edge into the wake is what carries you over the rope. Notice that his right shoulder is always lower than the left keeping the momentum heading into the center of the wakes. I learned this trick watching Patrice Martin and this specific video https://youtu.be/qtTQpnLHn28.

 

1 key is don't over-pull. Use your legs and learn good edge control. Look how light and easy it looks for Patrice. He isn't pulling that hard. He is putting his handle down, but the rope is a pretty light pull for him. The mistake I see is that many pull so hard and they go flat. You have to hold the edge to prevent advancing forward. If you advance, you will stall out half way through the trick and not be able to get over the rope and finish the turn. Patrice is pushing off his edge almost away from the boat so that the rope stays taught throughout the trick. This is a fun trick that looks relatively easy, but is actually very complicated. It's a very fun trick when you do it right and a great building block to much bigger tricks.

[Chef23]

That video of Martin is unbelievable.