Elements of a great turn

[So_I_Ski]

I've been skiing for years but came late to the course at 52. I'm now 63 and working on my 32 off, still at 34 mph. I ran a few at 55 but backed off in order to attempt to clean up my skiing before progressing further. Then I got stuck in the cleanup and rarely felt like even going past 28. WEIRD! Anyway, I got really interested in the technical side years ago and started watching lots (and I mean LOTS) of video of the pros in slow motion and frame by frame. I wanted to see exactly what they were doing that was different from what I saw when I watched my friends ski and when I was brave enough to watch my own videos. I highly recommend drugs or booze prior to and during the masochistic exercise of watching one's own debacle. How DEPRESSING! Three of my best ski buds run 32's and one runs 35's about 25% of the time and he's been around ball 4 at 38 and they're 5 to 10 years younger than I am. I have also had coaching from some of the best known skiers in the sport including Andy (RIP) and Mike Suyderhoud. So in short, although I am not an accomplished skier, I've had plenty of time to analyse the sport. I have heard on occasion that provided the skier gets in a good stacked position behind the boat, the ski will turn itself. Now, I am not in any way suggesting that the stacked position is not paramount to great skiing but I take exception to the theory that the ski will "turn itself" and here is why. Among the group of skiers that I watch regularly, all four of them have what I consider to be solid positions behind the boat. They aren't getting pulled up as they cross the wakes and they are in a good position to execute a nice turn. But when it comes to both their on side and off side turns, none of them look remotely similar. They each have their own distinctive style which I would identify as different elements of the turn that they either accomplish or fail to accomplish and hence their turn lets them down when it counts. While the ideal body position behind the boat is the most important element of great skiing, in most respects it is also one of the easier things for most skiers to lock in because there are very few elements to it. However, there are a lot of intricacies to a great turn that the pros and better skiers take for granted because they have been doing them all their lives. I have identified 14 elements to a great turn and among our group either on the off side or the on side, none of the guys I ski with has locked in more than 7 of those elements and it could be any of the 14 that they do well because while they are linked, one good element does not necessarily produce the next small movement. Practice, practice and only repetitive practice eventually locks in that element to muscle memory. From watching videos of the pros, here is what I believe they all do on almost every pass. I may not have them in the exact order but close enough and I have probably missed one or two. I am defining the turn as beginning with the release of the outside hand although some may consider that you are still in the pre turn phase.

 

Elements of a great turn.

1. Stay tall at the start. Delay the urge to start leaning.

2. Start moving weight forward bringing inside hip up.

3. Open the chest and hips a couple of degrees to counter by bringing the outside arm back.

4. Begin reach more downcourse, not directly at the pylon.

5. Feed the rope out slowly. Control the timing of the reach.

6. Pinch outside shoulder down to help level shoulders.

7. Keep leveling your head as your upper body drops.

8. Start bringing arm up a least level with the water.

9. Turn more with the lower body, feet, ankles, knees, hips.

10. Maintain vision downcourse as the ski turns.

11. Reach all the way out to a straight arm.

12. Chest up and open as the ski completes the turn.

13. Be patient bringing the handle back in. Don’t snatch.

14. Ski the outside hip to the handle low.

 

Now, how many of these elements would you confidently say that you have locked in to muscle memory and or how many do you think your ski buds struggle with? For example, none of our guys gets their head plumb bob level thru the entire turn like Seth Stisher does and yet it is very important for your equilibrium. If you don't do it, try it and you'll be surprised at how much better you turn the ski.