Wing or no wing

[gt2003]

Still very new to the course. I'm slowly grasping the concepts and kind of understanding how it all fits together but I don't ski nearly as often as I like. The place I usually ski has a mini-course and I damn near got the tip of my ski around 4 ball last time I ski'd. (Yeah, PB, laugh now, lol). I "feel" that I'm getting better stack, I'm getting my ski turned more after the ball so it points more across course and I'm realizing how important the gate/angle into 1 is and how it sets up the remainder of the course. So, my question is, do I remove the wing or leave it on? I'm currently 215-220 lbs and skiing on a 2016, 68 inch alloy vapor at 30 mph. I really feel my issues are concentrating on making complete turns, getting hip around to the handle so that I get good angle before the boat picks me up and not closing my shoulder to the boat. I'm likely over-thinking this and likely should concentrate more on body position. Just wanting to ensure I'm not missing something obvious.

[Hockdog]

Lose the wing, you are at a slow enough speed to where it will hinder your progress instead of benefitting it.

[Orlando76]

I say run a few passes with it, then take it off. When I was at your level (I'm barely above you now) the short liners I ski with played with my wing a lot, ultimately I kept it but set it at 6*. Also forget the gates. My .02 is pull out on the right hand side, same side as one ball then turn one as you come across, especially if you're RFF because your first real turn is an offside turn and automatically a disadvantage from the start. Focus on making turns, nothing else. Two ski lengths past the pre gate is about where you wanna start your right hand pull out.

[Wish]

Be carful not to use the wing as a cheat or to get away with bad form. If you need to slow down at that speed, most likely it's form vs the need to actually have the ski slow before the ball in order to turn it via the wing. My buddy skis at that speed on a GIANT Radar P6..no wing. But his form and timing in the course is such that he has a mile of running room and wait time before the ball and the ski slows nicely to make a very controlled turn with speed. I would much prefer he gets used to this line of sight and feel vs slapping a wing on the fin because he is leaning all the way to the ball, then counting on the wing to slow him, and then digging himself out of the hole he just dug with wing and bad form/timing.

[ScottScott]

Ive seen that subject here before, and articles other places such as waterski mag.... Pretty much all of the top instructors recommend leaving off the wing until you are shortening the line (exactly what point that is I can't say.) I'm probably at about the same place in my skiing as you, tho I have gone through 4 balls and touched the 5th (wiped out going over the 5th.) I'm also going 28mph.....those 2 mph make a big difference. Any slower and the ski probably wont work very well...but you may try slowing down a little more till you can get through it with good form. Make sure you aren't pulling past the wake and you shouldn't have an issue slowing down for the turn.

[LeonL]

I have mixed feelings about a mini course. I believe it gives false hope and fosters poor angle. My preferred learning method is shadowing buoys. You've read this before from me, and those that have please forgive the replication. @gt2003 may have not seen this before. As @Orlando76 says, start on the right, turn the backside of 1 and then shadow 2,3,4,5 and try to round 6 and exit the gate. As you feel more confident add 5 ball, then 4, etc. You get more turns and less falls as you gain skills. All of a sudden you're running all 6.

[Orlando76]

Like @LeonL said, I'm not a fan of the mini course even though that's how I learned. After my second time through it, it was too easy. I then took a standard course, shortened the turn buoys 8', then as progression came, 4', then the full 37.5'. It seemed good at the time but after some lessons with Jodi Fisher, his approach was shadow the balls but go around 6 and out the gate. Then 3&6. Or something similar. Looking back, I agree that's a better approach.

[ksu_skier]

I'll add another who agrees with @LeonL and @Orlando76 - I saw Jodi Fisher coaching the course with the same method and took it back to my local collegiate teams and I saw a pretty drastic shift in the learning process for their skiers.

[ScottScott]

I've heard the shadowing all, then getting 6, then adding 5, then 4 etc. I've also heard some people will do all of the odds while shadowing even, then do even shadowing odd. I'm too stubborn (or impatient) and just try for all....tho i still cut inside those I know I won't make....have ended up making 1, 2, 4, and 6 many times. May do me some good to shadow evens and try for odds....tho I know my issues and work on it free skiing....getting close. I used to start out wide and just turn after 1, but started pulling out left and just make my cross plenty early.

[gt2003]

It's definitely a learning curve. When I ran my "best", if you can call it that, I noticed my view when I turned in. For me, it feels like if I turn in too early I get lazy and ski toward the ball. When I turn closer to the gates I feel like I get better angle into 1. I don't know, it just feels like its coming together a little more than last year and MAYBE I'm starting to piece a run together.

 

[PBD]

For that ski you can take if off. Be careful on some of the newer "hotter" skis, as the fin is designed to much more integrated with the other characteristics of the ski and taking it off could take you off the sweet spot.

[swc5150]

I asked Rossi the same thing about my new Vapor, and he said to leave it on. Probably has a lot to do with what @PBD just said.