How to get 70-year-old ski buddy to slow down?

[TallSkinnyGuy]

I bought a portable course to use in a public lake and have just a few friends who are into skiing enough to do the course with me. One of my skiing friends just turned 70 years old. He used to compete a little about 30 years ago and says he loved skiing the course. He tried mine at the end of last season and really struggled. It was not a fun experience for him and he's now not too interested in the course.

 

He's been freeskiing 34 mph as long as he can remember and usually skis at -28 or -32 to be in the smaller part of the wake. That's what he's used to and that's what he likes. Last season he tried my course at 28 mph and 15 off, so just the speed and length change really felt weird to him. I keep telling him that in a competition his top speed would be 30 mph, so there is no need for him to ski at 34. I think if he got used to skiing 30 mph he would have the potential to find a lot more success in the course. Obviously, the benefit to me would be to have another avid course-skiing friend.

 

Any ideas on how to get my friend to be willing to ski at a slower speed?

[keithh2oskier]

What ski is he on? Depending on his size, going 28 mph alone can be more physically demanding because of the extra drag. Adding a longer rope and now going over two wakes is just going to make it that much harder from free-skiing at a fast short rope.

 

My suggestion if he has an interest in the slalom course would be to slowly get him out to a longer rope and then a slower speed. Maybe start by getting him to 15 off first and then start dropping the speed down to 28 mph. My thought is the wake will be smaller at 34 so getting him used to crossing the wakes (freeskiing) first might be easier and then getting him used to the speed. Might take several sets at each speed line length to get used to the way it skis.

 

Of course if he just wants to do what he likes, he could always just ski the mini course at 34 and -28 or -32. Then everyone is happy.

[keithh2oskier]

If you don't have a mini-course you can just drive to the right of the boat guides. The skier uses 1, 3, 5 as the right side buoy and the outer boat guide as the 2, 4, 6 buoy.

 

Then when you come back, you drive on the right side (opposite as the other direction) and repeat. As you can see from a nice sketch below. Green one direction (up), blue the other (down). Big Arrow is the boat path, Zig-zag is the skier.

 

 

[GregHind]

I don't know a ski that I can run both 28mph and 34mph on. Get him to try a nice new low drag ski at a suitable speed. And ps I'm going to keep skiing 34 as long as I can. It's fun!

[TallSkinnyGuy]

Yeah, he's having fun at 34 mph and free skiing, which I certainly hope I am able to do when I hit 70. Maybe it's too selfish of me to try to get him to change just so I have another course partner. However, the mini course idea shown in the above artwork is a great idea. And, yes, the ski he's on is probably not the best for 28 mph -- it's a D3 Quest and sized for him skiing 34 mph.

[Than_Bogan]

My plan for age 70 is to do whatever the hell I want and not listen to wippersnappers!

[Jordan]

HA! @Than_Bogan ...you said, "whippersnappers"! You are going to make an excellent grumpy old man!

[ALPJr]

I believe Men 7 speed is 30 mph

[dbutcher]

Men 7 speed is 32.3 mph. Men 8 is 30.4 mph - AWSA rule 10.06 available on USAWS' web site. Men 8 is age 70-74 inclusive (age on Dec. 31 of the ski year) - Rule 3.02 of the AWSA rules.

[dbutcher]

@TallSkinnyGuy tell your 70 year old friend that he will enjoy the slalom course at 30.4 mph. 30.4 mph is much more forgiving of mistakes than any faster speed. I know because I'm 72 yrs old. My course skiing is more consistently successful at 30 than it ever was at any faster speed.

[ALPJr]

My ski bud just turned 73. Rooting for him to get a PB in a tourney tomorrow 3 or 4ish at 35off

[dbutcher]

@TallSkinnyGuy the wake crossing at 30 mph is more challenging than at faster speeds, and the slower you go, the worse it gets. I don't know how the kids do it. Since your friend open water skis at 34mph, -28 and -32 to get a smaller wake, I suggest that he try the course at no slower than 30 mph and no longer a rope than 28 off. It might take him a little longer to achieve success at that line length, but it will be more pleasant trying.

[escmanaze]

@keithh2oskier how do you determine where to drive the boat? If you drove the boat as close to the right boat guides as you would normally be to the left boat guides, then your course would be crazy asymmetrical. Your distance from boat center to left buoy would be approximately 3.45 meters, while your distance from boat center to right buoy would be 9.2 meters.

 

So obviously, we can't use that as our guide as to where to drive the boat, so the boat needs to be scooted to the right 2.875 meters to make it so that each buoy in this theoretical course is 6.325 meters from boat center. But how in the world am I going to eyeball this correctly as to whether or not I am driving a path that is exactly 2.875 meters from the path I would have driven just directly to the right of the boat guides?

[Than_Bogan]

@Jordan I practice whenever possible. Can never be too well prepared!

[DanE]

@escmanaze When driving the " mini course" it's just not that critical where you position the boat.

[sixball]

At 65 and 68 oh and the youngster in the group 58. We all love 36mph @ 35 off. No we don't have a course any more. Thanks DNR! I know as soon as someone is driving at a slower speed. I am the 65 year old and can without a dough say I am skiing as good as I ever have. Without a course it saves me money as I am still on my old D3-Z7 with wiley's

no need to update much as I know in my mind I am making most all the balls. I hat anything under 34mph and don't like that much. Some of us don't like slowing down!

[gsm_peter]

I am 58 and ski the corse mostly at 30 to 32 15 off. It has taken type 400 sets to get here....

It will most likely take me many years to even get close to 34 28 off if I ever get there.

It is not the wake that are the main obstacle to progress - it is my poor technique.

 

My humble advice would be to run him at type 31. Fast enough to feel the swing and with reasonable wake.

He can shadow the bois when needed for example when using a shorter rope.

 

And consider to go to yoga together.

That really helps me.

 

Best luck

[DW]

@TallSkinnyGuy : take a few passes with an observer simulating the mini course and have the observer help determine when you are "centered", a few times through and you will know where you need to be. Don't forget, you want him to have fun skiing with you and if he does not want to slow down or lengthen rope due to speed/wake, mini course can be fun and challenging and keep him engaged making it a win-win for both.

[ToddL]

@escmanaze - I have driven the above mini course a lot. It just takes a little practice and willingness to do your best. My advice is to visualize only the 1-3-5 buoy line and the left gate balls' line. Try to just "not see" the right gate balls at all. While visualizing those two buoy lines, drive the middle of the boat in the middle between those two buoy lines. After a little practice, you will develop a sense of how far the driver is from 1-3-5 when the boat is perfectly located. Then, you can use that visual for your guide.

[ToddL]

With proper stack and technique, the 30 mph wakes are manageable at -15. The comment above about ski size may be more relevant. Drag and speed are the issue. Your friend will want to consider a ski size which provides the support and speed desired while at the slower speed. There are many wider or longer skis which can offer that support and yet still carve short-line turns. If your friend wants to return to competition and consistent course skiing, then a different ski should be an option to consider.