Practice scores don't count

[Horton]

Let me preface this post by saying that if you enjoy going to the lake throwing up a wall of spray and scooting around on your ski you are probably a mentally healthier human being than those of us who live to chase scores. Furthermore you are the grass roots of the sport. Carry on.

 

Speaking to those of you who go to lake trying to run the best score possible - I spent a long time talking to skiers yesterday about the subject of what tournaments mean to us. We all seem to miss the days when there was enough skiers that at a tournament we really competed against each other. Those situations seem less and less common in the sport today. When I go to tournaments I expect Larson to run about 6 balls more than myself and the only person that I really compete with is @rico

 

At least here on the West Coast most of us that are serious are only competing against ourselves and working to better our average on the rankings list. Our USAWS average is a certified record of achievement.

 

Tournament scores can be humbling and heartbreaking. Skiing intournaments is hard because it's sudden death. It is hard but when a skier posts a tournament score that is as good as a good practice score it is proof of achievement.

 

To all you Ballers who take your skiing seriously but don't ski tournaments I challenge you to come ski some sanctioned events. If you think your addiction is bad now wait till the first time you bust out a big score in a tournament.

 

 

[Horton]

One final thought.

To those of you who think this is about ego - I'm writing this post on the Sunday afternoon of the worst tournament weekend I've had in years. If you want to see how bad I can ski go to the USA waterski site in a few days and look at my scores.

[jetpilotg4]

Cheer up @Horton, Ive been at this well 2/3rds of my life and thankfully ive forgotten how many tournaments it took me to finally score 6 buoys, even more so finally getting to shorten the rope in a tournament. I think your point is that theres not enough folks skiing tournaments, and thats true. I am one of those that could ski tournaments but because of time and an unpredictable work schedule i do not, but planning on running some by the end of the year. Mostly because of your Ballofspray format, and that I have a goal of skiing in the nationals next year. I remember skiing in tournaments that had 30-40 skiers in a few of the division's ( usually the ones i was in) so even then it was about improving your own best. ( remember when you got an EP rating you could get skis for a discount! My one and only ski i got on the program was an ICON) Anyway we all need to things collectively to increase awareness in our sport, or it will cease to exist in the next 10-15 years. Water time is getting harder and harder to come by, boats are getting more and more expensive, and the core of this sport is only getting older... But atleast we all are passionate about a fabulous sport... Regardless of our abilities. It gets us up early and outside for amazing sunrises, invaluable time with our friends and families. Theres a whole lot of folks missing out on our great sport.

[Drago]

Tournaments are a great place to get advice, meet people you may trade ski time with, and to challenge your athletic self (work on tactics, proper warm up,concentration, the mental game, and stress, adaptation to variables such as wind,boats, lake layout,etc) . You will learn way more about the sport and yourself.

@jetpilotg4 Iconn.

[thager]

@Horton Did you CHOKE? Brahahaha!!!! Actually I feel your pain. Haven't skied worth a darn in tournaments myself this year. Just wait until you get old!!

[jetpilotg4]

@Drago wow that is correct, thats how long its been.... Since i skied a tourney, i rememeber watching Chuck Forrest almost 41 back then, is he even still skiing?

[Wish]

There has been many a time when I wonder why I do tournaments. There's cost, as said competing pretty much against yourself, travel and time and then there's the crappy tournaments that just happen. Then I start thinking of the compounding affect that comes with not competing. Tournaments give me my level of skill and progress and some target to achieve. Without that the downward spiral begins. No tournament, no insight. No need to practice as much, so less exercise, less stretching out, less of watching what I eat, get fat out of shape and stiff. Less of a de-stressing affect, less time on a lake. Less time with skiers I hang with. Less focus on goals, technique, and knowledge drawn from other skiers. Less use of equipment, boat and lake in general meaning these become more of an expensive less used and probably unjustified items to own or keep updating and worst of all, less time on BOS. Tournaments do far more peripherally in our lives then we think it does. It adds much to the experience, drive, passion and fun.

[Drago]

Not sure if chuck Forrest still skis. Became quite the road biker. I think his record was 1 1/2 @ 41 ??

 

[6balls]

Been there Horton it happens...but usually there are a few people who skied really well to congratulate over a beer at days end.

 

My ski broke a day before a local 6 rounder and I got throttled was out 3 weeks. Can't get a call switch for skiwatch 6 round fall double this year. Living vicariously thru @RazorRoss3

 

 

[BraceMaker]

As our public water course access has diminished (work hours vs calm water hours) I've set a goal of skiing tournaments.

 

With that in mind I proceeded to wreck in my gate shot... This is going to take some time.

[Horton]

Wait wait this thread is not about my 5 bad rounds this weekend. I actually had reasonable a 6th round and that is how it goes.

 

The point is that tournament scores are a real measure of accomplishment or failure.

[ToddL]

Yep. Skiing against my own best score. That's pretty much the way it is.

 

I do have a practice PB with a mulligan, a practice "off the dock" tourney set PB, and a tournament PB and they are all different!

 

There is something about sitting on the dock, fully geared up watching the skier in front of you, not knowing if this is their last pass or if they will run it and go down the lake again, got to be ready to jump in and go! Then add to that the hope for a great run and score, and the anxiety of the reality that there is no mulligan, no do overs, no gimmies. Multi-round tournaments offer more opportunity, but each round still has that context. So, yep. Tournament scores are something more than practice scores, even practice scores off the dock, tourney set style.

 

@Wish nailed it, tho. I'll draw a parallel to music performance. You can jam with your buddies on Sunday afternoon and sound like a great garage band, but it gets real once a gig is booked. All of the sudden, those little extra licks become a priority and the groove better be tight, etc. etc. Tournaments and the goals we set for our tournament scores are a driving force that makes practice time get focused and meaningful. It doesn't mean that fun is sacrificed. If it is, you are doing something wrong.

[RazorRoss3]

I was 1 of 2 skiers going 36 this weekend. To be fair the 14 year old in boys 3 was giving me a run for my money putting up 3s and 4s at 35. Monster skiing on his part for his first tournament at big boy speed.

[Ralph Lee]

I've skied a couple tournaments in the last three years, I did ok in both, but it never gave me the bug for more. That said I'd love to set a PB in an official tournament and get it in the books.

[thager]

@Horton Who knew that all I needed was a tournament score? I didn't need to buy a Corvette? If only the chicks knew that!

[jhughes]

Tournament rounds may be a real accomplishment for those who have perfect site/setup/conditions but for me our practice site is the hardest site I will ever ski, hands down. Tournament conditions are a cakewalk in comparison so I generally ski as well as a practice set or even PB in a tournament. Come ski 38 at our lake, that's a real accomplishment.

[jhughes]

Building on this further, try the 5:30AM set, the only time a bunch of us can ski, trying to sneak one in before work with kids waking you up multiple times that night, maybe slightly hung over, barely a half cup of coffee in you and the sun not even fully risen yet. Bright eyed and bushy tailed at a tournament? PussshhhhaW!

[brettmainer]

I don't like looking at the Ranking List right now. It shows @Horton is 1/8 buoy ahead of me. I picture the look @Dirt would give me if he notices and I shudder.

[liquid d]

Chuck Forrest ran 3@41 on more than one occasion, which was at that time, the most that had been run. Pretty certain...however, a certain dentist had run 41right about then, so Chuck's 3 didn't mean anything.

He was a great skier; I remember him skiing in Miami one year, having trouble running 39 one day, and he decides "oh well, 34mph isn't working today. Goes 36mph in 3rd round and runs 3@39 for fun".

 

[jetpilotg4]

What happens to guys like Chuck?

[Horton]

@brettmainer Sadly you may find me 1/2 ball ahead next time the stats are updated. @Dirt will really be unhappy

 

(hey look we have competition - fun)

[schafer]

@RazorRoss3 I feel your pain. I am 1 of 3 guys in all of Alberta who ski tournaments in Mens 1/2. I love the tourney pressure. And that drives me to lay it all on the line and some days I'm extatic about my score. And some days I am extremely sad/disappointed/frustrated. But regardless all those emotions bring me back for more. Just wish I had more guys to ski 36 against. And a close second is all the wonderful people in this sport that I get to hang out with on the dock/shore and cheer everyone else on. No matter what division they are in.

[6balls]

All the way thru M1 and M2 my tourney PB was my PB PB...better than my best practice score. Right now it's probably still true as my tourney PB is a surveyed course with ZO and the only time I've been past that score in practice is on a course I'm sure was narrow.

[Horton]

@6balls for 5 or 6 years my practice PB and tournament PB were 3 or 4 ball apart. Now they are the same and i can only dream of 1/2 more ball. Darn

[Kelvin]

@Texas6 and I had this conversation this weekend. We had a small local tournament and we were just skiing with the same friends we do during the week behind the same boats with the same people watching (judging) and there was no one in the entire world that cared about the score we put up. But, because someone was writing it down, it was different. The nerves kick in, we forget to breath on our pass, and a 3-4 pass set takes more out of us than an 8-pass set during practice. Bottom line - tournaments are a different experience.

[customski]

There's 1.5 buoys difference between my practice pb and tournament pb at both 34 and 36.

34 scores are 5 buoys more than 36.

Hope the Denali and the offseason training open that gap up a bit more this season.

[6balls]

@horton yes I'm more than a little bit concerned that my current PB stands forever. Not ashamed of it by any means...but seems kinda like I'm falling apart physically. Not skiing very many tourneys anymore, still training perfect pass, and not real likely to get a piece of 4 ball at 39 practice or tourney at this point. Oh well...I'm still having fun.

[LeonL]

@customski , so you're optimistic that you can get more than 5 buoys more at 34 than 36? You might the first season, but after that good luck with 3-4.

[skidawg]

Horton is a bit of a goob, but I will say he is right about this one. There is nothing quite like throwing up a big score in a big tourney. Unfortunately it only happens about every 2 years for me

[thager]

That's because @skidawg is a big klutz! Runs in the family a little too?

[MarkTimm]

Tournaments are a way to validate practice scores and take me out of my comfort zone. As stated previously tournaments are more of a sudden death format, although multi round tournaments lessen the pressure. Personally I am having the best year of my life, because I had been skiing so well (for me) i decided to up the pressure and make the 500 mile drive to the regional tournament, I didn't ski great but it was a satisfying experience to go there and not completely choke. In regards to practice versus tournament scores I have set two PB's in tournaments this year, 3 @ 35 and 4 @ 35 a few weeks later, both of those scores I got in tournaments before I got there in practice.

[customski]

@LeonL you may be right but you got to aim high hey? At 45 I hope I can improve current pb's for a while yet. Wish me luck

[RazorRoss3]

@6balls, you might just need to grow a pair (bring it up to 8 total) and get the job done. I mean it's only a piece of 4 ball at -39, how hard can that be?

[FLeboeuf]

It is true that a pb in tournament is awesome and it "officialises" a score but to say that practice scores dont count I must disagree. Tournaments is more about you mental toughness than you true ability to ski. For me, my tournament sets are about 7% of my seasons total sets. I can run 38 on a good day and this it happened 7 times only this year which is about 7% of my total sets also. And Im not counting the numbers of passes. Maybe if I would have went to more tournaments and made it like 20% of my seasons total sets maybe I would have run 38 because I would have increases my number of chances to run it but I didnt.

My point is if you dont compete and can run 39 once in a while with a good driver and an official slalom course it still means you can run 39. If you want to officialize it you just got to give it many tries in tournaments and eventually it will happen..maybe if the stars align for you on that day.

Running a hard pass in practice doesnt diminish the value of it, its just that you wont have proof of it on paper. That my opinion anyway.. But yes tournaments are awesome and yes there is something very special of scoring big at a tournament.

[bishop8950]

When someone asks me "what is your PB" I only think of tournament scores. I honestly dont remember exactly what my practice PB is but I know exactly when I skied my highest scores in a tournament. I know which lake, which boat, who the boat crew was, etc.

 

In terms of "why I ski tournaments" it is largely to compete against myself and ski to or above my practice average. Its a validation for sure. Its also nice to have people pat you on the back when you do.

 

Hopefully it is also to compete. When one of my competitors is there (Greg Badal for example) we both push each other to ski better. Even if we dont talk about it much, we know exactly how we did in comparison to one and other. And then there are the fun events like the Big Dawgs where its all about competition and they are a ton of fun. Really, local Class Cs are for fun and to practice my tournament head in preparation for Big Dawgs.

 

I also ski tournaments because of the sites and people. I pick events at places I like to ski and my family likes to hang out. I pick events where I will see my friends or catch up with people I rarely see. Its super social and a significant part of signing up.

 

Lastly, I like to drive at tournaments. Its like I am a 2 event athlete and driving is my second event.

[Horton]

@FLeboeuf I am personally stoked any time I run a big score in practice. Practice is where I ski 99% of my ski time but I do not remember the last time I measured my rope, the drivers path is never videoed, and there are no judges to keep me honest. I know my course was record capable the last time it was surveyed but there are a lot of skiers skiing on courses that are maybe not.

 

My point is some many balls at some pass means something and that includes where the balls are, the boat path, rope length, current speed control and such. One reason to go to tournaments is to prove to yourself your level of achievement.

 

I actually have gotten 1/2 a ball over my claimed PB but I have doubts about the boat path so I don't even count that score.

 

The old joke is "Everyone runs 38 off on the internet". When you do it in a tournament it is proof. It is certified.

 

[dwfrech]

Great discussions on this topic. I have a couple of thoughts. First, if a person had limitless time (which may be more valuable than limitless money, when it comes down to it), it would be a lot easier to participate in ski tournaments. One difficulty is the ratio of the time you get to spend doing the sport/performance, versus the time spent on the whole thing. I would guess it could approach 1:100. That is just kind of difficult to justify if you have other things ... anything like a family or some tasks that need to get done on the weekend or etc. But one could say, "what are your priorities". That kind of rationale can be used but it can cause conflict. Anyway the time aspect is probably the most significant barrier for me. I also found, I can ski better at tournaments, but that is because they are held at the best lakes around where I live (Pacific NW), and the driving is top-notch, and the atmosphere is fairly calm and focused. That is (I can ski better) if (and that is a big if) I can relax and not get too hyped up and avoid thinking, "This is a tournament it has to happen!" Getting into that zone where you are confidently going for it in a tourney is somewhat unpredictable, but it can happen and has happened for me and it's a blast. One more thing: Getting a great performance at a Tourney definitely makes one feel like something was accomplished, because it is truly sanctioned, and you are doing it on the terms of the competition schedule, against other skiers, and you don't run double passes at same line length to perfect your form before moving up to the next line length. You just have to "have it" to a greater degree to accomplish the same things at a tournament vs. practice. That makes it harder to pull it off. But the feeling you get if you make a new PB or do a great run has so many great emotions, I think it is worth going to a Tourney to try to reach that situation.

[RazorRoss3]

I am always aware of both my practice and tournament beats however as of last weekend they are currently the same after breaking my all time personal and tournament best.

[ToddL]

@RazorRoss3 - time for a new practice PB, I suppose.

[RazorRoss3]

Getting a piece of 2 ball at purple sounds a lot easier than I think it will be. Especially since running the blue line is a prerequisite and that's far from easy at big boy speed.

[Horton]

@RazorRoss3 two is not has hard as it sounds. Now 3 is another story.

[MattP]

@RazorRoss3 it's weird @Horton is right about that...

[liquid d]

If you ski enough tournaments, eventually practice and tourney PB's will be the same...or within a bouy.

[brettmainer]

I agree with @liquid d. To combine threads though, maybe that is because I practice behind a 5.3L single puck 200 on a record capable course with straight drivers. Honestly, my average tournament score (and by that I mean the median, not the average of the top 3) is higher than my average practice score. My PB is 0.5 buoy different.

 

10+ years when I skied 36 behind perfect pass (I swear it doesn't seem that long ago) my practice PB was a couple of buoys better than tournament PB, but that was probably due to 0.2 slow with a loose boat in practice.

[Horton]

@brettmainer my goal for any season is to get a USAWS average equal to a really good practice score. I sorta feel like I have hit the wall at 2 @ 39 so if I can get my USA waterski average to be 104 that's a pretty good achievement for me.

[Drago]

My tournament scores used to be higher than my practice scores. Now they both equally suck

[brettmainer]

...says the M4 Western Regional slalom champion.

[brettmainer]

@Horton, I guess that means I need to throw my ski outside of 3 ball and get 2.25 one time in the next 11 momths. @Dirt would probably fly me to the hospital afterwards if needed.

[Moskier3ev]

@skidawg your due then... Your score @ 2014 35+ worlds was huge... You going to Spain ?

[skidawg]

I wish I had the time off to go this year, it would be awesome. Very fun to get a good score at worlds. I'll never forget that.