apex speed as line shortens

[cadeltaskier]

I am wondering do you experince more speed in the apex of the turn as you shorten the line? I've been just getting into running a more consistent 32off, and just prior to the apex... seems really fast, compared to 28. Some times faster than others. If that is the case, I don't know how I'll be able to get the ski to turn that fast I progress shorter. Any comments are welcome.

[gregy]

Good question. I'm at the same point and having problems with tail coming out in the turn.

[mwetskier]

@gregy -sounds like you may be trying to rush the turn by digging in with the tip or pushing the tail around. the shorter the rope the more patient you can be through the finish of the turn because when you *do* hook up you will accelerate faster and till get to the next ball with time to spare. mapple had a video posted on this site some time ago where he did a side by side comparison between 28 off and 38 off and the 38 turn took much longer to finish but he was still early to the next ball

[Razorskier1]

if you are later in relation to the boat you will feel faster just because the ball is coming up in a hurry. If you can ski an earlier line, then 32 off shouldn't feel faster than 28 off (at 34mph).

[Marco]

What @Razorskier1 says. The more space you create in front of the ball, the more everything slows down.

[gregy]

I had a couple of runs were 32off was feeling easier than 28off. I'm still only running 28off 1 or 2 times in a day at the lake.

[liquid d]

As you progress through shorter lines, that's what happens. The trick to shortening is doing "the work" behind the boat. From each turn, try to get stacked/aligned/great pulling position as quickly as possible. The better direction behind the boat and out to the bouy line and "up" on the boat, will put the ski in a more correct arc, allowing for it to slow down to the right speed to make a good turn

Speed can be your friend, in the right spot.

[cadeltaskier]

Thanks for the input...so in short no. The approach starting the preturn may feel faster? Or is faster? And the end of preturn to apex should feel about the same. That's what I'm getting... sound about right?

[A_B]

If it feels noticeably faster, you are probably not getting the lean you need and then holding your lean too long.

 

Be more aggressive and try to think about lowering your upper body another 6" as you hit the first wake. In reality, the boat has more leverage on you than at 28, and will pull you up out your lean, so thinking lower just means you will maintain the same lean angle better as the rope shortens. Make sense?

[Than_Bogan]

The above advice is spot on. And actually from a physics standpoint, part of what has to happen to run very short lines is to avoid losing speed as you climb up high on the boat. That's kind of the next step: First you have to learn to generate enough angle and speed that you are approaching the ball with enough space, which (as noted above) will feel slower. But second you have to carry said speed with you, fighting the natural tendency to rapidly decelerate as you transition to going almost parallel to the boat. That's where all the talk of "staying connected" comes into play.

 

The bottom line is that most of the time when you feel too fast it's because you're too slow. That eventually results in feeling rushed.

[Razorskier1]

@Than_Bogan just said something I understand! Yay!

[cadeltaskier]

Thanks all, i'll work on that in the future, I just wish the sun would stay up all year here in Cali...