When not in the course, what line length do you free ski at?

[h2onhk]

We ski a portable course on public water. In the past when the course was not in, free skiing was always a default to 15off, which is typically my opening length. This summer i started free skiing deeper line lengths all the way up to my PB at 35off. I found that even though there were no buoys and I'm sure that I was making my turn too late, I could work on my form without feeling rushed. It seemed to help. Curious what others thoughts are on this and if it helps or hurts you.

[Bill22]

You need to add a few more options like "I free-ski at my second line length."

 

My opening pass is -15 but I started free-skiing at 22 off last season.

[RazorRoss3]

When I free ski I typically start at -28 and will bring it in from there. I've found my opener can feel funny in open water, just feels like too much rope which is probably a vision and handle control issue. It's really important to try and visualize the buoys and spacing when you ski open rather than daydreaming.

[Gloersen]

OCD

[MISkier]

I really only free ski for a few days or a couple of weeks in early Spring before the course is in. Then, I will free ski on my vacations up North if I don't put the portable in (and I don't put the portable in much anymore). Other than that, it is all in the course.

[SkiJay]

I also free ski at the line lengths shorter than my PB. Shortline offers valuable insights that apply both to skiing longer line lengths better and to making progress up the line.

[bishop8950]

I like free skiing but don't do it a lot. I typically work at my opening line length and work on the way I move behind he boat. Sometimes I will put it on my second line length. I don't find free skiing at my hardest lengths (39/41) to be productive, at those lengths I need the buoys

[lpskier]

Free skiing is under rated and under utilized. I free ski beginning at 28 and to 39. If I wait for 39 to come my way in the slalom course I may never see it. 39 is one pass deeper than my pb.

[DefectiveDave]

If I free ski, I like to ski well beyond my PB. It feels different and when I go back to my normal line lengths things feel easier on open water. It also makes it more fun for me, which is kind of the point. :-)

[mjump]

We do some free skiing when then wind has us blown out. Something to try is to have your partner time you. Try to get 6 turns in the time for your speed. We have found we turn to fast. Getting 7 turns in 16.95 seconds.

[Than_Bogan]

I'm identical to Kevin in my strategy, but my hardest line lengths are about 1.5 passes worse than his. So I only rarely do open water at -35 and never at -38. I'll definitely do both -28 and -32. Usually about 1 week of nothing but -28, and then I start mixing in -32 when my rhythm feels right. If we get an early start in the spring, I'll eventually do some -35, but most years we're into the course before I get around to doing any open water -35.

[Nando]

I free ski past my PB. My feeling is that you need to be able to ski comfortably at the line length to be able to ski it in the course. I'll free ski to get my technique cleaned up when having problems in the course. Too much of it can lead to some bad habits, though...

[RichardDoane]

cant't remember the last time I free skied

[usaski1]

Free Skiing? Is that like tricking?

 

[TallSkinnyGuy]

I am still working on getting up to my max speed at -15, so that is where I ski 98% of the time whether in the course or free skiing. I don't get to ski in a course as much as I am able to free ski until the last couple months of the season (due to heavy traffic on my public lake and the fact that I have to drop in and pull out my portable course each time). When I am mostly skiing the course I find that it feels weird to then ski without buoys and just wish that I could ski a course more often.

[So_I_Ski]

Four of us free ski for the first two months, in part because we're on the water very early in dry suits - mid March and don't put the courses in at a different lake about 2 hours away until May. We would all agree with lpskier that it is very under rated and under utilized. We all find that those first 15 - 20 days out on open water allows us to really work on technique and lock it in cause it's a lot harder to think in the course when the red ball fog kicks in. I also agree with mjump and have found that if you don't have someone time your turns, you will be turning too soon and then you're clearly not wide enough which makes the transition to the course much more difficult.

[bishop8950]

I think it matters what your hardest line length is. For example, if you're hardest pass is 28 off there's no reason not to free ski at 28 off or even 32 off. But I am essentially convinced there is no reason to free ski at 41 off. I think this is because when the line is that short and you are that far up on the boat you really need the buoys to tell you where you are and how well you are doing. It's all about how you navigate the limited space you have and without the buoys you have no feedback. This said, when I am free skiing at 32 off I am positive it helps me work on things I need to ski the course at 41 off. I just make sure I'm working on the right things

[Jody_Seal]

I Free ski at 28 off but up the speed to 35-36mph.

[Ralph Lee]

Always ski my best in the course when I get a bunch of open water sets in. A mile per hour faster and a rope length or two shorter.

[BRY]

I am in an unusual location where there is lots of easy year round tournament lakes, a couple public, but no good open water lakes. Used to ski open water a couple times a year where I used to live. Would start with my opener first set then start one line shorter after that. Would go short as I could while still maintaining form and control, skied aggressively and with tempo. Just enjoying the feeling of it, the turn, the hookup, the blast across the wake. Fun to just go, ride the ski and not worry about buoys for a little bit. First set open water always a bit odd, almost hard, without a buoy to dictate where to turn.

[jjackkrash]

I would love to free ski, but its my boat, and I am the only one who seems to want to put gas in it.

[So_I_Ski]

YIKES! You're the only one who shouldn't be putting gas in it. Tell your friends that "free ski" is not intended to be taken literally.

[sunnydaysmn]

I like free skiing for the conditioning, I also think it is the purest form of the sport, skiing all different line lengths works for me. A few years back I was at an on water clinic with one of the pro skiers, we skied the course but when it came time for the pro to ski they just skied open water & it looks the same as if they were skiing the course.

[JGray]

Usually start at my hardest line 35' off sometimes 32' off if I want to warm up a bit and go up from there to 39.

[wtrskior]

A few people have hit he nail on the head. I think it depends on where your at in yiur skiing. Like @bishop8950 says he's not going to free ski 41 off, but if you're working on anywhere from 15 to 35off I think you want to free ski at faster speeds and or shorter lines.

 

I open at 22off because I can run it 100% but I never ski it open water. I typically start at 32 off and go to 35 and maybe 38 if I just want to feel it but never spend much time there as its a pass I have only got to a few times and don't work on it in the course.

 

 

[h2onhk]

Lot of good insight and thoughts around free skiing. I like the thought of going a length beyond the PB just for the feel. And I completely agree its a great way to get in ski shape earlier in the season to prep you for the course and to stay in shape during the season.

[Texas6]

I have no idea when to turn when I free ski

[Ralph Lee]

Shadowing about 6 to 8 feet before each buoy is my favorite! You can work on technique while keeping an eye on where your at in the course. It isn't as free as free sking but better practice.

[SkiJay]

I just like the rope dynamics and wake at 32 and 35, so that's where I do most of my "for fun and fitness" free skiing.

[JAG]

I love free skiing at 32 off. Sometimes I'll move up to 35 or 38, just to mix it up a bit. New Carbon V this year for me and this ski just loves the 32 line length.

[kmenard11]

Use free skiing to get in condition early in the season and to work on your form. Also, free skiing at a new line length helps when you attempt that length in the course.

[adkh2oskier]

I free ski more than I ski in the course, usually due to wind, boat traffic or time constraints. Early season start free ski at 22, go for a mile or so then drop/rest, shorten to 28, go another mile or so, drop rest shorten to 32, then go back to dock for a total of 4 miles or so. Great workout. Later season start at 28 shorten to 32, then35. 38 is my pb pass but it feels to strange trying to free ski at that length. The first 2-3 weeks and last 2-3 weeks of each season is all free skiing. If I had to choose between course and free skiing I would likely choose free skiing.

[AdamCord]

I didn't start to really understand the physics and geometry of slalom skiing until I shortened beyond what I was capable of running in the course. @adamhcaldwell and I started doing this years ago out on Lake Sammamish. Free skiing forces you to pay attention to the two things that really matter when you're skiing: Where you are, and where the boat is.

 

As the great Andy Mapple told me one time, "I don't really pay attention to the buoys, they're just there for reference." What he meant was you're skiing with the boat. You can't turn in if you're still climbing on the boat, or the line will be loose. You can't ski shortline unless you get high on the boat. You have to pay attention to your path and trajectory, and how it relates to the boat's speed and position. It's really hard, for me at least, to do that in the course.

 

Shorten the rope a notch or two beyond your PB, go free ski, and pay attention to where you are in relation to the boat. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can start making smooth turns. Once you can make smooth turns, you can get more aggressive and get higher and higher on the boat until you're skiing as wide as where the buoys would be. I didn't learn to run 38 in the course until after I learned to free ski at 39.

 

The best free skiers I've ever seen were, not surprisingly, the best course skiers I've ever seen. I watched both Mapple and @CParrish43 free ski quite a bit at 39 and 41. When I would ask them how they know when to turn without buoys, they would look at me like I'm crazy. "What's the buoy got to do with it?"

 

I also once watched Nate Smith put the rope on 43 and free ski 6 perfect turns. He said it was the first time he had ever tried free skiing!

[Ryno]

Although I'm no where near the level of @AdamCord, I too didn't really start to progress down the shortenings until I free skied with a shorter rope length than my PB.

It really forces you to fix errors that you were getting away with at the longer rope length. Specifically for me, that was handle control going into my pre-turn.

[wilecoyote]

I like to ski my opener which is 49K and sometimes I'll bump up to 52 but never 55 or 22off (which is my pb 2@ 22off). I feel that when there are no buoys, I can work on my form. I really like to work on finishing the turn and getting the hip to the handle, which usually falls to pieces when I'm in the course. I free ski behind my own boat on weekends at the cottage, so there is no temptation to ski the course as there isn't one. After a couple of days free skiing my course skiing is usually a bit better.

[sixball]

We do not have a course anymore so my crew ski 35 off. Its just a length we enjoy! Before I was able to get back to a DD and skied our V drive it was 41 off just for the wake.

[matt_b]

@ZipZapPaddyWhack remember free skiing at Lake Curlew way back when?

 

[Beastmode]

free skiing is an awesome tool to work on handle control at any length. I always start one rope length shorter then my tournament opener and ski to one length shorter then my PB. I dont really care about freeskiing like your in a course. My focus for free skiing is perfect body position, Handle control and letting the ski finish the turn on its own. I have done a bit of free skiing in the past at 39 and 41, but just to feel the load through the wakes and the release. Like @bishop8950 stated its is really hard to time 41 free skiing, but a great way to feel the cut.

[SBFL]

I free ski one length shorter than my PB, when you get back in the course, it feels like you have a bit more time.