Free Skiing at 39.5 off

[DefectiveDave]

I just tried this today and it was interesting. You can definitely feel the very prominent arc of the rope going out and you start to learn what you need to do to make the turn and get back to the other side.

 

I certainly don't think I would have been able to make it out to any buoys, but just feeling the differences compared to my usual length of 28 off was educational. You have to stick with the rope (i.e. handle control) right up until you initiate your turn to go back to the other side, otherwise it's slack city.

 

I also started to feel that if I stuck with the rope, the release of the ski to initiate the turn was much more pronounced. It's like you're saving that energy until you need it to initiate the turn and head back to the other side quickly. Also, it works totally different muscles than the longer line lengths, but that might just me using even worse "form" than normal.

 

Anyway, I felt like it was kind of an eye opening experience, but I don't know that I can translate what I felt to the course. I might need to try free skiing it for a while to see if I build any muscle memory that I can take back into the course.

[UWSkier]

We messed around with that earlier this summer too. I took a couple crazy slack hits at first and feel the effect in my right bicep til this day. But after a few turns, got it figured out. For me, the feeling was "never stop turning." It's not like the longer lengths where you're more likely to set an angle and stay with it until edge change. More of a curvy path it felt like. And yes, stay on the handle like your hand is velcroed to it.

[Ilivetoski]

I tried this 2 nights ago, but tried to run the mini course. Got .5

[Rich]

Its a good thing, you are on your way to learning how to ski short line slalom. I free ski at 38 & 39.5 to learn the timing, I also ski in front of the balls at 38 & 39.5. I will ski in front of 1,2,3,4 and go around 5 & 6 Then as that gets good, ski in front of 1,2,3, go around 4 5 &6 I go to the width of the balls but turn in front of them, it also teaches you how early you can edge change and get to course width. Heres an interesting thing that happened to me, you don't realize how much your ski slides in the course. I skied 39.5 in front of all the balls but maintained the width. I cut the 3 4 5 6 ball lines off. When we came back all the balls were floating away. I found it easy to ski this line length, which taught me that if you keep good body position, edge change early, running very shortline slalom is more about timing and less about brute strength. Whats really crazy is that a young lady in the boat who didn't know skiing thought I ran the pass, as I was in perfect timing and sliding to each ball, my tail & finblade cutting the ball ties. It was a lesson learned for me. Now our egos say we should go around the balls, but training to run shortline slalom isn't about our egos. Short line slalom is as much about thinking ahead as it all happens very fast, and learning how early you can edge change and ride the turning edge out to the ball. One of the biggest mistakes we make is pulling too long, which will result in a late turn and a slack line, GAME OVER. This is my experience , hope it helps out.

[6balls]

@rich just super cool insight there...spot on.

 

Curious...any thoughts about running late. Seems most of us when we botch a ball and need to give it hell we pull not only hard but long in hopes of width...still trying to pull to shore and thus getting into bad position/narrow/hot situations when the line/boat dictate otherwise. Perhaps even when late the edge change should be early but remaining outbound is key? So hard to do. Thoughts?

[A_B]

The reality is, skiing the short stuff is fun and educational. Whether it's in the course or just ripping up the lake. After beating away at some line length for a month or more, there is no more exileration and wow factor. Not so at 39! A good hookup at 39 is like the first hill on a roller coaster.

 

And the great part, no law against it!

[Rich]

6balls Pulling long never works out! Neither does over turning! There is more space in the course than we realize. Patience is a virtue!!!

 

[GaryWilkinson]

Great thread. I ski at -32 and get to 2.5 on -35 so I only started free skiing this year at -35.

 

Got to ask: do you guys slow the boat a couple of mph to get to know the shorter line? Or just go out balls to the wall? Takes me a good dozen or so turns to get the timing so that I don't leave my arms attached to the rope while I sink into the lake. But I am getting it.

 

Got to try some -38 but I made myself the promise to not try it till I run a legit -35. You see when I was young and skiing competitively, George Athans was world champ and the WR was 5 at -38.

Just gotta try that one time!

[ShererSkier]

I've been trying this also and I've had improvements in my skiing. I started free skiing at -28 and really noticed how different certain things felt and I think it translated into my course skiing. I actually ran -28 in the course a handful of times this summer. I haven't tried any shorter free skiing yet. I haven't had much of a chance to ski recently.

 

I do like the idea of running the course and turning before the buoys like @Rich talked about. I've never thought about it but it sounds like a good drill. Thanks!

[Rich]

Gary, slowing the boat down will allow you to pull longer and still feel what short line slalom feels like. You can try that, and also try the drill I suggested. I also see you like to free ski, so work on skiing wide, put tape on the side of the boat so you know you are getting the correct angles. If you pull to long you will have a slack line. Its timing & rhythm that will get you through the shorter lines with a tight line.