What did you learn this year?

[Horton]

Not what did you learn how to do but what concepts did you learn or understand this year?

 

There are a few things I learned this year including more about the difference between Long Shallow & Short Deep ( this will be it's own thread if I ever get to it). I also learned a lot about driving and the difference between boats.

[fu_man]

I learned the reason why I always fell on the backside of the ball was because I tend to lead with my head....not a good thing. (To prevent this I focused on keeping my outside shoulder down. Maybe some would call this counter rotation? Regardless, it prevented me from dipping my inside shoulder.)

 

I also learned that the little bit of slack at -28 (which wasn't pretty but I was making it work) becomes a merciless back wrenching thrashing at -32.

 

So I learned what makes a turn bad and I learned what makes it better. I also learned that I need to learn how to manage the rope better in the pre-turn.

 

Finally, I learned that when kids' baseball schedules and high winds interfere with your course time you become a better trick skier.

[JAG]

I learned:

Losing 30+ pounds made a huge difference in my athleticism, feel on the water

Pilates, Yeah, Amazing workout.

Leave the fin alone. Moved my bindings forward, made all the difference in getting my ski to turn

Ski at tournaments. Even if you suck (I do) you'll be amazed at your improvement. And the people are great.

Skiing with Seth Stisher did more in one day to correct my terrible offside than 10 years of everyone else telling me what to do.

Goode Power Vest. Underrated technology

Most of all, I wanna do this til I croak, YO!

[MISkier]

I learned to reach up slightly to prevent getting yanked forward and bent over at the finish of the turn, especially my offside.

 

I learned that advancing the ski forward from whitewater through the wake and initiating the transition/edge change at the end of that motion has great impact on the space before the buoy and how smoothly the turn for my onside goes. Key point: stay connected to the handle while doing all of this.

 

I learned that a washer under my fin block does amazing things to my onside turn.

 

I learned (again) that warmth of water, air, and body with overall flexibility/looseness, especially through the hips, is critical to skiing well for me.

[Tdub]

I learned that I still break at the waist on my off side turns after all these years. I also learned that I still love this sport of ours.

[jimbrake]

I learned to focus on the basics that I know are right and that work and not to get distracted by "technical thought creep." TTC affects nearly 70% of the skiing population, but is a manageable condition with proper treatment. Don't keep your TTC to yourself. Reach out to your skiing partners, other skiers you don't ski with, better skiers, novice skiers. You'll find that you're not alone. Ask your doctor about ways to address and deal with your TTC. Don't wait - get the help and support you need now.

 

Copyright 2017 by the American Technical Thought Creep Association (ATTCA).

[Wish]

I learned that buying The Fin Wisperer by @SkiJay was money well spent and then some.

[vtmecheng]

After 30 years of free skiing, I finally got to try my hand at a course. I learned that I need to take it easy and not go for broke on every run as a beginner, eventually I get hurt. I learned that when I think I'm keeping the handle to my hip I'm not good at keeping it there through the wake. More importantly, I learned that this sport is unbelievably amazing, difficult, and addicting.

[lpskier]

Hip rotation. And a lot about ZO.

 

And a cool thing I just learned. Next time you sit in the driver seat of your boat, notice the space between your left shoulder and the pylon. When you get in a different boat, make the same observation. Given that the pylon has to be in the center of the boat guides, if your shoulder is closer to the pylon in the new boat, you have to “move your body” away from the right boat guide to find your center and vise versa. This is a quick way to get a good idea what adjustments you’ll need to make when you first sit in the boat.

[braindamage]

Too much technicality to list, other than to say I learned more about correct form this season than all the others combined.

 

Mostly I learned that I don't have to muscle the ski around and that by just having proper form and letting it do its thing I can ski better and with much less effort.

 

I also learned that I love this sport, that it's great to have fellow waterski friends (zealots), and that I want to be able to ski until I die.

[LeonL]

I learned that what I think I'm doing and what is really happening (per proficient observer) are poles apart sometimes.

[hockeyref74]

Lea

[h2onhk]

Very little course time this year with weather and high water. Late in the season we trailered to another public river with a course. Hadn't been in the course for over 8 weeks. Ran first set right down the line to my PB at 35. Super pumped feeling like a rock star only to find out the buoys were almost 3' too short. Learned if it is feeling easy, somethings not right. The course never feels easy.

[dchristman]

Just yesterday I learned that counter intuitively, less wing can contribute to premature and uncomfortable rapid deceleration.

[oldmanskier]

I got to ski one set with Chet at the first of October. I usually ski at least a week with him every year but this year I could not.

We only had one set together and after my second pass he said. This is our only set together.

These are the two keys I want you to do the rest of the ski season.

Key 1: You are left foot forward. For the gate, get high on the boat keeping left hand pressure until you are ready to turn in for the gates.

 

Key 2: Your hands should be hooks, your arms should be chains and your legs should be reinforced steel in concrete when going from buoy to buoy.

 

Basically I was giving into the boat in different ways and moving around too much. I had been running 32 mph 28 off passes but they were not easy. I started just concentrating on these two keys and ran some of the easiest passes of the year.

 

Wish I had been able to ski with Chet at the first of the ski season. I am sure the summer skiing would have been more productive.

Oldmanskier

[rockdog]

That's the way to go @oldmanskier , focus on a couple of things at any one time until you've nailed them, improvement will follow. I'd love to ski with Chet some day.

[S1Pitts]

Mechanically - The washer trick under the fin clamp to even up offside / on side turns which allowed me to ski more symmetrical. This also brought the needs closer together for each side so I did not have to remember two sets of rules. Skiing more fluid and when shortening the line it does not seem so radical a step.

Conceptually - Relax and don't push so hard - let the boat and ski do the work. This allowed me to better focus and actually feel more of what was happening thus improving flow.

[lpskier]

@oldmanskier If your arm are hooks, your arms are chains and your legs are steel, for God’s sake don’t forget your life jacket. You’ll drown!

[oldmanskier]

lpskier:

It is Your hands should be hooks, your arms should be chains and your legs should be reinforced steel in concrete when going from buoy to buoy. I have to have a Eagle jacket (no joke) with extra floatation now to keep my nose above water. At 5' 7" 210 lbs. I Iook like a Rubits cube skiing behind the boat.

Rockdog:

Highly recommend Chet. If I could ski with him and more often I would have many keys for what did you learn this year.

oldmanskier

 

[BobF]

I learned that when I'm skiing well, it feels like I'm skiing so much easier. I've felt this earlier in my skiing career, but this is like a next level. So much that I accused my rope b*tch of not shortening the rope. Kind of an early edge change, feeling like I'm standing upright, but resisting twisting toward the boat feeling. Maybe it's just the washer...

[sunvalleylaw]

Lots and lots. A ton of re-learning, and re-booting, and striving to improve technique to take better advantage of modern skis, including me new one my wife bought me this last Christmas. It would take too long to describe all the things I have worked on here. Suffice it to say, it was all oriented toward starting with a balanced, natural and strong position, and then maintaining that position no matter where you are in the course/turn, and that you have to move to do so. Not a static thing. And also learned to actually complete the course. I also learned competing is fun. And, I learned the value of investing in some good, qualified coaching.

 

PS, it is pretty great, and I feel very fortunate, to be able to learn and improve at this stage in life. What a great sport!

[aupatking]

Shoulders outbound. Been fighting that one too long. I “think” I’ve got it

[bogboy]

Edge, angle, and urgency, & stingy with handle, low.

[chris55]

After posting for Jim Ross, I learn I really must enjoy every set I ski. Skiing bad or good...don't matter. I love the sport and I will progress more if I ski with happiness every time.

[ozski]

I learned that rubber boots, the T-Factor in particular is still a world class piece of kit and the ultimate ski boot is yet to be designed and built.