Waterski meets snow ski at the Olympics.

[Wish]

Erin Mielzynski snow skiing for Canada in the Olympics. Former junior 3 eventer and saw that she was in the Junior Masters if I have that correct (Masters pavilion in jump pic). Any Ballers have any backstory on her? And yes, waterskiing was just mentioned during the women's snow ski slalom event.

 

 

[Wish]

 

 

[Killer]

Valerie Gernier also on Canada team, surprised they didnt mention her, Exceptional young waterskier as well. Both girls trained at Mcclintocks for years.

 

Erin was a prodigy on the water, so was her sister. Started competing nationally at a very young age. Very well known in Ontario and Canada waterski world.

[PatM]

The color man on the broadcast made what I considered to be a knock against water skiing type of comment when critiquing her skiing. She got back on her skis a bit and he said 'she is water skiing down the course right there'.

[oldjeep]

@"Pat M" - back when I used to ski instruct (downhill) you could always tell who the water skiers were. Not sure it applies to Olympic level athletes, but habits die hard.

[Than_Bogan]

@oldjeep Do you mean Wallies? I had the exact same reaction as Pat. I wanted to shout "no, that's also terrible waterski technique!"

[oldjeep]

Wallie or not - I mean that people who waterski tend to ride the tails on snow skis, especially if they feel out of control. Conversely, when I get in trouble on a waterski I tend to jam my front knee forward and get low and forward on the ski.

[Wish]

Prior to the color commentary it was said with some surprise (guessing because she wasn't "just" a snow skier) that she was also a Junior Worlds waterski champion. So some positive with the off color remark after. I'll bet the color commentary guy was clueless with regards to waterskiing and it just fell out of his mouth. A John Madden. ......what did he just say?.... kind of analogy.

[DW]

And when I was at a water ski school what did the instructor say - "you must be a snow skier, you guys all have that snow ski crunch" - LOL.

[Dobrodan]

The color guy was Bode Miller. Pretty sure he knows what he's talking about.

[swc5150]

I raced USSA from age 6 to 19, and many kids I raced with also chased balls in the summer. Wasn't uncommon at all... back in the 80's anyway. GS translates very well into course skiing.

[Wish]

Does he waterski?? ;)

[PatM]

The more I think about it when I skied mogles (sp.) in the past I would get back on my ski when in trouble. Definitely the wrong thing to do. I stick to much safer terrain today.

[Than_Bogan]

I guess I see the association now, but I'd wager that about the only way @AdamCord is gonna end up on the back of snow skis is if there is a gorilla standing on the front of them pushing him back. :)

[AdamCord]

@Than_Bogan this goes back to the boot thread, but when I am using snow ski boots that are fitted poorly I am falling to the tail of my skis like crazy. I am by no means a great snow skier but depending on the boots I can go from looking like a novice skier to someone who actually knows which way to point my skis. Same is true on a water ski.

[oldjeep]

@AdamCord funny thing is that a properly fitted stiffer boot is one of the easiest ways to get on your tails. With a stiff 18 degree forward lean plus heel wedges in my boots, all I have to do is try to stand up to force the tails down.

One of the tricks that we used to give people to get off their tails was to actually loosen or completely unbuckle their top boot buckles so that their ankles could move.

[andjules]

@"Pat M" I think everyone gets back on their tails when they get in trouble (/too much speed) in the moguls. I don't think my waterskiing has anything to do with it; it's just bloody hard to train your brain to lean (even further) forward while going down a steep bumpy hill while going too fast.

 

(And Bode Miller's off-hand comment about waterskiing was probably just Erin getting back on her skis and likely nothing to do with her waterski instincts at all)

[oldjeep]

FWIW, I don't know if Bode waterskis - bud Ted does

 

[eleeski]

As does his contemporary competitor Dahron Rahlves. Along with many others.

 

I live in the back seat on snow (it sometimes seems). Nothing to do with my waterskiing. But sometimes I do it there too.

 

Congratulations to all the multi sport athletes.

 

Eric

[dvskier]

Get on the back of snow skis = Mr Toads wild ride!

[Drago]

Bode Miller is the best analyst of ski racing since...well, ever .

Just like most people think you lean back in powder, most people think (and do) Lean back in waterskiing.

He was just having a little fun with her situation at those 3 gates.

Trust me, if you gave Bode a properly set up ski and good coaching, and he had the desire and time , he would be skiing at Nationals in no time.

Like Melzynski and Ledecka (!!!) , he is a world class athlete.

[DW]

@eleeski : as for Rahlves, he also competed at the Baja 1000 on a motorcycle, I bumped in to him at the finish one year.

 

@Drago : I agree that Bode is a great addition to the booth, lots of interesting insight provided in a calm manner. Unfortunately, NBC and the US television model of over commercialization missed the winning run live in more than one ski event so far. Great comparison is to watch side by side from broadcasters north of the border. Sad example of how bad the US model of sports television presentation has become with glaring oversaturation of commercialization.

[oldjeep]

Need less figure skating

[Rob]

I haven't seen Erin in years, but I drove for her a couple of times ages ago...probably around 2005 (notably when there wasn't a better driver available.) She used to train at McClintocks. @Wish is correct of course - some of the photos of her are from Masters where she competed as a junior - the pavilion gives it away. Like her sister Jenna, she is a very talented athlete and chose to pursue snow skiing instead of waterskiing. Given that she's now in the Olympics (at least her second one if I'm not mistaken), I think she made the right choice!

[Than_Bogan]

I think it might take Bode a month to beat me in water slalom, and I'm pretty proud of that :).

 

I agree: He's been quite insightful in general.

[sunvalleylaw]

The other way to get out of control in the moguls is to overcorrect forward and "taco" over the front. You can chip a tooth that way, on your knee. I just happen to know that. ;) Usually there is a loss of fore aft balance to the rear to correct from first. What the kids in the mogul comps do is really different from what many very accomplished formerly competitive, or just expert, mogul skiers do in real moguls that have not been dug in with a shovel. And the line skied is often different. Rather than in the rut, over the tops, opposite of the ruts, banking on the sides, etc. The move forward down the run needs to be an extension square to the slope of the hill and as @andjules points out, is hard to do, especially if you are going over the back side of a bump which can make it even steeper than the overall slope of the hill. one needs to train both extension moves, from the knees with limited opening of the ankles keeping a good grip in the boots, and/or a retraction move bring the feet back in relation to the body. For me, usually a blend but not always.

 

WRT the athlete in question here, or any waterskier, the skier on a waterski still controls relationship of the body and center of mass to the base of support (where to stand on ski) but also has to resist the boat. And of course that is different from leaning back fore/relative to aft on the ski. So yeah, different.

 

I don't know if Bode waterskis, but I bet he could figure it out pretty fast. I used to pull Paul Mahre (Phil and Steve's little brother and also a World Cup contender before severe hip injury) behind our old outboard boat back in the day. He could pull that thing to a near stop. He had not learned about being lighter on the line. But really not many of us had at that point, except maybe Andy. :)

[Wish]

@sunvalleylaw I used to ski mogals ..a lot in my younger days. Know what you mean about knee hitting chin. What I didn't know is that I skied with the front of my tongue forward of my teeth and off to the side. I guess my tongue stopped me from chipping a tooth. However, it did not fare well at all. :s I did get to meet and ski with both Phil and Steve one season... that was cool. Back in the day wasn't there a waterski snow ski contest with the Mahre brothers and the LaPoint brothers..pretty sure Bob was involved.

[Wish]

Yep..found it

https://youtu.be/DxUtf_roV_A

[sunvalleylaw]

HaHa! @Wish , that is great! I knew they waterskied a lot, and saw old K2 waterskis stuffed in an area under the lifts at White Pass where I worked for my pass in the summer as a kid. Though I have met Phil and Steve many times over the years, wouldn't say I knew them. I was a young grom at the time and they were off on their quest by then. I did know the family, who lived on the hill as Spike, the dad, was the mountain manager, and my boss for that summer pass earning gig. That is cool they battle Bob. I will watch that. Interestingly, at least to me, I have had the pleasure of being a starter for Bob at a local benefit race for the SV ski team that happens each spring. He is usually on a team participating. It was fun to get to tell him how he inspired me when I was really trying to learn how to ski. Now I have to see how that waterski challenge turns out.

[Web]

RE: Bode waterskiing..... I have not witnessed Bode waterskiing, but I know for certain it IS in his lineage. His family grew up in the mountains and lakes of NY/VM/NH. I ski regularly with his Uncle @sailworks who is a beast and won NYS Men's 7 a couple years ago. In the North, it is common to cross over, and so many things are the same.