What have you learned in the summer of 2018?

[Horton]

What have you learned in the summer of 2018?

[Horton]

I have radically changed my gate. I hesitate to coach or recommend what I am doing because I do not totally understand why it all works.

 

I am trying to go out as soft as I dare. From the boat it may not look as soft as it feels from my perspective but I feel like I am hardly leaning on the rope.

 

Once I get to width I very much try to roll off my edge and on to a flat ski as gently as possible. This is key and this is the one thing I have started coaching other skiers to do.

 

From there not much else has changed except that I am avoiding overloading on the way back to the gates by trying to keep my shoulders level. Thanks to @twhisper for hammering me about level shoulders last year. That helps me so much at 38.

[Chef23]

@Horton this is interesting to me. One of the guys I ski with a lot I have been trying to get more speed on his gate pullout. I feel like he is on his tail and not getting enough speed or width. As a result as soon as he rolls off the pulling edge he starts getting pulled narrow and losing width. I would like him to have more width and be traveling about the same speed as the boat when he turns in so he doesn't lose width. I am also trying to get him off his back foot but you can't solve everything.

 

I used to try to be as soft as possible in the early days of ZO because I am a relatively big guy and didn't want to get hit by the boat. This skier is smaller than I am and I don't feel the boat gassing when he is pulling out.

 

Am I way off base in what I am suggesting to him? I know everyone is different and video helps. When I watch the pros though they seem to generate good speed on their pullout and don't seem to drift narrow before the turn in.

[Horton]

@Chef23 Soft our is relative. I want to be as wide and fast as possible at turn in. The part that I do not understand is how I can be light on the way left and be as wide or wider than if I drop the bomb.

 

As far as the roll out goes I am 100% sure that a slower transition to a flat ski is way better than a faster move that results in the ski rolling past flat.

[MISkier]

@Horton, I suspect your new approach to the gate may be leading you to move your hips in that direction and you are initiating more with your lower body than previously. This is more efficient. When you “drop the bomb”, you might be leaning away and slightly backward. If so, this could put you on the tail and give you load and not width.

 

Watch the old Wim DeCree Okeeheelee video and see how he initiates the pull out with his lower body. Very efficient and, seemingly, lighter on the line.

[RazorRoss3]

@Horton

My $0.02

 

I’m working on the same things this year.

Head and shoulder level is super important. Nothing else actually seems to matter if I don’t do that part right.

 

As far as pulling intensity I think it boils down to efficiency not intensity. It is difficult to be efficient on the ski when I pull too hard and I generally create load that I can’t control. When I ski lighter I can stay in the right place on my ski and I think that lets me take more angle in a less loaded way so I’ll be faster and earlier due to more angle and less drag and load.

 

Just my thoughts on it

[Horton]

@RazorRoss3 obviously it's easier to be in better position with less load. It just blows my mind that I can get as wide and have enough water speed at turn in with so much less effort. I guess if you really think about efficiency it makes sense but it's still counterintuitive.

[usaski1]

I've learned its possible to break a 20 year PB!! Wooohoooo!

[RazorRoss3]

I agree entirely, “I do less and get more” is extremely counterintuitive. It’s the difference between trying to make the ski go by pulling or letting the boat make the ski go by riding the ski correctly. As skiers, it works better if we handle the steering part and let the boat handle the go part.

[Horton]

I got a random call from @CParrish43 the other day and told him what I was trying to do on my gate. He basically said the idea was 100% wrong. $h*t!

[T_C]

I learned that where you look makes a huge difference and it is hard to change. Looking up at the apex keeps you staked and level.

[Ed_Johnson]

It has blown my mind how skiers like Nate can transition while keeping the upper body in a lean and have the lower body swing through to the opposite edge, forming the Reverse C position.

I have always known and tried to keep the handle low and elbows close to the vest while doing this. What I finally figured out this year is you have to make those elbows SQUEEZE like a Vice against your side through this whole process. Just keeping them close doesn't cut it. Squeezing tight, and I mean REALLY tight, makes them the pivot point, and you have to hold this out to the buoy line. When doing that process you really capture the bottom pendulum swing from ZO, especially at the shorter line lengths. It also pulls your upper body forward more going into the apex, slowing you down faster, by putting more ski in the water. This also makes for a better turn off the apex.

That and the CG Fin have been my biggest improvements this summer.

 

 

[Bruce_Butterfield]

The new ZO plus mode is awesome. I feel like I can ski again after fighting the speed control for the last 10 years.

[KRoundy]

Position, position, position. If I do it right I can fly, but if I do it wrong I fight, tire easily and ski poorly.

 

And losing weight does nothing but good things for water skiing.

[jimbrake]

@Bruce_Butterfield - you're using + with what setting? How do you feel it's letting you ski better? I'm in the same 10 year battle.

[Drago]

@Horton I think you have just been getting lucky.

Soft gates, like coordinates, generally only work at your lake with your driver, your boat, rope, ambient temperature....

[Horton]

@Drago it's kind of a matter of perspective. My failure point is that I overload so trying to go light probably puts me closer to Ideal. I kind of suspected most skiers fail in the same direction but I don't know. Nine times out of 10 my driver asks me why the f I go so hard to the gates...

[Drago]

Ah, watch a vid of yourself running a good 38 and see when you get the load off 2. Looks "late", right? That's the deal on gates, especially @ 38, 39. Can't load er up until physics allows. (@45* says @adamhcaldwell )

[MISkier]

I learned something similar to @Ed_Johnson. On my pullout and for my pull through the gates, I have been focusing on how tight my arms are to my vest. This has allowed the ski to advance nicely through the wake and transition into the right edge change before 1 ball. My primary cue is the pressure I feel on my upper arm (elbow/humerus/tricep) as I pull - pressure on left arm during the pullout, pressure on right arm during pull through the gate. I have been quite consistent and efficient with the gate and 1 ball when I focus on it.

 

Unfortunately, I've only been able to focus on this for the gate and, occasionally, my offside pull to my onside turn. As Ed mentions, it's key to keeping the upper body still and having the lower body naturally work with the boat and release after the wake.

 

In the previous 2 years, I had only been running my hardest pass once or twice a year - right at the very end of the season. This year, I've already run it at least 6-8 times and the first was at the beginning of July. I haven't nailed it in a tournament yet, but I did increase my tournament PB by one buoy to a solid Rico and ran the previous PB multiple times in this year's tournaments. And, my preceding rope length pass has become much more consistent and, occasionally, extremely easy.

 

If I can calm down through the rest of the course and remember this, there is more improvement ahead.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@jimbrake I am using C1+. I used C1 for years and spent the last year at A3. A3 worked as long as I was smooth, but C1 was generally better.

 

With the plus mode, I feel like I can actually advance on the boat at shorter lines, which allows me to keep the handle in longer. With the old mode, I felt like the boat was always running away and I had to scramble all the time to barely stay even - I never felt early. Compounding that is when the boat is running away after the second wake, the pressure from the boat is greater, which makes keeping the handle in during the preturn even more difficult.

[disland]

+1 on plus mode! even for hacks (aka jumpers) like me

[bishop8950]

I have re-learned the same lesson I learn every year and it’s aggravating. As soon as I start to hit my peak fitness I am way over skiing and going too hard off the ball. It dont feel hard because I am strong. But then I get coached, see video or most often have drivers say “wow you are hard to drive, Why are you going so hard? It sure is easy to drive other guys”. I think I am going to install inverted thumb tacks on my handle so I quit pulling so hard.

 

The think that is new, and really helps, I got from a Badal. Ski under the rope before you go. Same as patience, finish your turn, etc. but this way of thinking has changed how I ski for the better. I can watch my ski and body get under the rope. By the time this happens I am near the first wake spray and when the rope comes tight I ride it to the other side within a reasonable work zone. If I loose focus and operate to what I believe is our human default of “the buoy went by, max angle and load ASAP” everything gets heavy and fast quick.

[oneski]

I focused on my vision this year. It’s widely overlooked but a very critical component of short line skiing. More often than not when I go down it’s because I’m looking directly at ball as I start my turn. When I focus on my vision and pick up the next ball at the apex of my turn I keep my head and shoulders level, and don’t feel rushed completing the turn. The entire pass feels slow when I have good vision.

[Horton]

@oneski that is good stuff

[Chef23]

@oneski I like that as well. I tend to drop my head more on my onside and my offside and I generally don't think about my vision. Next time out I am going to work on your thought and see how it works for me.

 

This year I really just learned that I still love to ski. I have mostly been skiing at 30 mph 22 off running a bunch of passes each set and I just love being out on the water skiing with my buddies. I broke the full suit out this morning and it was kind of a sad day as the water and air temps were both in the low 60s which means things are coming to the end.

 

Time to get in the gym and get my body strong enough to run 34 mph next year.

[Jody_Seal]

I learned I can live with out coolaid!!!

[thager]

I learned that on a Denali if the S-wing isn't set right anything else you change is a lesson in futility! Set the ski up to stock. Set the wing to where it doesn't feel like you're dragging an anchor, then fine tune bindings and fin! Yep, Pretty much took me all summer.... Almost sold the ski. Glad I didn't! PIA just like @Horton!

[Horton]

@Jody_Seal you are back on the Kool-aid?

[jayski]

I learnt that @skidawg, Skippy, their families, @teammalibu and his wife Karen are amazing people! Hands down the nicest group ever, I am completely honored to have met them, get to hang out with them and ski with them.

 

I learnt "southern hospitality" exists...and the people at Cedar Ridge are a great example of it. EVERY skier needs to go there at least once in their life to experience one of their tournament weekends. You will not be disappointed.

 

Besides the important stuff above, I learnt that as the rope gets shorter I needed to be more "Dynamic" in your transition, as I was told repeatedly...which finally got through my armored head and got a certain monkey off my back in a tournament

[Horton]

@jayski are you sure about Stinky? No question about Ward, Kim, Erb & Karen

[liquid d]

That Michigan was waaay overated. Auburn's quarterback sucks. UCF is the real deal...with or without Milton. Alabama should play the bucs. Global warming might be a hoax. The world didn't end with DT as pres. Thanksgiving is still awesome! The 200 is a sweeeet ride. Betty Lou is still the best ride ever. Kids grow up too fast. When you stop and look around, Life is pretty amazing! (Dr Seuss or Ferris Buehler) Ski ya later!

[jayski]

@Horton hell ya, no doubts...

[jimski]

I've learned I need patience. Learning patience is the next step.

[dchristman]

@jimski are you a doctor?

[jimski]

No just a little illiterate

[jhughes]

Every good skier out there, regardless of style at the buoy and elsewhere, has straight, relaxed arms behind the boat. I had no idea how much I use my arms in the course and my focus had errantly been elsewhere throughout the year. Straight arms. Thanks @scoke

[dchristman]

@jimski Patience is key to success, but if you've got patients that could help pay for some good coaching!

[Deanoski]

Dont be over weight lost 20 lbs and I can ski -35 again!! two year problem is gone.