Looking for advice on improving slalom technique

[gsmith795]

Hi all - I’m a new member who’s casually browsed the forum for a few years but never posted, been skiing for about 5 years behind my 1986 Ski Nautique 2001 that I purchased in 2015. I’ve got a 68” Connelly Concept with double stoker binding and I typically ski 15’ off at about 32 mph.

 

I don’t have many opportunities to ski with advanced skiers or get coaching, so I guess I’m just looking for advice from the experts on this forum on ways to optimize my setup and my approach to maximize my performance (I.e., the best gear, speed, line length, technique, etc.).

 

I exclusively free ski since I don’t have access to a course and I’m having trouble learning to cross the wakes aggressively. I typically cross with a somewhat flat ski to absorb the impact with my legs. I’ve tried to bring handle to hip, lean away from the boat, and ski on edge, but it’s been minimal improvement these past few summers. Is there a line length and speed that would work best for my older boat? Would a better quality ski help? Or should I improve with my current ski before thinking about upgrading?

 

I keep thinking that a newer boat with a smaller wake would help me get to the next level but then I remind myself that everyone skied behind these boats in the 80’s and I should suck it up. Plus I don’t have the budget for a newer boat :)

 

Thanks in advance!

[BraceMaker]

Good episode you by the radar guys https://radarskis.com/spraymakers

 

Of course flatter wakes would help but what would be best is to take some lessons and bring that to your open skiing.

Learning a good turn in and wake crossing is really important and largely it is position and technique not gear or boat that get you through.

 

Beyond that the best bit I have is to be mindful of your vision. Open water it is tempting to sort of look across where you imagine you are going so you turn and end up looking behind the boat across but what you really do is stare straight at the obstacle. Now as you cut towards it you are looking down and timing the hit. It makes everything seem worse. If instead you turn in and get into position try keeping your eyes generally on the top of the boat windshield, cut in and as you are crossing let your eyes continue across that plane out to above where you will turn back in. Repeat. This helps by breaking the cycle open water guys have of charging balls to the wall at the wakes full power then letting off to cross and helps bring you through.

 

 

[KRoundy]

@gsmith795 How old is that Concept? If it is the ski I am thinking about you might really benefit from an upgrade.

 

What has helped me in this area is NOT looking at the wake. In the Spraymakers episode about vision they talk about turning and as soon as they know that they are going to clear the bouy they are looking ahead to the next one. Where are you looking when you are free skiing?

[Rednucleus]

Where do you ski? Find a club or private lake to join and your new friends will be glad to help you improve. If there's any way you can work that in to your budget, the return is priceless if you love to ski.

[pregom]

As I'm learning to ski correctly, I'm finding that if I don't have the fundamentals drilled in me, the rest doesn't count much. I think the Core Fundamentals episode of SprayMakers sums it up well: arms straight, good structure, get all your speed by CL, stand up tall.

[ALPJr]

Try putting the rope at -28 off and adjust boat speed to 30mph. The wake crossing will be much softer and the shorter rope will help you generate a little more speed from the widest point where you turn in. Try a drill - get wide, turn in and hold your strong cutting position through the wakes, then glide to the widest point on the other side and repeat. Try to do this for six or eight cuts in a row, catch your breath and do it again. Try that three ski days in a row. Helps build muscle memory.

[gsmith795]

I tried 28’ off today but I had the driver maintain about 34mph because the wake felt a bit flatter than at 30 or 32. There’s a much bigger trough compared to 15’ off and it was like my ski bounced off the wake as I crossed.

 

As I forced myself to take a bit more speed into the wake, I was almost able to bounce quickly enough that it didn’t interrupt my progress too much. Am I going in the right direction or should I not be feeling this bouncing sensation? I still think I’m failing to cross the wake ‘on edge’

[gsmith795]

@KRoundy my concept is about 5 years old, not sure if that’s the one you’re thinking of. It’s pretty heavy, but I’m not sure how much a ski’s weight affects your ability. I also have an old D3 Nomad that a neighbor gave me, I think it’s graphite because it’s super light. It has a toe plate instead of a double boot so I don’t use it as much.

[BraceMaker]

@gsmith795 - this is the vision part - if you're paying attention to the wakes you basically need to figure out how to make it a bump in the road that you drive right through. Its not a deer in the road its the rumble strips in the dotted passing line.

 

How to do that is posture, long arms, and keeping your eyes up off the wakes. The opposite is staring at it till you buckle in the middle and stand up to crash into the second trough. A heavy damp ski isn't going to bounce as much, but a light fast ski might let you be less loaded on the ski and more able to dynamically cross the wakes.

 

If you love your boots mount them on the other ski and give them a fair side by side go. I'm using 4 different skis with regularity this summer and loving it.