Getting Wider

[steeliejunkie]

Hello all,

 

Had the opportunity to try a course for the first time and absolutely loved the experience. It is something I plan to try and do more often, but that will require quite a bit of travel as we do not have any options nearby. Are there any tricks to making sure while free skiing I am practicing getting enough width? In the absence of a course, I would at least like to get used to skiing out to the right width of the boat. Has anyone had any success of somehow marking on the boat the angle in which the line should be at a given line length to make it to the buoy line? I know an off course is an option, and I may go that route, but until funds are available, I am wondering if there is something else I can do to make sure I am practicing well to make the most out of future course experiences?

[skialex]

How about an Off Course device to simulate the ski course without actually having access to one? You sound like the perfect candidate.

Cheers,

[UWSkier]

Get red, orange, yellow, and green tape. Put appropriate tape on the gunnels at the point where the handle reaches the buoy. Measure 37'9" from your pylon to get the proper width.

[LeonL]

What @UWSkier said, with the tape at the matching angle as rope. Use as long a piece of tape as gunnel permits. Of course this requires an observer.

[Stevie Boy]

@steeliejunkie I suggest you listen to the Podcast from Chris Rossi and Trent Finlayson they cover this and there is good info to help you get wide with less effort.

[Windsurfnut]

I wonder if you could mount a small flag, like this, or an survey flag that once the rope hits is and the flag folds over that you've got a visual you can see skiing that marks your width.

 

[UWSkier]

I've seen flexible antenna-looking things used by skiers in Korea for width. You could do the flag thing as long as you mark the set points for different lengths. I still think the tape thing is easier. Then just make sure you set up your ski doc so the camera lens looks right down the rope line.

[steeliejunkie]

@Stevie Boy I have been listening to their podcast recently and it does have lots of good info! I will make sure to keep using that as a tool.

 

@Windsurfnut and @UWSkier between the tape and the flags this seems like a great idea. Between those two this should accomplish what I am looking for. Thank you for all the help!

[Cent]

Where do you find the podcast from Rossi and Finlayson?

[skibrain]

Here is a some info about flags and boat width without a course.

 

Flag Slalom

[bigtex2011]

its really not getting wider, it's getting higher on the boat.

 

 

[braindamage]

As soon as you get higher on the boat you will have to grapple with the pace of the turns. I have a buddy that gets plenty high but doesn’t have a quick enough pace between turns to run the course. You can also calculate this on the vids.

[gsm_peter]

There was a product called Flag Slalom.

Mounted on the boat.

Created a sound when the rope shoul have been timing wise at the boie (boat speed, angle)

Rope hit the flag at reached correct angle.

 

[chrislandy]

when you clip the drivers head, you're wide enough ;)

 

But more seriously, I'd not worry about width / boat advance, I'd work on timing and rhythm. Pick whatever speed you want to run at, then say for 30mph, once you cross the first wake (gates) have the driver (or observer) beep the horn about a second after (buoy 1.5), then every 3-3.5s after that 5 times (buoys 2-6), then beep again (1.5s) for the exit gates.

 

36mph would be about 1s after wake crossing then every 2.5s after

 

But I'd work on 7 crossings (inc exit gates) getting the timing right, body & handle positions, the rhythm of transitions between cutting, changing edge, turning & back to cutting... then with the markers on the gunwales (they will change positions depending on the rope length) an observer can tell you whether you made it wide enough or not.

[S1Pitts]

@Cent Link to Spraymakers here

[GZ22]

@S1Pitts I have the same exact issue. Little to no course access.

 

I also will maybe get an off course someday. But as stated above, the flag slalom looks like a decent option. I think I may try to rig it up.

 

This website gives you a a printout of the rules, course times per boat speed and a "protractor" you can staple or glue to some cardboard and use to mark your flag locations.

http://www.flagslalom.com/

 

I'm having issues finding a price effective suction cup flags in Canada. But I'll keep looking and brainstorming on alternatives