I'm not skiing enough and it shows! (and what I've learned from starting a new ski season)

[o2bnMaine]

Normally, my wife and I ski ~4 days a week all year round. And, if not waterskiing, I'm windsurfing, so at least I stay in shape.

 

I've only been skiing once every two or three weeks lately. This summer has been windy enough to stop me from skiing but not enough for windsurfing. And I haven't been spending the necessary time to maintain my secondary option for course skiing on a nearby lake either.

 

Between the above and starting a new project for work, skiing hasn't been as plentiful as when COVID put my professional life on hold. I feel like the season is just beginning for me. Bittersweet... I need to work to pay for the gas! ;-)

 

This morning, a couple of friends came over to pull me through the course for the first time since September 5th. I learned more about my mental conditioning relating to slalom than anything, I think.

 

(1) Mentally, I was trying too hard. I was focusing so much on doing well that I wasn't able to concentrate on mechanically what I needed to do.

 

(2) I had a VERY competent driver, yet I couldn't get it out of my head that it wasn't my wife driving. This was the first time in probably two years that someone else pulled me through the course.

 

(3) I was too bull-headed to drop down to 22-off for my initial passes. I couldn't get past 3-ball on my first 4 attempts at 28-off. Stupid waste of energy that was! After two successful 22-off passes, I shortened back to 28-off and easily ran both of those passes as well.

 

(4) For the 4 successful passes I completed, I noticed my flaws creeping back around 4-ball. 4-ball is where I usually have trouble, which means I'm messing up 3-ball, of course. I found it telling when on 3 of the 4 passes, out of 3-ball, I didn't get my right hand back to the handle properly, which left me with a very weak grip crossing from 4 to 5. This really drove home how important it is to direct energy from the leading shoulder through the body as one crosses the wake. Without a good grip, I found I was out of sorts approaching 5-ball. I'm going to keep reminding myself of this for when i'm back into 32 and 35-off.

 

(5) I prefer when the water is below 90 degrees. ;-) Today felt great only being in the mid-80's. I'm looking forward to trying to fit more skiing in during the coming months!!

[Skoot1123]

Water time always helps! You’ll be back in the swing of things in no time!

 

Even at the tail end of the season it seems like certain things just don’t work as seamlessly as they did at the beginning and middle of the summer. Just know that at least it will progress as you keep working on it.