Kistler's Trick Tips #3 + #4

[Guest]

3. Pay careful attention to handle position.

 

Work out handle passing in advance on land. Tie your rope to a solid object and do the trick in slow motion. From your study of video, figure out where the handle should “set” to initiate the turn, where it should pass next to the body and where it should “catch” on landing. Notice how the handle/wrist twists throughout the turn and try to mimic the same motion. Pass the handle close to the body but position it so that it doesn’t “hang up.” In the front position, pull the handle in toward your belt line by tucking your elbows into your hips. On some tricks such as surface BBs, I find it helpful to punch the handle down in the back position.

 

4. Toe tricks.

 

I confess- toe tricks are my nemesis. Keeping a tight line on toe tricks while keeping a vertical axis is challenging. You have to pull and release smoothly to maintain even pressure. This is what Matt Rini calls the rhythm of the rope. Watch video of Cory Pickos and notice how he cocks his toehold knee to one side in the front position to keep the line tight.

[ETskier]

My wife was a very good trick skier in her day. She always worked on "advancing the ski" rather than pulling in, both for toe and handle passes.

[ETskier]

@BKistler Keep it coming. Would love to see more Americans take up trick skiing.

[BKistler]

How does one advance the ski without pulling? I’m not trying to be cute. I just want to understand your/her approach. Thanks for the thanks BTW.

[eleeski]

Bruce, great to see trick tips encouraging skiers!

 

At the risk of getting you to improve your point total out of my reach, I have a drill for you. With the toe harness on, pull as hard as you can. Get on the front of the ski to generate some slack. If you can get the rope to dip in the water, even better. After you get comfortable generating slack, try turning to back on the dead rope. Repeat the process from the toe back position - warning, it's a lot tougher. Especially the turn to front on a dead rope! But there's no better simulation for recoveries from those weird positions that can happen in toes. Do have a skilled release person who will let you be a bit out of sorts but release you immediately if you hook something (that is more likely if you aren't leading with the ski or your hips).

 

Note that pulls like this and landings on a dead rope are necessary for toe steps and other big toe wake tricks.

 

These drills are useful for hand tricks too.

 

Rope control is not always a smooth even pressure on the rope!

 

Eric

[eleeski]

Regarding advancing on the boat, the ski attitude is more important than the pull. A flat trick ski generates a lot less drag than a tracking ski. So keeping the ski flat while aiming for a finishing point closer to the pylon will allow you to advance on the boat without extra pulling.

 

Unfortunately, a flat ski is less stable. And you don't have that rope to lean on for an extra balance point. So we try to settle back into that comfortable tracking position as quickly as possible - instead of riding a squirrely low drag attitude to the advance we need. Stay on that flat ski until you are where you want to be.

 

Another place for advancing on the boat is at the start of a trick. If you are extremely strong and have a lot of fast twitch muscles, you can pull at the start of the trick and use that power to advance on the boat. While the pull is there, by the time you are actually advancing on the boat in your final position, no extra pull is needed.

 

Advance is mostly a target for your position at the end of a trick. You should strive to be in your desired body position, desired handle position, desired spot off the wake or in the table, as well as being where you want to be relative to the pylon.

 

For example with a WO from in to out, I aim for a spot in the flat well ahead of my starting point. My legs do a lot of that work on my wake approach to take me there - not my hands.

 

Eric

[BKistler]

Hello Eric. Good to hear from you. I knew that my posts would get a response from you. Having lurked here on occasion in the past, I have seen some of your generous and helpful posts. You are to be commended for your selfless contributions.

 

Anyhow, I was amiss by implying that the pull should be the same at all times. What I was trying to convey was rope control. Ideally, even on a dead rope there should be some light tension on the rope to avoid a bow of slack, or at least that bow of slack should be under control so that there is not a fall-producing shock when it takes up.

 

I’ll have to play with your drill. Wouldn’t mind adding some of your tricks to my run. However, on wrap-in TO (perhaps the best example) I have had some very ugly and dangerous falls trying to turn on a dead rope like most skiers do. I have had better success with a long, slow, continuous pull.

 

Good description of advancing.

[eleeski]

If you lead with your ski or hips, you will not hook an edge on TO wrap-in. If you lead with your shoulders or eyes, you are at huge risk of a nasty fall. Both scenarios are regardless of whether you have slack. Note how Cory and other top skiers never get their shoulders all the way to the boat. For us mortals, never reach to grab the rope until everything is settled.

 

As I have aged and lost strength, your smooth long pull is the only way I can get the tension off the rope when I finish the TO wrap-in. To get that I key in on pulling through the TS portion of the trick (Kistler tip #6!). I long for the days when I could just snap my ankle to generate the pull!

 

Careful of the rope release. If it is wrapped around the pylon it won't release fast enough for our old tendons. Pinch the rope to the pylon or use a Robbins release when you are trying new stuff. Even a split pin with a very attentive operator can get the immediate release. With the right release setup and operator, even the worst toe falls should not hurt you.

 

Eric

[eleeski]

Note: If you are working on surface Os, the same rule about leading with your ski applies! The shoulders should be the last thing around on almost any trick. If you must look, look with imaginary eyes placed in your hips. Magic sight that gives you tricks!

 

Eric

[BKistler]

Good advice. I always lead with my head which is how I’m getting ahead of the ski.

 

Your comment about the TS position is identical to how Benny Lohr describes how he does a wrap-in TO. I sort of lag just past 90 degrees and pull-pull-pull to the front.

 

I use a Robbins release in practice.

[BKistler]

I never get totally square to the boat on TO. My trailing shoulder lags behind.

[ETskier]

Thanks Eric. Way better explanation of advance than I could have written.

[nautique1228]

Thanks guys keep ‘em coming!