Newby Water skier still struggling. Still can’t get up on two

[NewStarts]

Last year I tried water skiing for the first time, and couldn’t get out of the water on two. I asked for advice here in a tread which some of you may remember at the following link:  

 

 

Anyway, I took all the advice to heart (it seemed at the time that the big problem was the way I was flexing my ankles), and now I’m back at my relatives’ lake house in Maine. Today I tried again.

I also had high hopes because they bought some new 67 inch Connelly combos, that are pretty wide. I’ve lost 20 pounds, and am somewhat stronger and more flexible than I was last year, but I’m still a  5’,6” and 200 pound male. So I figured every little extra bit of width would help. Also, last year it took like a half an hour just to struggle into their old wooden skis each time. These new ones have boots and they are very easy to get into.  Also, on the new skis, they had a couple people with a similar physique to mine get up on the first try after not having done it in many years.  So they were optimistic, and told me I’d probably get up on the first try or two.

I knew how to fix the problem that I thought I was pretty sure I was experiencing last year. I was pretty bullish on this attempt.

Unfortunately, the final result was the same. I tried four times today, and I couldn’t even begin to get up. The new skis were indeed easier in many ways; they were easy to get into, and I felt like I could control them much more easily than the old wooden ones, which had a mind of their own. It didn’t make a difference though.

I simply felt too weak. As soon as my body weight started to hit, I couldn’t hold onto the handle. And I felt like I was going to be folded in half. 

I’m pretty sure I did everything form-wise I was supposed to. I’m really not sure what else I could do. Everyone says this isn’t about strength, but it sure feels like it.

By the fourth attempt I was too tired to hold myself upright, and just when my aunt applied the throttle I tipped over on my left side, so I knew it was time to call it a day.

I will try again tomorrow if the weather allows; I’m here through Sunday. But I’m not gonna lie: this is pretty discouraging.

Edited July 12, 2023 by NewStarts

[Broussard]

 

[Stevie Boy]

Keeping you arms straight, sit in a Armchair, I ask you what do you have to do to stand up without using your arms, figured it out yet ? basically you have to let your feet move back so that you can stand on them, by just using your legs and not your arms, the pull of the boat should roll you up in a squatting position , but you have to make sure the skis do not go straight under you, once you are in the squatting position, with your feet under you, keeping your arms straight ,use your legs to slowly stand on the skis, there is no rush to do so.

Once standing on the skis, with your back straight, flex your knees forward over your ankles this will help to stabilise the skis

[NewStarts]

19 minutes ago, Broussard said:

 

Thanks for posting that, but I’ve watched it as well as every other similar video on YouTube many times by now. I spent the entire year educating myself.  I thought I was doing everything they recommended.

[NewStarts]

3 minutes ago, Stevie Boy said:

Keeping you arms straight, sit in a Armchair, I ask you what do you have to do to stand up without using your arms, figured it out yet ? basically you have to let your feet move back so that you can stand on them, by just using your legs and not your arms, the pull of the boat should roll you up in a squatting position , but you have to make sure the skis do not go straight under you, once you are in the squatting position, with your feet under you, keeping your arms straight ,use your legs to slowly stand on the skis, there is no rush to do so.

Once standing on the skis, with your back straight, flex your knees forward over your ankles this will help to stabilise the skis

I’m not even getting the chance to get there. I’m losing hold of the handle while the skis are still in front of me. I’m not really pivoting upward.

[epnault]

What kind of boat are you using?  Have you tried switching drivers?

[NewStarts]

3 minutes ago, epnault said:

What kind of boat are you using?  Have you tried switching drivers?

It is an 18 foot Javelin, with an 85 HP mercury. My aunt is the driver, and she has lots of experience getting people of all builds up. She is pretty much the only driver we have here who is willing to try to pull skiers. I don’t know that she is the problem though. Like I said she has definitely gotten lots of other people with varying builds up

[NewStarts]

39 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

I’m not even getting the chance to get there. I’m losing hold of the handle while the skis are still in front of me. I’m not really pivoting upward.

Actually, upon reflection, it is right when I feel like I’m on the cusp of pivoting that it becomes too much and I lose the handle.

Edited July 12, 2023 by NewStarts

[Vernon Reeve]

Have her give you less throttle.  This gives you time to get your bearings and let yourself get pulled forward.  Keep your butt down.  Go back to the lawn and sit down.  Then reach your arms out and have someone pull you up. Notice how you kept your butt down and let them pull you forward without fighting them or pulling them on top of you.  This is how it should feel.  People with two skis tend to push their legs and pull against the boat, which would feel the same as pulling someone on top of you while getting up off the grass. 
Other tips:
If you stand up and fall backwards, it's because you pulled in with your arms instead of keeping them straight.
If your legs split apart, it's because you straightened them too fast.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Vernon Reeve

[NewStarts]

16 hours ago, Vernon Reeve said:

Have her give you less throttle.  This gives you time to get your bearings and let yourself get pulled forward.  Keep your butt down.  Go back to the lawn and sit down.  Then reach your arms out and have someone pull you up. Notice how you kept your butt down and let them pull you forward without fighting them or pulling them on top of you.  This is how it should feel.  People with two skis tend to push their legs and pull against the boat, which would feel the same as pulling someone on top of you while getting up off the grass. 
Other tips:
If you stand up and fall backwards, it's because you pulled in with your arms instead of keeping them straight.
If your legs split apart, it's because you straightened them too fast.

Thanks! I will let her know to try this.  My brother-in-law agreed to do some on-land work with me tomorrow, so I will do some practice with that.

You actually made me realize that I was pushing with my legs. I was trying to counter the force of the water and maintain form, but I now realize that I was doing what you described.  

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[Mastercrafter]

Video of your attempts might be helpful. You might think you are doing something spot on, when in reality you’re doing it completely wrong.

Straight arms. No pulling, no pushing with legs. Don’t rush standing up. You can stay squatted indefinitely and stand up later on. 
 

Gloves with some grip might help. 
 

Is your driver dragging you in gear before applying throttle? Can you stay upright, facing forward, and balanced, while being dragged slowly? I find this usually helps. It gets the slack out of the system and let’s the skier get situated and stay in control throughout the process. 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Mastercrafter

[chrislandy]

If you're still having trouble, it might be time to bust out the wallet and pay for a couple of lessons at a ski school. Once you've got up behind a tournament boat a few times, first on the boom, then on the long line you'll get up every time behind your boat

[scoke]

Anybody else getting some serious Sidd Finch vibes going here??

 

deepwater starts behind a 90hp Johnson with no gloves at 5’6” 200 lbs. 

this is a well played masterful troll job! Kudos as he caught quite a few on the line. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by scoke

[OldboyII]

1 hour ago, scoke said:

deepwater starts behind a 90hp Johnson with no gloves at 5’6” 200 lbs. 

This is nearly same situation, except for my height, how I started water skiing on two skis after turned 55 yo. Now chasing buoys at 15off on Denali c85 😉 

Edited July 13, 2023 by OldboyII

[NewStarts]

13 hours ago, Mastercrafter said:

Video of your attempts might be helpful. You might think you are doing something spot on, when in reality you’re doing it completely wrong.

Straight arms. No pulling, no pushing with legs. Don’t rush standing up. You can stay squatted indefinitely and stand up later on. 
 

Gloves with some grip might help. 
 

Is your driver dragging you in gear before applying throttle? Can you stay upright, facing forward, and balanced, while being dragged slowly? I find this usually helps. It gets the slack out of the system and let’s the skier get situated and stay in control throughout the process. 

 

 

I tried to post this before, but for some reason it didn’t take. It turns out that somebody actually did get some footage of the first two attempts. One thing that is for certain is that I need to get a better fitting life jacket.

https://imgur.com/a/lTycCaX

[NewStarts]

37 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

I tried to post this before, but for some reason it didn’t take. It turns out that somebody actually did get some footage of the first two attempts. One thing that is for certain is that I need to get a better fitting life jacket.

https://imgur.com/a/lTycCaX

But as you can see, I lose hold almost immediately. My aunt told me that she was experimenting with the speed and that some she did slowly and some she did fast.

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[NewStarts]

2 hours ago, scoke said:

Anybody else getting some serious Sidd Finch vibes going here??

 

deepwater starts behind a 90hp Johnson with no gloves at 5’6” 200 lbs. 

this is a well played masterful troll job! Kudos as he caught quite a few on the line. 

I’m sorry if you’ve been trolled in the past, but I’m not a troll. I actually attached some video in my response to another post.

[NewStarts]

2 hours ago, OldboyII said:

This is nearly same situation, except for my height, how I started water skiing on two skis after turned 55 yo. Now chasing buoys at 15off on Denali c85 😉 

That’s very encouraging! 😁

I fully intend to get it. It’s just a question of time, figuring it out, and getting into better physical shape, which I am working on.

[NewStarts]

4 hours ago, chrislandy said:

If you're still having trouble, it might be time to bust out the wallet and pay for a couple of lessons at a ski school. Once you've got up behind a tournament boat a few times, first on the boom, then on the long line you'll get up every time behind your boat

I know this would be best, but as I have explained in the thread that I posted back in September, I am unfortunately pretty broke. So I’m stuck with my few days a year up in Maine where I can try to learn for free.
 

I am well aware of that. I would probably be up on the boom pretty dang fast if I had that opportunity.

[NewStarts]

13 hours ago, Mastercrafter said:

Video of your attempts might be helpful. You might think you are doing something spot on, when in reality you’re doing it completely wrong.

Straight arms. No pulling, no pushing with legs. Don’t rush standing up. You can stay squatted indefinitely and stand up later on. 
 

Gloves with some grip might help. 
 

Is your driver dragging you in gear before applying throttle? Can you stay upright, facing forward, and balanced, while being dragged slowly? I find this usually helps. It gets the slack out of the system and let’s the skier get situated and stay in control throughout the process. 

 

 

Being dragged a little bit actually helps me stay upright. But the first few attempts it’s not a problem. I just got tired by the third or fourth attempt.

[Mastercrafter]

Looking at the video.. you're getting pulled forward and over the skis immediately. I'd say this is caused by either pulling with your arms or trying to stand up wayyyy too fast. 

You dont need to pull or use any biceps. Just grip the handle and let your arms be a straight extension of the rope and handle. 

Video from the boat would be good too, if you get a chance. 

[NewStarts]

Just now, NewStarts said:

Being dragged a little bit actually helps me stay upright. But the first few attempts it’s not a problem. I just got tired by the third or fourth attempt.

I was not pulling with my arms, but I actually was pushing with my legs. Not sure how you wouldn’t.

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[NewStarts]

I should add something. The handle feels kind of narrow to me with my arms outside my legs (which I am actually able to do this year, thanks to losing weight). My wrists actually have to bend inward to hold the ends. It is the only handle they’ve got, and no one else seems to have a problem with it. My mother, who when she was a teenager back in the 1960s,  used to teach water skiing at summer camp, suggested that I use the sort of grip one would use with one ski where you turn the handle vertically and have your hands in opposite orientations. Not sure from what I read, whether that is the best idea; it may just be her trying to come up with something we haven’t tried. She also thinks that the low power of the boat doesn’t help; back in the 1960s they were using boats with inboards.

I also should add that unfortunately they don’t have any gloves here. They don’t think they ever needed them.

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[Mastercrafter]

2 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

I was not pulling with my arms, but I actually was pushing with my legs. Not sure how you wouldn’t.

You eventually need to push through your feet to stand up, but if you try to push against the boat right away, before the skis are on top of the water, you'll fall over. I often demonstrate to new skiers that you never need to stand up. I'll sit in the water, tell the driver I'm ready, and get the skis on top of the water as the boat comes up to speed, without ever standing up. Then I'll stand up, then sit back down, then demonstration done. 

It seems new skiers think standing up is the most important thing, when in reality, it's not necessary. 

Of course just my take on it, and I may be way off. 

 

[NewStarts]

8 minutes ago, Mastercrafter said:

Looking at the video.. you're getting pulled forward and over the skis immediately. I'd say this is caused by either pulling with your arms or trying to stand up wayyyy too fast. 

You dont need to pull or use any biceps. Just grip the handle and let your arms be a straight extension of the rope and handle. 

Video from the boat would be good too, if you get a chance. 

I’m definitely not pulling. I can tell you that for a fact.
 

I am pushing, however. I’m not quite sure how not to do at this point.

[NewStarts]

4 minutes ago, Mastercrafter said:

You eventually need to push through your feet to stand up, but if you try to push against the boat right away, before the skis are on top of the water, you'll fall over. I often demonstrate to new skiers that you never need to stand up. I'll sit in the water, tell the driver I'm ready, and get the skis on top of the water as the boat comes up to speed, without ever standing up. Then I'll stand up, then sit back down, then demonstration done. 

It seems new skiers think standing up is the most important thing, when in reality, it's not necessary. 

Of course just my take on it, and I may be way off. 

 

OK. Provided the weather cooperates I’m going to try again later today. I will make a mental effort not to do that and see what happens. I think in part I’m trying to control the skis when I’m doing that, but that may be partly because the old wooden skis I was using last year had a mind of their own, and these new ones seem to be rather more controllable. And honestly, I guess I shouldn’t have to push down to control them anyway. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[NewStarts]

3 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

I’m definitely not pulling. I can tell you that for a fact.
 

I am pushing, however. I’m not quite sure how not to do at this point.

OK, I just noticed your previous post, and responded to it.

[Mastercrafter]

Yeah, don’t try to control the skis. They’ll do what they need to do on their own. As long as they’re pointed up, as you start to move, the fins in the back will keep them straight. 

[NewStarts]

One thing I am trying to deal with is the fact that my sense of balance and coordination when doing this… Is confused. As I start to rise, my body really doesn’t know what it is supposed to do, and wants to … try stuff. It’s a somewhat unnervingly unstable feeling. 

[NewStarts]

28 minutes ago, Mastercrafter said:

Yeah, don’t try to control the skis. They’ll do what they need to do on their own. As long as they’re pointed up, as you start to move, the fins in the back will keep them straight. 

The wooden skis I was using last year were flat except for the little fin on the back, and it was hard to keep my legs from splitting. That was made worse by the fact that at that point I was too fat and inflexible at the waist to get my arms around the outside of my knees. Might have taught me some bad habits.

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[vtmecheng]

It's difficult to see exactly what happens in those videos. It really looks like you are not really keeping your knees bent up towards your chest and sitting on the back of the skis.  This is evident by how much the skis are wobbling around and that you get pulled over right away. Really focus on keeping your knees to your chest and sitting on the back of the skis as the boat pulls you up. A high line load means the skies are plowing instead of planing.

[BraceMaker]

With 2 skis you really should add tail weight.  enough that if you throw the skis in the water they float mostly tips up.  They have these cheap chintzy bindings and the tails like to float you have no control over long floaty skis.

tail weights make the skis behave properly and drastically improve the experience.  That said I've switched from even trying the two skis with anyone to they just go right onto the Hovercraft.  People get up by accident.  

 

[NewStarts]

Just now, vtmecheng said:

It's difficult to see exactly what happens in those videos. It really looks like you are not really keeping your knees bent up towards your chest and sitting on the back of the skis.  This is evident by how much the skis are wobbling around and that you get pulled over right away. Really focus on keeping your knees to your chest and sitting on the back of the skis as the boat pulls you up. A high line load means the skies are plowing instead of planing.

I’ve formed myself into as much of a cannonball as my body will let me, certainly.  And it is definitely better than it was last year, when I was so fat and inflexible around the waist that I couldn’t hold my arms outside my knees; they were above my knees at that point.

[NewStarts]

4 minutes ago, BraceMaker said:

With 2 skis you really should add tail weight.  enough that if you throw the skis in the water they float mostly tips up.  They have these cheap chintzy bindings and the tails like to float you have no control over long floaty skis.

tail weights make the skis behave properly and drastically improve the experience.  That said I've switched from even trying the two skis with anyone to they just go right onto the Hovercraft.  People get up by accident.  

 

I’ll ask about that. It is definitely a struggle to keep them upright in the start position. I’m not sure how you would attach weight to them?

 

Also, I have to fight with them in the start position not only to make sure they don’t fall over, but to keep them from overlapping.
 

That’s funny about the hovercraft!

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[vtmecheng]

Every piece of advice seems to be responded to with, "I'm doing that already." There has to be something you are not doing because every bit of body position has been covered by this thread.

I'm surprised @Horton hasn't closed the thread down for not being course skiing specific (not a joke, being serious).

[BraceMaker]

Different ways, HO skis makes weights that they sell that screw into the fin block holes.

I happened to have a few sections of 1/4" steel plate so I just took a fin out marked the holes and then drilled them out and rounded off the edges.  dipped them in plastidip and used longer screws.  You could also use about any type of weight with some sticky tape stuck to the tail of the ski.  It just really makes the skis behave a lot better.  Those easy up ropes and connected skis just don't work all you need is weighted tails to make the skis sit properly.

[NewStarts]

13 minutes ago, vtmecheng said:

Every piece of advice seems to be responded to with, "I'm doing that already." There has to be something you are not doing because every bit of body position has been covered by this thread.

I'm surprised @Horton hasn't closed the thread down for not being course skiing specific (not a joke, being serious).

Actually, no, I’ve received several responses that I admitted varied from what I was doing. I’m getting some good advice on here. And I didn’t realize this was a course-specific site. I thought it was just a general water skiing site. There aren’t very many places on the net where you can ask questions like this. I tried on the Reddit site, but I don’t really post much, so I guess I didn’t have enough “karma” to do that, and my posts wouldn’t go up. This was the only place I‘ve found to actually ask these questions and get some answers. But if I’m violating the rules, I apologize.

 

A pretty big example of advice I’ve gotten contrary to what I was doing was not to push with my legs.  I actually didn’t realize I was doing that until someone mentioned it, and that caused me to reflect on what I was doing with my legs.

Edited July 13, 2023 by NewStarts

[NewStarts]

5 minutes ago, BraceMaker said:

Different ways, HO skis makes weights that they sell that screw into the fin block holes.

I happened to have a few sections of 1/4" steel plate so I just took a fin out marked the holes and then drilled them out and rounded off the edges.  dipped them in plastidip and used longer screws.  You could also use about any type of weight with some sticky tape stuck to the tail of the ski.  It just really makes the skis behave a lot better.  Those easy up ropes and connected skis just don't work all you need is weighted tails to make the skis sit properly.

Interesting! Is this a problem with skis in general? Or these in particular 

[vtmecheng]

@NewStarts Don't push against your legs, keep your knees tucked, keep seated on the skis. It's all saying the same thing in different ways (everyone visualizes differently) to keep you in that position to help roll you up on the skis.

As for forum intent and rules, I was just making a comment based on other recent thread decisions. It's up to the admin.

[NewStarts]

1 minute ago, vtmecheng said:

@NewStarts Don't push against your legs, keep your knees tucked, keep seated on the skis. It's all saying the same thing in different ways (everyone visualizes differently) to keep you in that position to help roll you up on the skis.

As for forum intent and rules, I was just making a comment based on other recent thread decisions. It's up to the admin.

Thanks! Yeah, I had thought I had followed all the advice I had gotten, but I didn’t realize that in the moment, when everything happens so fast, I actually wasn’t following the advice until folks on here started asking me questions about various aspects, and I started to go back in my mind and run back through what happened.

I haven’t been monitoring moderation policies of the site very closely, I admit. Did they decide to make this a more course specific site? If a mod wishes to correct me, I will absolutely obey their directives. 

[BraceMaker]

43 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

Interesting! Is this a problem with skis in general? Or these in particular 

Its not a problem with skis its a crutch to help people learn.The trouble is done right getting up on skis is crazy easy just watch all those people effortlessly getting up on one ski or barefoot or on trickskis. 

So why is it so DANGED hard to learn?  Because you aren't working with the boat.

Your goal is to sit yourself there in the water in a stable position with the skis between you and the boat your arms straight and your body balled up and then let the boat pull you up on the skis.  So long as you do your job you'll be up and skiing.  So for learning we want to get rid of obstructions.

So I keep the instruction painfully simple.  You want to sit there in the water with your arms straight your knees bent with your heels by your butthole.  And as the boat pulls you just want to hold on and ride the skis up.  You don't want to get your shoulders pulled forwards and you don't want to push on your feet because then your knees straighten out and the skis go vertical and the handle gets pulled out of your hands because water is going to win.

 

So stick drawings.  Position 1 - head up arm straight back straight hips and knees flexed.  Think like you're doing a squat. This is easier to do if the skis have some tail weight to them because they are easier to control if the tails aren't trying to float up.  Since your ankles are really almost always at 90 degrees to your feet the skis in option 1 are angled in the water so the pressure of the water pushes you up and out of the water.   When the tails try to float you try to hold them from floating to hold them in place and keep yourself from being rolled over as the tails float up people end up straightening their knees so that the skis are in front of them not under them.

Picture B, when the boat starts pulling you and you start pushing on the skis you extend the hips and straighten the knees and since your ankles again are at 90 degrees to the skis the skis go vertical and the push against the skis crushes you and pulls the handle down to the ski.

 

If you hold position 1 I promise you that you can get up on 2 skis one handed or get up on a slalom ski or a trick ski.  Every so often I'll get caught by my driver by surprise and get up 1 handed on a slalom ski - again its just not that hard if you're in the right spot.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by BraceMaker

[NewStarts]

Thank you so much for your incredibly patient and informative replies! I’m definitely going to make a conscious attempt to do this.  I will suppress any impulses to do anything at all and see if I can get on a plane this time.

The weights definitely look like they would be helpful. That said, I’m reluctant to ask them to modify their skis just for me, so I will see if I can get up without them just by doing nothing, as described, and if I’m still having trouble getting up, I will bring it up. 
 

last year the boat actually wasn’t pulling me up, but we figured out that my ankles were flexed the wrong way, a problem I have fixed, so hopefully that will cure that specific issue and I will just ride up.

[BraceMaker]

Representation of what a tail wait does to the ski by itself

No weight, would want to float - you have to press the ski under water.

Perfect weight for 2 skiing - tails sink but ski overall wants to sit at the correct attitude for starts.

Perfect weight for a single drop ski - tail is quite heavy stands the ski up in the water paint the tip bright orange add reflective tape and you can shine a flashlight out at dusk and find it in case someone does a barefoot step off on that evening glass.

[BraceMaker]

Its not suppress but if you want to think about anything I would tell you to look at the back of the drivers head or stare at the top of the boat's window, grip with your hands "squeeze" the handle, and then as the boat pulls think about getting ready to stand up out of a squat tighten your core and butt and hip muscles and just hold while it pulls or maybe even think squeezing your butt cheeks up to the handle (no pulling in arms no straightening knees just squeeze your hips towards your hands through the pull up.

[TomH]

1 minute ago, BraceMaker said:

Its not suppress but if you want to think about anything I would tell you to look at the back of the drivers head or stare at the top of the boat's window, grip with your hands "squeeze" the handle, and then as the boat pulls think about getting ready to stand up out of a squat tighten your core and butt and hip muscles and just hold while it pulls or maybe even think squeezing your butt cheeks up to the handle (no pulling in arms no straightening knees just squeeze your hips towards your hands through the pull up.

Similar to this, for those that get pulled out of position (over the front, etc.), once they're dragging steady at idle in the right position, I just tell them to flex/squeeze everything to freeze them in that position right before throttle comes on, and 9/10 times they'll pop right up over the water, often to the point that they get surprised they're up, yank in on the handle and then have their feet fly out from under them, but it at least sets the feeling of getting up, and the subsequent tries are usually successful.

[NewStarts]

6 hours ago, BraceMaker said:

Representation of what a tail wait does to the ski by itself

No weight, would want to float - you have to press the ski under water.

Perfect weight for 2 skiing - tails sink but ski overall wants to sit at the correct attitude for starts.

Perfect weight for a single drop ski - tail is quite heavy stands the ski up in the water paint the tip bright orange add reflective tape and you can shine a flashlight out at dusk and find it in case someone does a barefoot step off on that evening glass.

I got my brother in law to help me practice on shore. No one else had wanted to do so, because who wants to pull up a 200 pound guy, lol?
 

It took a long time but I think we figured it out. By myself, I don’t think I ever would have figured this motion out. All this time I had been thinking of this as a pivoting motion. It seems to actually be a rocking motion achieved by transferring your weight forward on your feet.  A completely different and unanticipated sort of motion and feeling. No pressure necessary other than that exerted through the act of standing.  I recognize that one one does this after one is already on a plane; but I figured it l would still help. 
 

I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard it described that way, but that’s the best description I can come up with (if I was right about it).

Unfortunately, my aunt didn’t end up taking the boat out this afternoon, so I didn’t get a chance to try it. I hope the weather holds out; the forecast looks iffy for this part of Maine for the rest of my trip.  I’ll be really put out if I can’t get up before I leave on Sunday. I’ve been waiting all year for this.  So I’m hoping for good weather tomorrow!

[vtmecheng]

9 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

I got my brother in law to help me practice on shore. No one else had wanted to do so, because who wants to pull up a 200 pound guy, lol?
 

It took a long time but I think we figured it out. By myself, I don’t think I ever would have figured this motion out. All this time I had been thinking of this as a pivoting motion. It seems to actually be a rocking motion achieved by transferring your weight forward on your feet.  A completely different and unanticipated sort of motion and feeling. No pressure necessary other than that exerted through the act of standing.  I recognize that one one does this after one is already on a plane; but I figured it l would still help. 
 

I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard it described that way, but that’s the best description I can come up with (if I was right about it).

Unfortunately, my aunt didn’t end up taking the boat out this afternoon, so I didn’t get a chance to try it. I hope the weather holds out; the forecast looks iffy for this part of Maine for the rest of my trip.  I’ll be really put out if I can’t get up before I leave on Sunday. I’ve been waiting all year for this.  So I’m hoping for good weather tomorrow!

Yes! Pressure on the front of your feet. 100%

[skimtb]

Another mental thing.   Imagine squatting down on land and someone sitting on your shoulders.   Your legs would be compressed / knees bent, but “strong” and holding the person on your shoulders.  
This is what you want to do in the water.  Keep your knees bent but hold them that “strong”.  As said above, you can pop up and ski in a little ball without standing up.  
Another thing I sometimes tell people is to count to 10, then stand up.   The key is to wait…

good luck 

[Stevie Boy]

My recomendation, is to seek out a water ski club/venue near where you live, pay for lessons, they will have you up and skiing in no time, clearly the boat/driver/equipment etc, something is not helping, most venues will have some half decent skis, a boat driver that has pulled numerous beginners, plus somebody who can give adequate land lessons.

When I give land lessons , even 200 pounds is not a problem done correctly , I can get you into the squatting position with one hand.

It very much sounds like you are tense and fighting the boat, repetitive land lessons will help you relax and go with the boat, furthermore land lessons, generally do not cost any money, people are always willing to help first timers.

[NewStarts]

Today I tried again. The first time, I tipped over just when the power was applied. The skis are really buoyant, and it is hard to hold them in proper orientation for any length of time without tipping over.  I mentioned BraceMaker’s idea of trying weights, by the way, but they didn’t seem too keen on that idea, so I didn’t pursue it. I don’t think they want to modify their skis. The thing is, I’m not sure how that ever gets easier for people who know how to do this? It seems like it would always be kind of a struggle to keep them stable and oriented?

The second time, I instinctively started pressing when the power came on, which, of course, was I knew was the wrong thing to do, but it was incredibly hard not to respond that way in the moment. So that attempt failed.

The third one absolutely kills me. I actually almost had it. I was simply in my tight ball (which still took some strength to hold tightly) and the boat was pulling me up. I had my eyes closed and was concentrating on the sensations trying to coordinate everything. I was rising in a completely different way, and it was actually going to happen…I was going to be on a plane… And then the sensations of power, speed, lack of control, and instability became completely overwhelming. I *panicked.* I let the rope go.  Something I've wanted to do for a year ... And I panicked when it was about to  actually happen. Imagine a middle aged guy panicking while getting up on water skis. Just ... wow. 😞  I have no words.

I tried a fourth time, but this time there was a miscommunication in the boat (my aunt actually let my cousin try to pull me up, and my cousin doesn’t have a lot of experience yet) and they started pulling me, but never really accelerated, so I was just being dragged through the water. Then my hamstring cramped solid, and would not uncramp. It would begin to loosen, only to recramp. That was it. I had to come back to shore and take magnesium for the cramp.

I can't believe I actually *had* it, was almost on a plane (if I hadn’t actually gotten there) and *panicked*, after all that.  I’m pretty annoyed with myself right now.

I’m not sure if my cramped leg will let me try again today (I’m guessing not), but if the weather is ok tomorrow (the forecast is iffy) I intend to try again. I hope it works out; tomorrow is my last day.  I definitely can’t let *that* be it, and have to think about that for the next year.

At least I think I know what to do now, anyway.

Edited July 14, 2023 by NewStarts