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

[Vernon Reeve]

Congrats on almost getting it and continuing to try.
I once helped a super strong fit guy get up on a wakeboard for the 1st time.  He kept pushing against the boat and fighting it, not really listening to the advice of keeping his butt down and letting it pull him up over the board.  I finally told him to intentionally let it pull him over the toe side of the board and do a belly flop like superman.  So he tried that and popped right up:)   He couldn't believe how easy it was.  So my point is, sometimes it works to exaggerate the motion of getting pulled over the front to feel it.
 

[Mastercrafter]

Spend 10 minutes stretching tomorrow before trying to help avoid the cramps and potential injury.  I ski 4x/week and rarely do I spend less than 10 minutes stretching prior. 

[NewStarts]

1 hour ago, Vernon Reeve said:

Congrats on almost getting it and continuing to try.
I once helped a super strong fit guy get up on a wakeboard for the 1st time.  He kept pushing against the boat and fighting it, not really listening to the advice of keeping his butt down and letting it pull him up over the board.  I finally told him to intentionally let it pull him over the toe side of the board and do a belly flop like superman.  So he tried that and popped right up:)   He couldn't believe how easy it was.  So my point is, sometimes it works to exaggerate the motion of getting pulled over the front to feel it.
 

Thank you! I said I was determined to get it.  I think I’ve finally got it - I just cannot believe I panicked and didn’t finish getting up. Now that I have a better idea of the sensations I’ll do some mental preparation before I try it tomorrow so that doesn’t happen again.

Also, I now realize that trying to aid my coordination by closing my eyes was a dumb thing to do.  When you are moving on water, you need to keep your eyes open for safety. I tried closing my eyes because when I had trouble finding the form for certain exercises in the past, it helped. It didn’t occur to me that that’s a terrible idea when you can hit something. In any event, I think closing my eyes, although helping with my coordination, actually ended up disorienting me, which is part of why I ended up panicking. So that’s an easy one to fix. I don’t think I really need to do that now that I felt what it should feel like anyway.

[NewStarts]

39 minutes ago, Mastercrafter said:

Spend 10 minutes stretching tomorrow before trying to help avoid the cramps and potential injury.  I ski 4x/week and rarely do I spend less than 10 minutes stretching prior. 

That’s an excellent idea!  Any particular stretches you recommend?

[Jmoski]

In looking at the video you posted, your driver is taking off at angle which is not helping.  Make sure your driver has you perfectly lined up and takes off in a straight line. 

[BraceMaker]

Eyes open is important.  I know people who ball up and go underwater including the skis but thats for show.  Eyes up look down go down.

I didnt invent the tail weights but HO sells them.  Oh well keep at it.

[NewStarts]

Unfortunately, my aunt wasn’t feeling well today, so I didn’t get a chance to try again.  I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon, but the weather tomorrow is supposed to be terrible — thunderstorms all day with a flood watch. I guess that’s it until next year.  

I came so close….  

The idea that after all that effort and all that waiting, if I hadn’t had an unaccountable moment of panic, I would have gotten up on a plane — really sticks in my craw.  Two summers down and I still haven’t accomplished something that should be simple.

Thank you all for your kind assistance. I promise you that I will be trying again, no matter how long it takes me or how long I have to wait, and when I finally pull this off, I will be sure to let you all know. 

Thanks so much for the support! 

Edited July 15, 2023 by NewStarts

[Mastercrafter]

@NewStarts where’s home for you? 

[teammalibu]

Borrowing a line from Jaws, you need a bigger boat!

[NewStarts]

1 hour ago, Mastercrafter said:

@NewStarts where’s home for you? 

Home for me happens to be Washington, D.C.  How about you?

[NewStarts]

51 minutes ago, teammalibu said:

Borrowing a line from Jaws, you need a bigger boat!

Hahahahaha!!!! 🦈

[Mastercrafter]

16 minutes ago, NewStarts said:

Home for me happens to be Washington, D.C.  How about you?

Corey Vaughn’s school, Peace Love and Waterskiing, is less than 2 hours from DC. 
 

If you can get yourself there, you’ll be skiing in no time. “Learn to Ski, Guaranteed” for $100.  

I know you said money is tight but it’ll be money well spent. 
 

Either way, good on you for your persistence.

 

https://www.peaceloveandwaterskiing.com/booking-calendar/learn-to-ski-guaranteed?referral=service_list_widget

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Mastercrafter

[NewStarts]

15 minutes ago, Mastercrafter said:

Corey Vaughn’s school, Peace Love and Waterskiing, is less than 2 hours from DC. 
 

If you can get yourself there, you’ll be skiing in no time. “Learn to Ski, Guaranteed” for $100.  

I know you said money is tight but it’ll be money well spent. 
 

Either way, good on you for your persistence.

 

https://www.peaceloveandwaterskiing.com/booking-calendar/learn-to-ski-guaranteed?referral=service_list_widget

 

 

Oh wow, they are on Lake Anna! And $100 *is* pretty reasonable.  I’d have to shuffle a few things to spend even that, but I’m strongly tempted.  I really would rather not stop when I’m so close.

I’d have to figure out how to get out there, since my old car finally died this year and I can’t replace it right now. But maybe I can interest a friend in a day trip? 😁

I’m certainly interested. Thanks again for your good counsel!

Edited July 16, 2023 by NewStarts

[Stevie Boy]

Sry Guy.s & Gals, starting think, is this thread for real or is somebody pulling our chain ?

[Stevie Boy]

Twisted I guess, hey ho !

[dvskier]

@Stevie Boy

i agree with your assessment. Lots of excuses.

[scoke]

12 th reply sniffed that schitt out.

 

I was going to ski today but my dog ate my ski log and my cousins mom is working late and the sun is too bright this time of year and the water is too hot and i dont have gloves. how do i get up?

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by scoke

[DP70]

Hey there NewStarts - I volunteer boat driving at summer camps getting small kids, big kids and adults up on skis - most of them start on 2 skis.

The advise to get into a ball is great for wakeboard and slalom deep water, but in our experience doesn't work as well for double skis.  We us a 90/90 method with great success.  You want your knees bent 90* and a 90* bend in your hips - like sitting in a kitchen chair tipped way back.
Definitely do not wrap your arms around your knees - in the 90/90 position your straight arms should be right about at your knees - your knees can be just outside of the handle if need be.
As Bracemaker's sketch shows, press your toes towards the boat so your skis are roughly at a 45* angle in the water, not vertical in the water.

The critical thing we teach is once you're in the position in the water with your arms straight, imagine a tether from the handle to your belly button - when the boat pulls you up you want it to feel as though it's pulling you up from your belly button - brace yourself when you yell 'hit it' and focus on keeping the handle the same distance from your belly button until you're standing, don't let it get pulled away from you.  Once you're standing, keep the handle at belly button height in front of you and stand in an athletic position.

From the video you posted it looks like you're letting your hands get pulled up in front of your shoulders and it's pulling you over top of the skis.  Keep your hands low and let it pull you from your belly button.
 

[NewStarts]

On 7/19/2023 at 3:31 PM, DP70 said:

Hey there NewStarts - I volunteer boat driving at summer camps getting small kids, big kids and adults up on skis - most of them start on 2 skis.

The advise to get into a ball is great for wakeboard and slalom deep water, but in our experience doesn't work as well for double skis.  We us a 90/90 method with great success.  You want your knees bent 90* and a 90* bend in your hips - like sitting in a kitchen chair tipped way back.
Definitely do not wrap your arms around your knees - in the 90/90 position your straight arms should be right about at your knees - your knees can be just outside of the handle if need be.
As Bracemaker's sketch shows, press your toes towards the boat so your skis are roughly at a 45* angle in the water, not vertical in the water.

The critical thing we teach is once you're in the position in the water with your arms straight, imagine a tether from the handle to your belly button - when the boat pulls you up you want it to feel as though it's pulling you up from your belly button - brace yourself when you yell 'hit it' and focus on keeping the handle the same distance from your belly button until you're standing, don't let it get pulled away from you.  Once you're standing, keep the handle at belly button height in front of you and stand in an athletic position.

From the video you posted it looks like you're letting your hands get pulled up in front of your shoulders and it's pulling you over top of the skis.  Keep your hands low and let it pull you from your belly button.
 

Wow, that is some different advice!  Innoway, I ended up sort of adapting what you were talking about, because the handle that they have is too narrow for my arms to go around my knees, so I sort of put them on top of my kneecaps. And, like I said, I actually would have gotten off if I hadn’t had that moment of panic. They told me afterward that I actually had gotten up on a plane when I let go. That’s why it was so frustrating that I didn’t end up getting another chance after that day.

I have made up my mind that I’m going to pay for that place in Virginia. I simply don’t want to wait another year. I know they will get me up on the broom first most likely, and that sounds pretty fool proof.

I was thinking that I have a friend whose girlfriend is handicapped, but who loves doing “adventure” type activities. At one point before my most recent trip I had mentioned to him that she might find adaptive water skiing. Interesting. He agreed that that might be up her alley.  I intend to find out if that place in Virginia offers that, because if they do, I will simply go down there with them, and both she and I could get up on skis!

[NewStarts]

On 7/17/2023 at 1:57 PM, scoke said:

12 th reply sniffed that schitt out.

 

I was going to ski today but my dog ate my ski log and my cousins mom is working late and the sun is too bright this time of year and the water is too hot and i dont have gloves. how do i get up?

 

And yet it is all true. It happens when you are dependent on one driver, my aunt (as I mentioned, they are trying to show my cousin how to do it, but she will only do it when my aunt is in the boat right now), and paying for someone else to teach you feels like a real splurge due to your straightened circumstances.  
 

And I would have gotten up if I hadn’t had that stupid panic attack. I’m really pissed at myself. I’ve decided I will spend 100 bucks and just get a lesson at that place in Virginia. A few days later, I asked my cousin, and she said that I actually had gotten up on a plane when I let go. All I had to do was stand. So frustrating.

[Than_Bogan]

For some reason I read this entire thread, and I don't think anyone mentioned that in your videos you are trying to get up on very rolly water.  This is MUCH harder, especially for a first timer -- it's constantly moving you around, adding to the difficulty to get set.  So in addition to all of the other very accurate advice (most importantly to just drive to Corey's and get this done!), you really want to learn on calm water.

If you ever have a chance to take ski video again, do it from the boat and WAY more zoomed in.  I'm amazed people were able to come up with any relevant advice from those videos.

Now get in the car and go to Corey's!! 🙂