SportSki

There may have been a bit of ice still floating around but stoke was HIGH!!!! March 17th Free Ski - Mara Lake, B.C. - Water temp was 42F - air about 63F ( Not a dry suit to be seen 🤠)

Great topic for teaching drivers!!! - Gender or marital status aside 🤣. I spent hours teaching my father to drive the course this summer and the course is on an open lake so there are some different challenges and awareness required from a private lake. He probably pulls me free skiing 30-50 times a season now but never drove the course till this past summer. So it was a tough transition for him. I drove the course with him (not spotting) but watching and observing - 28mph about 10 passes with NO skier. Talking out loud about what I was doing as it was happening, driving through the throttle, where I was looking, counter steering, communication with skier - etc. and then let him run about the same amount with no skier - pretending there was one though and speaking his thought process out loud. ( It Helped me to understand what he was struggling with faster) We then had then set some goals and understanding and attempted to "calm his excitement" and wash old open water habits from his muscle memory. Then jumped in. - The repetition was huge for him, and lots of floating in the water and asking "what could have been better?" "Any opportunities?" "what went well that pass?"- This gave him time to think about it and what was happening as ALOT goes on in 30 seconds. Lots of help with course entry set up and understanding why the set up into the course was important and what the skier needs. But like @horton said we "spoke very little" and just let him drive!!! One or two points at a time! was all he could handle in those moments - but in my opinion, women or youngsters thought process' (if they are comfortable) are generally more concise and can generally comprehend and take on more points in my experience in teaching and coaching. Everyone has their own way of learning however - a good teacher will have to figure that out. For my old man it was repetition and small segments and seat time. I then ran a bunch of 28mph-15off's ( about 10passes ) just to pull the boat a bit at slow speeds so he could understand how to counter and just drive with no stress. and then we started jacking the speed up. He did great when he didn't get in his own head and we "slowed things down". Got a bit out of hand and took a step back to get the confidence back and now still stresses a bit but can get it Done!!! This is a guy that is 64 years old and was on the 'slalom once a year' program for the last 20 years to prove he could still do it - but used to ski often in his younger years. - He has free skied since his teens but never in a course. He has learned so much and now free skis in the mornings with us when we need a driver or have enough room. So it was worth spending the time and fuel and odd popped gate ball in the end!!! And get to hang out with family - cant beat that! So the repetition/seat time was the most beneficial to his success and second was eliminating those old habits and biases to get him driving consistently. In some ways a 'younger' or unbiased driver would possibly learn quicker and could potentially tackle course driving quicker instead of thinking about how they used to do it!!! haha Now to teach the wife to drive - and get to get out of bed earlier!!! Next Summers Job.

Mine is starting to go as well - Im thinking about just switching to rubber RTP rather than Repairing?

Apply KISS Principles!! Got it! Thanks and always appreciated @Horton

I am left foot forward skier with (short!) stumps for legs and ski a toe plate on a 67 Radar Senate graphite. I grew up free-skiing in Canada pretty much any chance we got on an old Connelly and behind anything with an engine that would go fast enough and as long as most of the ice was off the lake or ditch or slough. Coaching and mentoring was mostly just fathers and uncles and buddies saying - GO HARDER - So this is where bad habits were formed and spray was the measurement of success!! Still fun and unforgettable!! I am now nearing forty and live down the street from one of the nicest lakes in north America. I am starting to run the course and am naturally addicted... So thanks for that - my wife hates you all now because the addiction has turned into skiing about 5-6 times a week. I will continue to run a toe plate as it is what I know and am familiar with. I have skied double boot and HTR in an effort to plant my heal more but will be sticking with the plate. I can get through the course at 15 off/28mph most of the time now and am looking to start bumping that up but am having a lot of heal lift, especially on my offside turns. This also drives my back knee out from being nice and tucked in at times(one causing the other liekly). I am running factory Radar settings that where set up by Shuswap SNB here in Sicamous. (Thanks to them they are awesome by the way!!) So.. My question is can anyone comment on the theory or principles or advantages to offsetting or angling that toe plate to accommodate a short thick legged skier.... or should I just do better!!! (which I am ok with too!) TIA

I have a 2013 Sport 200V...... 430hrs - In BC Canada. If interested.

Sport Nautique 200 is a good option too!

Sicamous, BC Canada - water is still 71F this week!!

@DangerBoy Where about is your cabin - we ski out of Sicamous.