Rich

I was able to run thru 15 at 36 my first try at Mike Suyderhoud water ski school on summer vacation in 1972 on a 68 wood Maha. I went out at 28 mph and ran thru 15 @36, Mike was impressed. In 1973 I ran 28 @36, on a Obrien EP, ran 32 a couple times in practice, so I had some natural ability. quit sking in 1977 when I went away to college. Came back in 82 and ran 32 in a tournament. Ran 35 in 89, it took another 10 years to run 38.

Fun to watch, There are blackouts where commercials were be patient...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxUtf_roV_A

don't train your arms, your arms are just hooks to hang on. train your back. your core, your legs with full body exercises, dead lifts, front squats, box jumps...

Aquatic Park 1973 Team Hexcel

Great photo John! 2nd from right is Dick Kellner, Dr. Jack, Hey ya hay ya Mr. Art Smecker, Al Frosini. I had the good fortune to ski with those guys! What is this 68 69??? Thanks!!!

stretch psoas

here you go

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-to-stretch-and-strengthen-the-psoas

Bones don't cause instablity, weak muscles do, tight psoais can contribute in a BIG way also.

western medicine treats the end... start from the beginning.

I just signed up for regionals, my ski site is dry, practice is limited. We shall see how Bikram helps my mind. Its all there anyway! LMAO!

Do Bikram... forget the surgury. Don't be paying for the doc's pool!

I feel your pain, I too have spondylolethsis. I discovered I had it when I was 15. The combination of learning to barefoot that summer and highschool football workouts made me realize something was wrong. The doc at the time said that I should study hard because I couldn't make a living with my body. I did stay in phyical condition, however I had at least 1 back episode a summer for the next 35 years. I found Yoga when I was 40. Bikram Yoga at 50. 4 years ago I decided to do Bikram 5-6 days per week. Since then I have not had any back problems. I can ski thru 38 and have been doing that for 20 years. Bikram has been the best thing I have done for my body. I would also work on my psoais stretches. I would avoid surgury if possible.

I was skiing back then, my ski patrner at the time Dave Reed won men 2, I do remember at the 1975 Nationals in Virginia KLP tied a tall thin guy named Bruce Fink. They tied with 1 or 2 @38 I believe with KLP winning in a runnoff. If KLP Mark Crone & Bob didn't run 35 in 77 something was up with the conditions. There were a handful of guys running 35' @ 36 in 1975 thru 1980

Check your 9800 for delamination. I had 3 of them go bad. It appears to have a bubble on the ski bottom or top. If its not smooth that is your problem. The 9100 9500 and nano 1 are all great skis in my opinion. I was able to get on them and have PB's or match PB's 1st ride.

@brady Hot Yoga is similiar, Bikram is 26 postures done in 105 degree room lasting 90 minutes. Either is fine as long as you make a commitment. Paleo is very strict, I diviate from it as I eat both organic & commercially grown foods. I adhere to lots of fish, chicken; red meat once or twice a week. Lots of green veggies, low starch. Drink alot of water, add a mineral water in, I like Peligrino, the fizz feels good in my stomach, the minerals & H20 keep my hydrated, I take it all to an extreme, however at 56 years young and 5'7" I need every advantage possible to compete against my 6'2" competitors. Keep it all simple on diet, and on sking. Sking is after all just 2 turns in either direction. Keep it simple, learn how to stay balanced over the ski in a stacked position. The turn starts at the white water and ends at the white water, the buoy is the apex or center of the turn. Lean in a stacked postion hands low, knees & ankles bent from white water to white water behind the boat. As a big strong guy resist the urge to lean back, only away. Remember the object is to get around as many buoys as possible as effciently as possible. Always think about how to be as efficient as possible in the slaom course. The most efficient skier is Nate Smith, Success leaves clues, watch what he does on video and copy it. Success is a jouney, I have been enjoyin the ride on water for over 50 years and competing over 40. Have fun, and my fun is in the challenge of pushing my mind & body to the limit. Now I'm off to a bikram class, then catching a plane to Michigan to ski at the BigDawg stop.

Brady if you want ski fitness forget weight training since you are overdeveloped in some areas. Concentrate on plyo drills, sprinting, or any bodyweight movement thyat develops your weak links If you are really serious go low carb, only yams as a starch, cut out all alcohol and eat more of a paleo style diet. Go do a Bikram yoga class and tell me how you do. Bikram works on elongating your muscles as well as strengthening your core. I was a former running back, competitive bodybulder and could push some serious weight around. I feel much stronger now for skiing at 155 @ 5'7" and would like to be 150 for Nationals. I have cut out alcohol, do bikram 6 days a week, ski as much as possible and keep improving. I'll bet you look great at 190 and might surprise youself with how great you feel.

Do you want the ugly truth or do you wanted sugarcoated let's try the truth you need to get your strength to weight ratio much better try Bikram yoga 4 to 6 days per week if you weigh 190 now you should weigh 170 being a big strong guy works great in football and doesn't matter in water sking.

@killer keep doing Bikram, stay hydarated and you will reap huge benefits. The more you dislike it at 1st the more you need it. I have a PT in Pleasanton Ca named Tobe Hansen. He practices his own brand of PT. I have referred many people to him in fact 100 plus. Greg Badal goes 2-3 times a month to him. Tobe did the rehad, with lots lots of muscle balancing, deep tissue massage (that is very painful), combined with Bikram Yoga, and I used a pulley where I could raise and lower my arm upward with out using the muscle to keep from getting a frozen shoulder. It was a painful process, but I avoided surgury. I feel about 95-97percent of my strength is back, and because of the Bikram I believe that I have continued to strengthen the weakest muscles. You are as strong as your weakest link. Good Luck!

here is what I see. You need to stand up more on front foot at gate. You go to hard too soon at gate. Be easy in at the gate. Push your hands down more from white water to white water. More ankle & knee bend at white water to white water. As you approash 1 3 5 you get rotated in towards the boat, this cause loss of out bound angle = loss of speed. (This causes you to travel less distance to apex) If you want to be a 38 off skier set the ski up stock and fix those problems. If you move the fin blade you will still have all those problems about your mechanics and it might feel better but running 38 isn't about fin set up. Good idea to use video, be your own coach.

Matt doesn't ski on a N1 but its the technique Im talking about

The 2nd video of Matt is awesome. He is staying with his ski much better. More angle, less of a hole out of the apex. He is working hard at getting better. Take notes gentlemen!

I also ski complete passes, If I miss I will go back. I will wait untill late June to make a serious attack on 39 in practice. I believe in periodization in my training and try to peak for regionals & Nationals.

I do Bikram Yoga 5-6 days a week. Ski 4-5 times per week. some days are just single sets passes. If I feel strong I will run 28 32 35 37 38 38. If Im tired or 2nd set I run 28 32 35 35 35 35 35 35 I have a clean diet, lots of chicken, cold water fish, veggies, not much carbs meat once a week. I'm in better condition than most of my peers. I plan on getting better. I'm ahead of where I was last season at this time. I have no serious injuries. I did tear my rotater cuff 5 years ago, A strong rehab program fixed it plus the Yoga. I do get a massage once a week. There you go, a prescription for over 55 year olds to keep getting better!