Rich

@Than_Bogan LMAO!!!

Yes, thank god for perfect pass, high powered boats, and carbon skis, it has equaled the playing field so you don't have to be 6'2" 200lbs and strong as an ox.l

My experience is that a lot of really "gifted" atheletes just do it. As less than "gifted" I have to really understand it all. I'm hoping that at 56 I can really put it together and outlast 'em! LMAO, we'll see. One thing I have realized is, its really easy if you do it "effeciently" and impossible if you don't at shortline ie 38 & 39.

@razor good for you, you totally get it! Now "work on less" and get more buoys!!! Slalom isn't what most people "think" it is. And it really isn't what you "see" in lots of pictures (camara angle plays tricks) and it isn't what you think you "see" from the boat. Always think of what you would "see" from overhead. Awww... now I'm giving away all the "secrets"

I think what Nate is able to do with his body type is be more efficient than Parrish with his leverage position, balance of both feet on the ski, getting the ski up on edge without pushing.

Being in top physical condition is very important ie: strength to weight ratio. Nate is super thin and has great strength to weight ratio. Watch Nate again, he loads white water to white water. He does ski early and changes edges somewhat earlier than some other pros. (Nate is super effecient) I personally was a big proponent of super early edge change, however after watching my own video of 28-39 which is on this site, I was changing edges to early because I was loading too early. After watching myself and comparing the top pros I will be working on white water to white water load in 2013. I plan on being in 5% better physical condition in 2013 which will enable me to make it appear easier. (better strength to weight ratio) I plan on working on the "roll in" concept to really take advantage of the pendulum effect it creates. (white water to white water) This should make 39 a consistent pass. What I see with the top pros is that they really are similar in the approach, and the more effeceient they are the further they get. I think Nate skis more in front of the slalom course and anticpates each movement earlier or better than anyone else. I think Nate uses the momentum of the boat better than everyone else. Yes there are lots of ways to do it. I want to do it the most effecient way possible. STYLE is ineffienct in my view, its about being effecient, lets call it "NO STYLE" style, and the more efficient a skier becomes, the more each skier will like like another efficient skier. The exception will be which foot you have forward, that will change the way a skier "appears" as they go through the slalom course. (one side will be more efficent depending on which foot is forward) So what I'm always looking for is to become as effecient as possible. Too get around as many buoys as possible as consistently as possible.

I think I'll stir it up a little for you all. Back when I was learning to ski shortline (in the 70's) I would follow what the top pros of the day "said" which was as the line got shorter you waited longer to go, that made me fast and made it impossible to maintain angle off the 2nd wake. (I also think that back in those days the top pros were all big strong guys, myself being 5'7" 160 could not resist the boat off the 2nd wake with the technique of the day) Based upon observation of top pros I watched it looked like as the line got shorter they would turn in earlier & earlier as the line got shorter. No one said they did this, however it is what I observed. When I tried this approach it worked. (it took me 20 friggin years to figure it out) At 35 and longer I can wait later and still make a pretty good pass. I believe this is because at 28, 32 35 the skier doesn't really generate much speed differential between the line lengths. 38 is the game changer. I now go much earlier on the gate in. I call it "roll in" I start to roll in an entire boat length before the tip of the boat gets to the gate. As I "roll in" I'm free of the boat, the boat catches me at the white water, that is where I really resist the boat. (never adding lean, just resisting) I still fight the urge to want to "go hard" early from the KLP days. At 28 & 32 it feels like I'm literally doing nothing, its really boring to ski those passes and it really does feel good to start harder earlier, however I now know from experience that by "rolling in" on my easy passes I set up the timing for 38 & 39. I also learned something from Wayne Gretsky the great hockey player. He said he was better than everyone else because he didn't go to where the puck was, but to where the puck was going to be. Now the slalom course is stationary and we are moving, we have to always be ahead of the course. By watching video of really great skiers with a video camera on thier head was a real eye opener also because I saw how much earlier they were from the eyes view than myself. It all starts at the gate and going early, a full boat length early is important. Also note as the line gets shorter you will get the angle you need from white water to white water just because the rope is shorter. So GO EARLIER and just resist. Once you get it, it really isn't so hard. (it actually makes slalom easy) Keep all movements to a minimum, a 2 handed gate is less movement, less risk, and the turn in for the gate is a much different turn than a buoy turn, much less speed on the turn in. I know I have rambled abit on this, I hope my observations and experience help some of you to avoid the pitfall I had for so many years of mastering a good gate. I also hope you don't all think I'm too off topic! To Summarize. 1:Pull out slow and easy, wide enough to be free of the boat pull. 2: Stand up tall in a stack position at the apex with the load on the left arm. 3: Roll in easy, when the tip of the boat is an entire boat length from the gate. 4: Resist the urge to lean or get caught by the boat untill you are at the white water. 5: Once in the white water only resist the forward momentum of the boat. Keep equal pressure on both feet to keep the ski level, bend you knees, and point the knees in the direction you are going allowing your entire body COM to go a little lower so you can keep from getting "caught" by the boat too soon. 6: push the handle low and keep elbows tight to the body, hands close to body 7: Keep the handle control off the 2nd wake (this gets harder as the line gets shorter) As the skier comes off the 2nd wake they will naturally compress from the trough and the angle generated. As the skier comes off the white water with handle close, more pressure on the right arm as the skier moves outbound, the skier will start to stand up to a stacked position. This allows the skier to stand over the ski, put more ski in the water on the preturn, and start to ski over the line, (this will create the reverse C position as the ski changes edge and also will look like the "pull up" described by many coaches, moving toward the apex, and getting "free of the boat" at the 1 ball. If I have put into words what I "feel" and "observe" as a skier on the gate & approach into 1 ball.

Yes Thongs are good. I believe a new trend should start, thong sking -- as it will allow the ski to complete the turn with zero drag from shorts, good idea @MS

Bands.... drugs... I'm 55, run short line slalom and where no braces, take no ibuprophen, and ski 5 days a week 1 -3 sets per day with 6-20 passes per set depending on the cycle I'm in for training be it high volume or high intensity from March to Nov. ZERO PAIN. I do Bikram 5-6 days per week year round. I repeat, NO PAIN!

Both the poses I shared will help with your elbow. In the photo above, when I 1st started the pain was pretty high. Now I can do this pose and have zero pain in my elbow. Do it EVERYDAY or live with the pain.

Bikram Yoga 26 postures guaranteed to keep you pain free & strong from the inside out.

water sking does give us all a reason to have some serious adrenaline fun! It does tear up my body, I recharge by doing Bikram Yoga. On weekends when I pound out 2-3 sets a day in practice and I'm really still & sore I do a bikram class to start the day. Its like recharging my body. It is the only exercise that feels like I get recharged from and not broken down from. I swear by Bikram and do it 5-6 days a week. As I have gotten older I find that its important to "recharge" and not further break down my body. At 55 I want to keep getting better, feel better, and have fun. Last season I had one of my better season' and I believe it is because I have learned a better way of staying fit. I feel pretty pain free. I had no injuries or time out, that was a 1st in a season to not sustain an injury, pulled muscle, ect... The season before I did bikram 2-3 times per week, had my normal back issues, pulled muscles ect... In July of 2011 I comitted to doing Bikram 5-6 times per week. 2012 was injury free, I ran more 38's than I had since I was pre 50. So it works for me. BIG commitment, however after a year I believe it changed my body as well as slowed down my mind so the slalom course seemed slower. My breath while sking is more in control, and I'm more excited about the 2013 season because of all this!

I started this thread, and I love water sking. I love to watch water sking, and love doing it! My 3 kids all were pretty good, however as they became high school age friends and other sports became more important. My son is a great athlete and had over 5000 yards rushing as a Highschool RB and that took up his time as it was a year round schedule, played in JC and now does MMA. He got more kudos playing other sports, and none of his friends understood watersking. Here is a video of his last fight, more spectors, more intensity, maybe we need the Bud girls & beer at out local tournaments?!?!

@Brady, why not race or run gates, thats measured. I know when I free ski on water I can turn at "39 perfect turn after turn, it becomes somewhat boring, but put me in a slalom course and I have to turn, it changes the game. I have run gates a few times and its big fun, I just don't have the time to train for snowsking, do it 4-6 times per week ect... I choose water sking because its always good, easy to get to, ect... I can compete with the best in an age group and even open it up to ski with the 55K masters and be competitive at 55 yrs old. That is what makes water sking so great. You really can keep getting better as you get older.

so, each over the buoy stright ahead?

Yes, its my true passion, it is just that its not often great conditions and the crowds are awful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aTxMSqWBtc&feature=related

@gregy, where is that thread? can you cut and paste it here

Hey Horton, sounds like the old days, eevrything was a secret, maybe I'll start covering up my fin with a sock. Thanks for the kind words... Now I want more...LOL What exactly do you mean by this "you counter with your away shoulder back not with your inside shoulder forward" It took alot for me to even post this video, I'm my own toughest critic. Looking for that magic to happen in '13 ski season.

@barney I have already got some good feedback. Its harder to see ourselves than others. @mwetskier I see it more that you mention that. It seems that the lack of counter going into offside is afecting quite a few things. Thanks for your input!

Walnut Grove Ca. We call it Twin Cities. We recently merged with a club called Beach Lake. Nice site 3000 ft long, 400 ft wide 20 plus deep. Anchored in course. We planted 1500 Euc's on windward side of lake. I'm riding a nano one, stock set up. Video shot about 10 days ago

If you are LFF rotate your front binding counter clock wise to micro adjust the front binding back. Opposite if RFF Rotate rear binding clockrise to micro adjust the rear binding back. As you rotate the front binding counter clockwise and rear clockwise you will also notice you are in a more athletic stance. Try it, let me know what you experience.