tbrenchley

Here is the damage to the handle...I still can't believe we skied 3 more sets on it without noticing the giant cut in it.

I can't wait until I can get the footage from the film crew....I've never seen a rope wrap around the tip of a ski like that and I'll post the pic of the rope in a few minutes. Just glad my ski partner isn't broken after that freak crash.

If you want a consistent one ball you have to start with your gates....you aren't even splitting them in the middle and that should be the worst case scenario. Your gate pull out is fine you just need to start your cut a little sooner and stay down through the first wake so you're not taking a flat ski and jumping to your other edge. You'll find yourself much wider and earlier if you just do those two things.

this is the only part of taelen's comment that shows up on my profile since he mentioned me in it "tbrenchley I dont believe Slalom skiing is very physically demanding because IT IS 16.08 seconds. There are only two positions in which one is exercing force. Once again, muscles are not contracting. Come to think of it I'll give you the agility ar..." I hope someday he finally gets it. This sport is so physically demanding that you couldn't do it for much longer than 16.08 seconds at a time at a maximum line length. Sure I could spin it to win it at 32 or 35 off for 10 passes but I can barely do 38 back to back without being pretty winded

So my girlfriend is really getting into skiing and wants to get better which is awesome. She never skied before we started dating and just got her own slalom ski about 6 weeks ago. She runs our version of the mini course (1,3,5 and boat guides for 2,4,6) up to 30mph and is now trying the full course at 23mph. The only problem is that I'm a much better teacher for someone at 35 off than I am for someone who is just starting the full course plus I'm driving most of the time so I don't get to watch her each time. I just want to see what some of the ballers on here do for brand new skiers either dry land training and skiing drills that might help her progress at a faster rate. I might post a video a little later when I get some footage but any advice is appreciated.

@Taelan28 do you have a website to sign up for your ski school? I ski into 39 off at 36 miles per hour on a regular basis at practice but the way you explain how you dominate that 28 off at 52k is just intoxicating. I know you're still struggling with "threading the gates" but I think I've already got those figured out. Thanks

I was confused by Taelan28's explanation of how slalom skiing isn't physically demanding until I read his thread about help threading the gates. If you are a free skier, and there is nothing wrong with free skiing, then the physical demand on your body is completely relative. Not to mention if I was skiing behind an outboard with no speed control, well that might barely constitute slalom skiing at all. You get behind a 350 hp malibu with zero off going 36 mph and pull out for the gates at 38 off or shorter and know you're in for the hardest 16.08 seconds of your day and fight for every buoy then tell me it's not physically demanding. I'll even use your definition: Physically demanding requires strength, speed, stamina, agility and a range of motions. If this doesn't define your style of skiing then you might want to stick with rock climbing because you're involved with recreational skiing not competitive slalom skiing.

Let me be clear about my comment, nobody that is familiar with the sport of slalom will ever argue that Andy Mapple is not a legend and the Michael Jordan of buoys. I grew up watching him dominate the sport and anything he said in an interview or did on a video was the talk of the dock the next time out on the lake but let's let him get through 41 first before we start writing, what would be, the greatest chapter in the book of slalom skiing. Andy was the greatest of his time and could hang with many today but technology has changed, training has become better, and there is a Lebron James or two in the sport today that can't be overlooked.

I would never underestimate anyone as great as Andy but let's just take one step at a time shall we?

He might run 41 but 43....you're kidding right?