oneski

I would agree that it’s unlikely. I only mention that there is no requirement, and that it’s possible.

Ok, I'll start off by stating this is not intended as a rant or a criticism of any individual or group, but merely a desire to create dialog among fellow Ballers as well as Senior (and PanAm) rated officials regarding the current AWSA requirements for a Senior Rated (Slalom) Judge. To add some context and background, I am a Regular rated slalom judge that has been working to upgrade to Senior for about 4 years. I was not able to ski or judge any tournaments last year due to neck surgery, but between this year and the previous years I have judged in over 24 tournaments (7 of which were E or L, and 2 of which were a Regionals and Nationals); I have also been a Chief Judge 9 times, Assistant Chief Scorer 2 times, and scored an additional 6 tournaments. Even with the tournament work I've done I still have not met all the requirements to test to upgrade to Senior Judge. 'm not necessarily complaining about my not being able to test up to Senior, since I believe the standard should be the highest in our sport given the level of skiing that allows someone the capability of participating in a World Record Event. However, I find it very surprising that it is possible to become a Senior Judge without ever previously serving as a judge in any tournament, and it is also possible to become a Senior Slalom Judge without once having served as a boat judge. If you happen to be a really, really good skier (with an elite-Open or MM/MW rating) then you can fastback to getting a Senior Judge rating with absolutely zero past judging experience. Yes, I know that many will state that an Open rated skier has skied in enough tournaments to have a good understanding of the rules, which may be true. But they can also fall well short of the knowledge and application of the rules needed in an E,L,R tournament. I also found it surprising that there is no requirement for upgrading to Senior Judge that a person ever serve as a boat judge, which most tournament skiers recognize as one of the most demanding positions as a tournament official. Not only does the boat judge have to count buoys, but is also in charge of the boat crew; And making sure the rope length and boat speed are correct for each pass; Communicating efficiently with the skier, scorer, and driver; As well as understanding and communicating mandatory and optional re-ride situations with the skier. It involves high concentration, multitasking, detailed knowledge of the rules, and good communication skills. (If you ever want to know who is a good boat judge just ask any Scorer or Driver). I'm surprised that it isn't necessary or required for a Senior Judge to serve as a Boat Judge or, for that matter, if they are a good enough skier, to have previously served in any judging capacity.

I just bought a Camero heater top and Impact vest from Performance Ski. Mike and Bill are great folks and easy to deal with.

The webcast was awesome! I wasn’t able to make it to Nationals this year, but watching the webcast was the next best thing. I really enjoyed Freddie’s commentary on Open Women and Open Men skiers. Maybe he should move from jumping to slalom!

I’ve frequently said that with fin and bindings settings if you’re off by a little, you’re off by a lot.

How do I send Joel a copy of a video? I don’t have Instagram, but I do have drop box.

Excellent video! It really makes a lot of sense at 35’ and shorter line lengths.

6Balls: That’s exactly what I want to hear!! Good for you. ?

Lyman, which procedure did you have done? Fusion, ADR, or Foraminotomy?......I herniated a disc in my neck 4 years ago and after taking that season off I focused on strength and conditioning in the winter, and returned the following year to set a PB. (And also got on the podium at LL at Regionals)....The surgery I just had is a bit more serious than a herniated disc, but I’m hoping I can return to the water once again.....and stronger and better.

I believe CP had a cervical fusion. That’s a procedure where they remove a bad disc and place a bone graft in place to fuse two vertebrae together. It’s a fairly common procedure, usually with good outcomes. My concern was that I would have had needed 2 or 3 levels fused (removing 2 or 3 discs), which would have limited my neck mobility, as well as ended my skiing days.

I recently had neck surgery (2 level posterior cervical foraminotomy) and was curious to see if anyone else on BOS has had similar surgery and recovered enough to return to competing skiing? I know several folks in the skiing community that have had neck fusion surgery, and were able to return to skiing. One of the reasons I choose to go with this surgery is that it leaves the discs in place, which means I should not lose any mobility in my neck. I’m hoping to get back on the water again next year, but I worry that the surgery my compromise some of the stability in my spine, and the risks associated with shortline skiing my not be worth taking. The Surgeon says I should be able to fully return to my prior activities within a few months, but I don’t think he quite understands the stresses on the body that come with short line course skiing. Anyone here have any similar experiences?

I focused on my vision this year. It’s widely overlooked but a very critical component of short line skiing. More often than not when I go down it’s because I’m looking directly at ball as I start my turn. When I focus on my vision and pick up the next ball at the apex of my turn I keep my head and shoulders level, and don’t feel rushed completing the turn. The entire pass feels slow when I have good vision.

EFW, I think most would answer your question with a resounding “yes”, but the more important question is “how” would you live your life? Would you continue to devote the countless hours spent in the gym and on the water trying to improve, or just spend that time doing something more leisurely, like watching tv and drinking beer?

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If any of you fellow ballers need a little extra motivation to help you get you to the next level, then look no further than Jeff Rodgers, who at age 57, went out to Trophy Lakes and just ran 1/2@43’ off the freakin rope! Ok, we know, it’s Jeff Rodgers. And he likely isn’t human. But still, this guy is on the near side of 60 and had the kahunas to run 41’ off in a tournament! Every time that little voice creeps in my head and says...”you’re getting too old”; “you have a neck injury”; “take it easy and stick to bad mitten or bowling”....I start thinking about what guys like Jeff Rodgers as well as the Big Dawgs and top Masters Men have accomplished. I’m a realist and know that one day I’ll be too old to ski (at a competitive level)......but that day ain’t today! Remember, age ain’t nuthin but a thing!

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If the decals on your ski includes one from Depends you might be in Men’s 6.

So I started this thread over 2 1/2 years ago. As you can read from my initial post I thought a rather severe injury to my neck might have prevented me from skiing at a competitive level. Over the last two ski seasons I re-learned how to ski. I worked on strength and conditioning in the gym in the off-season and on improving my technique on the water to reduce the strain on my neck and back. I half joking tell my friends that I learned the key to avoiding taking slack line hits was learning how to throw the handle. The focus on technique, strength, and conditioning paid off after 3 years. I set a PB of 3@38’ yesterday at a tournament. It’s also the third out of the last four tournaments that I have run 35’. It’s really an exhilarating feeling to not only just ski well, but to overcome a big ass obstacle standing in my way. I suspect a lot of fellow Ballers know this exact feeling. I think it’s in our DNA to keep getting up after a fall. While I’m satisfied today, tomorrow I’ll be chasing one more ball.

I’ll be there...Skiing in Men’s 5 slalom on Wednesday.

I notice on Google Earth that there are two ski lakes at the site, but the tournament guide has events running on 3 lakes. I assume trick will be run on the lake that wasn’t set up with a course? Also, with running only 3 lakes will there be an adequate amount of time devoted to pulling practice? Having never skied there before I’d like to ski a practice set on Tuesday. I don’t see a practice schedule posted.