MISkier

I don't know if dry land training will help or hurt me. So, I have not done it on a regular basis. I do occasionally stretch out with a handle tied to something, but don't have a regular routine. I know I need some sort of biofeedback on what the correct skiing position should feel like. It's hard to get that in the few seconds on the course and I just don't free ski with the same rhythm and timing as in the course. In short, I'd like to have something to improve my position and provide some feedback to me when I do it correctly. I just don't know what it should be. I do feel that getting the feedback in the course is more valuable, as I am able to see what difference an adjustment can make. I guess I just don't get enough water time. To be clear, my high score is just barely in 32 off (4 in practice, 1.5 in tournament). So, my category designation is a bit of stretch.

Being cold while skiing will affect my performance. I definitely notice loss of flexibility and range of motion. Muscles perform optimally at an ambient temperature of 82 degrees (or so I have heard). I know in my own case, I will ski very rigidly and very poorly when I am cold. I also get cold much easier than anyone else I know - low body weight and non-resting heart rate in the 40s. And, if the air isn't into the 80 degree range (or at least some decent sunshine), I might wear that drysuit in water up to 70. And, yes, I tend to get some flack for it.

My biggest advice would be to concentrate on the fundamentals of position: straight arms, arms to vest, stacked position, slightly flexed knees/ankles. Since you are starting the season on the new ski, taking advantage of early season drills can help you get comfortable without the distractions of trying to run the course. Things like Seth Stisher's mini-whips and other free skiing will help you get acclimated to the handling of the ski through the wakes, help with initial conditioning, and solidify your position/muscle memory for the season. A new ski won't fix bad form. Take video and use it to verify your performance along with your experience of the ski's characteristics. When you do start working the course, avoid trying to run desperation passes or applying any last resort heroics like standing on the tip to force a late turn. Nothing shatters your confidence on the new ski like an OTF. Slow down if you're not running things smoothly. Shorten the line when comfortably running back-to-back passes. Learn the ski before expecting to set a PB each time or scrapping to get those extra buoys. I sometimes wonder if the reward of a new ski is given by allowing it to work without pressuring yourself to do well on it. The PBs may happen naturally as a result. The best scenario is that you immediately start crushing each pass and adjust quickly. When you do, then start pushing the capabilities of the ski. Since you are making such a big leap, I think it will be slightly different than skiers who upgrade from one current ski model to the next and experience a PB right out of the box. That has happened to me also, but after I had made that initial leap forward and acclimated to the new technology/ski design before getting the next model. I'll admit that just upgrading one model did not require the same acclimation as I described above. One other bit of advice: run the factory fin and binding settings - at least initially. Some tweaking may be on the horizon, but do it carefully and under the guidance of as knowledgeable a skier as possible. Let us know how it works out.

@onamission, I made that 25+ year leap in 2005. I moved from my circa-1980 EP Super 2 to a Goode 9100. I didn't even have a wing on that EP. Unbelievable difference. That Goode felt like a rocket on rails. The biggest thing I noticed was how much less effort it took to ride and how much speed there was with such little effort. The second biggest thing I noticed was that I had to totally change my skiing technique. I was sliding the tail of the EP around the buoys and the new ski held the turns and angle with such responsiveness that I had to adjust to take advantage of that new handling. I have to admit, it took a little while to make the changes.

Our club lake in SW Michigan had one spot (between 1 and 2 ball) that was about 3.5 feet deep when the lake was full last spring. At the end of the summer last year, that spot was 12 inches deep and unskiable. I don't believe it recovered over the winter. And, even if it did, we need to address the issue at full lake level anyway. We have leased a different lake for this year and hope to dredge or otherwise correct that spot. The rest of the lake was 9 -12 feet deep, so correcting this one spot would put us back in business - even with the low levels. But, yes, the water levels are an issue for us. @dbski - where are you skiing in SE Michigan? I am actually in Lansing, but drive to SW Michigan to ski (100 miles one-way).

The Lyons Ski Club is in the Wixom area. Try this email: lyonsskiclub at gmail dot com. Also, if you go to the USA Waterski website, click on "3 Event Water Skiing", then click on "Events and Registration" then on "Event Search or Register". You can then specify Michigan in the State selection criteria to get a list of tournaments. You can find some sites/clubs this way and the tournament details will have good contact information. For example, the Lyons Ski Club holds some tournaments (Lyons Slalom #1, etc.) and you can check out those entries.

Instead of, or in addtion to, a memory card or flash drive, how about bluetooth to your phone, tablet, etc.? Both ZO and PP could add this.