2016 Ski Goals?

[iwaterskihard]

I improved a ton last year and as I am fortunate enough to ski year round have seen myself capture another PB just three weeks ago. Some of my improvements were huge while others are still changing from old open water bad habits.

I spend money on coaching and 95% of my coaching money is spent with one of the best in Trent Finlayson. Even Trent was surprised at the jump forward in my skiing last year.

So with that in mind my goal this year is to start running consistent 32 off passes.

Nothing angers me more than to come off the dock and hammer 22 off, 25 off, 28 off, 30 off, and then run 2 @ 32 or even struggle with some 28's and 30 off passes. (Yes I use a progressive rope with loops in between the regular loops) It makes practice better.

Few things that have helped me gain my success are:

1) getting a good gate shot - it starts the whole pass and if you start bad you are playing catch up the whole pass - harder on shorter lines
2) good body alignment - hands in tight to hips, hips over kneee's & feet, shoulders square to boat
3) staying engaged with handle - keeping it in tight and two hands on it through my edge change and into the start of my turn
4) being patient - finish the turn and ski to handle so I'm not loading early and in a non stacked position so I can create good cross course angle (you can't get your hips back under after you have loaded)
5) vision - look where you want to ski not at the ball - if you look at the ball you will ski to it and be narrow
6) lastly cutting through both wakes and initiating a good edge change - this gets tougher for me as line gets shorter and speed increases

I've been working on these things all winter and now as the water changes temperatures it's time to make some fin adjustments and start going harder. No more suit to distract me just get in and go.

Oh ya - spend more money on good coaching - without it I wouldn't be 1/4 of the skier I am today! :)

There's my summer 2016 goals what are yours?

[CRAZy440]

Wait what is skiing? Is that another form of wake boarding or something? LOL Just kidding. Don't see many people slalom anymore. I still love it. Since I was 13!

BTW WOW, I just learned a lot reading your post. Never had a coach. Thanks! You are so lucky to have year round skiing. I'm envious.

My goals or goal is to "go skiing", period. Get up early and get everyone else up early (hard to do!) to actually get on the water with out having to try to ski on a roller filled lake. I don't have a course, I just love the feeling of pulling hard and the acceleration. I just hope my new boat at 31-32 is going to be ok to ski behind. The dealer says its ok, not a pro-star or the like, but good enough to hit the wake fast. We shall see in 3 months!

[JD14Mondo]

My yearly goal is to get up once and prove the old man can still ski. Grew up skiing and loved it. Can't get anyone to even try these days. Only want to wakeboard and surf. Glad to read the threads about people that still slalom. I love surfing now because I can get back in the boat by myself after a run. I am old but still love to get out on the water.

[Badfoot]

JD14Mondo,

You're only as old as you feel. I'm right there with you. As long as I don't look in the mirror, I'm good. I barefoot once a year just to say I still can do it. I love the surfing, easy on my bad ankle. I also grew up (and still growing) skiing, still get the Dick Pope Jrs out every now and then and give it go. Enjoy being out on the water most of all. Don't know what part of NC you are, but if you ever get up this way, send me a message. We're at SML, VA most of the time in the summer. Not far from NC.

[gpd005]

I just like to ski! I've only been on the course once and I wasn't even close to doing anything on it but I love to watch people do it. I've been on water ski's since I was 6 but never took any one thing and really stuck with it. I'm just ok at all of it (ski, wake board, surf, knee board). I do plan to buy an actual slalom ski this year not just use a combo ski and would love to just build some more confidence on it.

[iwaterskihard]

Listen to you guys all talking how old you are??? :O lol
I will be 50 this summer. Started course skiing just over 2 years ago. I couldn't run the course at 15 off 28 mph when I started. As @Badfoot says you're only as old as you feel and I can keep up to a whole lot of the younger ski dudes. :)

Glad I helped someone say they learned something. If we aren't learning we are falling backwards. Get out there and get riding those sticks. Lots of days and time for wake & surf boards! :)

[JD14Mondo]

@Badfoot my father still has the Cypress Garden Dick Pope Jrs I learned on back in the sixties. I have a Jobe slalom now that I have had for 20 years. iwaterskihard I have a few years on you but I am glad you are running a course and improving. I guess all that matters is you get out on the water and enjoy yourself. Now where is the warm weather!

[zabooda]

This year I'm heading into my 50th year of slalom skiing and running the course is long behind me. I've been there and done that and with two knee surgeries I am happy to get on the lumber. I had a Jobe years ago and I couldn't get a neutral stance to save my life . I still have my Cypress Garden El Diablo grooved slalom including a perfect varnish and still have a good wax coating. I missed the 2013 and 2014 because of knee surgeries but I was back last summer without missing a beat. So my goals is to continue skiing, get a good upper body workout and put on a good show.

[iwaterskihard]

Well as excited as I was about the ski season it took a major set back yesterday. Was working around my house and climbing up on of those adjustable ladders.
I think you can guess where this is going ................ yes one of the adjustable places on the ladder gave way and it folded sending me crashing to the ground and straight down on the bottom of my foot on one of the ladder rungs. Compression injury and I hope nothing is broken!
Off to the Urgent Care clinic today to see wth?
I can see a month of non water time in my future unless I can heal like I did when I was a teen!
That my friends was a sh*tty sh*tty start to my weekend and next month!!!!!

A word of advise if you have one of those adjustable ladders TOSS IT OUT NOW!!!! I even prechecked the areas before climbing it! It was not an extension but an adjustable one.

[zabooda]

Well as excited as I was about the ski season it took a major set back yesterday. Was working around my house and climbing up on of those adjustable ladders.
I think you can guess where this is going ................ yes one of the adjustable places on the ladder gave way and it folded sending me crashing to the ground and straight down on the bottom of my foot on one of the ladder rungs. Compression injury and I hope nothing is broken!
Off to the Urgent Care clinic today to see wth?
I can see a month of non water time in my future unless I can heal like I did when I was a teen!
That my friends was a sh*tty sh*tty start to my weekend and next month!!!!!

A word of advise if you have one of those adjustable ladders TOSS IT OUT NOW!!!! I even prechecked the areas before climbing it! It was not an extension but an adjustable one.

Sorry to hear the bad news. Was the ladder the one the you can turn into a scaffold from Little Giant (orange/aluminum) as my nephew broke both ankles when it collapsed. Ironically, I bought their extendable step ladder through their commercial division and they are stout but then it is heavy so I tend to use my regular step ladder more than I should. The company had a sales pitch for the craft workers and management and I bought one through the commercial discounting.

You are only temporarily down so you will be ready for the prime season. You'll pick up where you left off.

[Mikey]

Sorry to hear you are down and out.. I like to say i live through your skiing these days as i know you are from Alberta originally and are now living the SKI LIFE many of us can only dream of... I,m still one lotto ticket away from doing the same...
My goals this season are really simple right .. I just hope i can get back skiing.. My last time out last season i did a pretty bad(partial rotator cuff tear) and have been very slowly recovering since... I did this while Slalom skiing... It has been a long arduous task as LIFE seems to be getting in the way and work has not helped too much as well... My job is pretty physical... I am back to playing Vollyball twice a week so it is getting better...slowly... I still have an occasional twinge ,which kinda worries me...

Having gotten a new ski last season and things were just really starting to come together, skiing was getting better every pass etc i was really looking forward to getting back at it... I may have a possibility to join a local ski club as with recession hitting there is a much better chance of getting into this SMALL club this year. Still waiting to hear... My dreams are still alive and if all else fails,, Surfing it is... BTW picked up a new board at end of season for this as well... Just before the Canadian dollar really started to tank, so still got a pretty decent price... Brand new Phase 5 Diamond Danielo still sitting in the box waiting for its maiden Surf..

Getting old sucks .. just turned 50.. Not hating the age, just more the way the body feels and recovery time to get over strains and sprains etc... Hope you get well. keep us posted.. BTW when did you jump to a Centurion Carbon pro?

[gpd005]

Went to the boat show this weekend, for the second weekend in a row and the N3 booth had some serious discount on the items they had at the show. I was able to pick up a 2015 HO TX Slalom ski with bindings for a really good price. I was planning on getting a ski this year but had no idea it would happen at the show, normally I never see decent prices there. So now I'm ready for warm weather !!!!!

[iwaterskihard]

@Mikey - we got a smoking deal on our boat last spring so we jumped all over it. It allowed me to go from StarGazer PP to a ZO boat. The boat is a pure machine. Very soft small wakes and drives like a coaster on rails.
BTW - do you ever ski down at Predator Bay? I had a guy who skis there regularly come down and stay with me and attend a clinic I host 2X a year with Trent Finlayson. Lots of fun! :) If you ever want to get away and ski in the south let me know. Spare room is usually open for guests at a very reasonable rate! :) LOL

So yesterday it was confirmed that I did in fact break the outside bone on my foot. No skiing for a minimum of 4 weeks while I wear this big ass plastic protective boot. It sucks big time but looking back at the crash the results could have been a whole lot worse than they are. Hard part now is just looking at the lake and wishing I was out on it! C'mon April!!!!

[BensonWdby]

So yesterday it was confirmed that I did in fact break the outside bone on my foot. No skiing for a minimum of 4 weeks while I wear this big ass plastic protective boot. It sucks big time but looking back at the crash the results could have been a whole lot worse than they are. Hard part now is just looking at the lake and wishing I was out on it! C'mon April!!!!

Bummer.... Maybe you can get a boot for the other foot and do some barefoot stuff off the boom... :-)

I am hoping to finally make the 28@32 pass this year. Ran 28@31 a few years ago and ran 5 28@32 last year. Got a new Radar Lithium Vapor last fall. Still getting used to it but I think it is going to work for me.

Last year we also tried something just for fun. At 30mph, a one-ball challenge. Started at 15 off and worked down the rope - as long as you made 1 ball you shortened on the next pass. Made it to 38 off - just one. 39.5 nowhere close...

Getting old is challenging - just turned 60 - and now spending some time with a Chiropractor for first time. Seems to be working.

Regarding coaching - absolutely a great idea - I train with Doug at The Liquid Edge. It has made a huge difference in my skiing - and it is great fun - and you meet some pretty great guys along the way.

Hope the foot heals quickly. At least it is early in the season.

[trayson]

Well as excited as I was about the ski season it took a major set back yesterday. Was working around my house and climbing up on of those adjustable ladders.
I think you can guess where this is going ................ yes one of the adjustable places on the ladder gave way and it folded sending me crashing to the ground and straight down on the bottom of my foot on one of the ladder rungs. Compression injury and I hope nothing is broken!
Off to the Urgent Care clinic today to see wth?
I can see a month of non water time in my future unless I can heal like I did when I was a teen!
That my friends was a sh*tty sh*tty start to my weekend and next month!!!!!

A word of advise if you have one of those adjustable ladders TOSS IT OUT NOW!!!! I even prechecked the areas before climbing it! It was not an extension but an adjustable one.


@Mikey - we got a smoking deal on our boat last spring so we jumped all over it. It allowed me to go from StarGazer PP to a ZO boat. The boat is a pure machine. Very soft small wakes and drives like a coaster on rails.
BTW - do you ever ski down at Predator Bay? I had a guy who skis there regularly come down and stay with me and attend a clinic I host 2X a year with Trent Finlayson. Lots of fun! :) If you ever want to get away and ski in the south let me know. Spare room is usually open for guests at a very reasonable rate! :) LOL

So yesterday it was confirmed that I did in fact break the outside bone on my foot. No skiing for a minimum of 4 weeks while I wear this big ass plastic protective boot. It sucks big time but looking back at the crash the results could have been a whole lot worse than they are. Hard part now is just looking at the lake and wishing I was out on it! C'mon April!!!!

I can relate actually. A month ago, we'd just finished a couple days of snowboarding and were up at my buddy's mountain cabin. They have hardwood stairs and floors, and also have a 'no shoe' rule. :-( I was going down the stairs and thought I was stepping down onto the ground floor, but there was a step left. I went down hard on the ball of my right foot and fell. Everything was instantly hot and painful.

Turns out I did some midfoot ligament damage and I've been on crutches with a walking boot ever since the MRI. I go back into the orthopedic doc in a week to see what is up. After the MRI, I was able to score a knee scooter from a friend, and that's been SO much better than the crutches.

It's been really hard as we had a weeklong ski/snowboard trip planned last week that we had to cancel. We've also got everything booked for a week in Park City that I'm praying will still happen. It's really sucked having a hurt foot. Feels like I've had a month of my life robbed from me.

Good luck with your recovery. I can't wait to get back on a board.

[kaneboats]

Ahh, crap! You guys get better soon. I live through you on the w-ski thread. Benson I thought you were about 34 the way you can ski.

[iwaterskihard]

Ahh, crap! You guys get better soon. I live through you on the w-ski thread. Benson I thought you were about 34 the way you can ski.

Hearing that @kane just made my day. :) I will keep posting for you! :)

[BensonWdby]

..... Benson I thought you were about 34 the way you can ski.

I started skiing in 1965 but did not actually get up on a deep water slalom until 1971. There is actually a fun story behind that. Over the years I made the mistake of thinking that I should not go shorter or faster until I could regularly make my 15-30 pass. Then after decades of this misconception - about 2000 I got my first inboard and tinkered with shorter rope and never looked back.

But the real turning point was the trip to Ski Paradise in 2008. It renewed my interest in running the course and introduced me to my current coach - Doug Meeker at The Liquid Edge in Farmer City IL. From 2008 to now I have improved to barely being able to run 15off at 28, to a PB of 1@ 32off at 31 (a few year ago) to now taking a serious shot at 28off at 32 and getting into 32 off.

Every year I worry my body will not allow me to continue at the same level as the previous year. Keeping the weight down and staying in shape are critical to that - both of which I am lacking at the moment. So once I get this back thing figured out - it is back to the gym.

[iwaterskihard]

@Benson - it's funny how our perceptions of what we can/should do is different depending on what you read, watch, and hear vs what you really want to try?
2 years ago when we moved to our current home on a ski lake I couldn't run 15 off at 28 mph to running a PB a couple weeks back of 4 1/2 at 32 off 34 mph.

Some days I struggle with my opening passes right off the dock. No reason why I just don't have good success. I also ski with a progressive rope that has mid loops between all the regular loops.

On days I struggle I will typically run 4-5 buoys and have a brain cramp and screw up the pass. After I drop at the end I will have the boat shorten the rope and for some strange reason rip the next pass????

It's a challenging and tough sport but I love it because it's me vs the boat and them DAMNED orange balls!!!! :)

[BensonWdby]

With you on that - I have a history of falling a lot. No one has been able to put a finger on it exactly. There are days when I can go off the dock with 4-5 passes and faster or shorter on each. And there are times when I can't make 15-30 consistently.

I do get a ration of crap when I tell my crew - If you have a bad pass - go faster or shorter. Mostly in jest (Doug would just shake his head) but sometimes it seems to work. I don't always require a complete pass to go up - I sometimes think attempting the harder pass can help you psychologically with the lower passes - as long as you don't hurt yourself.

Consistency is a critical element and something I have struggled with forever.

I see we are running the same ski now - just mine is a 69 with Vectors. Have you ever figured out what the hole through the tip is for?

[iwaterskihard]

The hole in the tip is just for looks does absolutely nothing for performance. My new Vapor doesn't actually have the hole in it like my 2015 did.

[BensonWdby]

I guess mine is a 2015 then.... I am going to call it an airflow straightener to provide laminar flow over the tip to help keep the tip down after the turn.....

[iwaterskihard]

I'm just hoping I can get back on mine in the next 3 weeks or so. This broken foot sh*t isn't any fun at all! :(