Slalom Line Issue

Okay, so I am trying to get back in to slalom skiing more this year and I am trying to ease into it. I saw where one of the pro skiers (Marcus Brown I think) occasionally will free ski off the tower with a long wakeboard line for a change of pace and for fun. So I did it a couple of times just to get back in the feeling this year.

Yesterday, I decided that I was comfortable enough to get a little more serious, so I was going to ski from the pylon with my slalom line. Five tried and couldn't get up. Damn, okay hooked it to the tower, still couldn't get up. Weird. Okay, swap for wakeboard line hooked to tower, popped right up and skied. WTF? (Side note: I have had trouble getting up in the past with the slalom rope on pylon, just thought it was technique.)

Do slalom lines wear out? It is a decent Straightline 8 section slalom line, so its not a crappy line, but it is pushing 8 years old. I am guessing it has something to do with the stretch in the rope? Any thoughts or ideas?

Your technique is poor and you need to fix it. The actual rope has nothing to do with getting up. A wakeboard line (assuming it is no stretch) will be more taunt under extreme loads. Getting up is not an extreme load. Your slalom rope needs to have some minor stretch in order to help you on the course.

Your rope is too old to justify skiing with it. Buy an new rope. If your slalom rope breaks under load (which is when it will), you can have snap back that can damage your boat, you, and/or people in the boat. Normally it will be the driver getting hit in the head. I have been in a boat with a snap. Fortunately, it had a tube on it which protected everyone in the boat.

Work on keeping your knees up to the chest and push down as soon as the boat pulls. Keep the ski tip out of the water at all times.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by maxpower220

I have been in a boat with a snap. Fortunately, it had a tube on it which protected everyone in the boat.

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this may be the ONLY time having a tube on the boat was a good thing!

I figure my technique is partly to fault, it was just weird that I popped right up with the wake line, but struggle with the ski line.

So when you say "push down", I assume you mean with my legs?

Any recommendation on a new ski line? Is a 10 section worth it? I read that the Masterlines are really nice, worth the money?

Honestly, I thought the 10 section line was the best. I reality the number of sections doesn't matter as it takes years to get past 28 off. Straightline, Masterline both are great.

Yes, push with your legs.

The tube is a rope tube that goes from the pylon back 3-4'. It is there to stop snapback. Not a tubing tube.

Totally agrre with what Max has to say. 8 or 10 section makes no difference for about 95% of us skiers. Just have a decent quality rope,with the ability to shorten sections. A fresh rope has more stretch/ give and is a little more forgiving.

As mentioned above i believe as well its something in your technique. Keep your knees to your chest, watch side to side balance, and when ready start pushing ,with legs to pull your self out of the water, Whether you are two feet in or dragging, Be a little patient. It will come....

I also start by saying "gear", which the driver puts it just in gear, gets the boat and me going in the same direction, (only for say two seconds), then say "hit it", gets the drivers attention that we are going, takes the slack out and less shock on the arms, gets me pushing on the ski.

+1 on the hit it part. Everbody likes to start a bit differently by I like a second or 2 just past neutral in gear to get the slack out of the rope and then full throttle! New drivers are hard to train. It's alot different than getting up on wakeboard or surfboard that's for sure!

Yeah, we do the couple of seconds of tension when starting. My wife is driving for me, and while a great skier, she is not as confident or consistent of a driver, but she is working on it. It is just frustrating to get right up in the previous weeks, and this week, really struggle with it.

I keep my knees bent, and up as close to my chest as I can, but the I guess I am wanting the boat to pull me up, so I am just sitting there, not pushing down. I always come out the front with the ski tip going under and the boat pulling me forward over it.

I'll try the pushing thing.

Rope has no bearing on you coming out of the water at all. It does make it somewhat easier if it's on your tower vs being properly placed on your ski pylon. Your issue from what I am reading is probably 95% technique and 5% driver. Yes the driver does make a difference but if you can ski it shouldn't make a huge difference.
You don't say what foot you ski forward with? A simple reminder that I like to give kids or newer slalom skiers is ski placement right before resistence force is being applied (boat pulling you forward)
Left Foot Forward - get ski pointing to 10 - 11 o'clock position
Right Foot Forward - get ski pointed to 1 - 2 o'clock position
It's natural for the boat to want to pull your ski into you which causes you to get off balance. Once the ski is pulled under you during pull out you cannot get it back away from you and thus you're defeated.
Also as stated above keep your knees bent too.

There are a lot of elements thatresult in failure to get up. The rope is never one of them.
Most people try to stadn up to soon. Even these big boats need some time to develop horsepower.
Often I see people think they are not getting enough power so they ask for more power and that can be a problem.
Many inexperienced drivers think they need to get you up to speed right away or you will be angry so they rush the throttle.
I have found that training them to watch the tach rather than the speedometer works pretty good. Never rev the tach past where you would normally ski. Instead a steady increase in power up to about 3000 RPM is usually good. If you have speed control like Perfect Pass a steady increase to about 12-18 mph is usually enough and then the PP will kick in and finish.
One other trick that has worked for some (especially if you start on one foot) - do not sit in the water all balled up trying to maintain that perfect starting position while the rope feeds out and the driver gets ready. Float comfortably with your feet well out in front and as the boat starts to pull allow your body to compress into the starting position. This may prevent you from trying to stand too soon and allow the boat to develope some horsepower.

Remember - you can get out of the water in a very squatted position if you want - but you can not if you bury the tip.

You do not need a 10 section rope. Unless you have some crazy good skiers you hang with. Having said that - I have one and love tinkering with short line - but my coach hates it when I do.

Good luck - and avoid skiing on the tower - most boats are not really designed to handle slalom from the tower.

Have Fun
Dave

Brian - as usual the Forum has given lots of good info...I only have one additional note. Focus on putting down pressure on the ball of your foot (back leg) this will help keep the tip of the ski up early in the pull as you work to get up on the water. If you are using a double boot leave the binding a little loose to allow the heel of your back foot to lift up as you apply down pressure on the ball of your foot. This is what my two sons and I use (focus on) and as the others have noted, hold on and the rest will happen. Mike