Slalom Clinics and Tips

1.  ALWSC Clinics

 

Clinics can be made by appointment by on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.   Please send an email to Jim Wissing  if you are interested in attending one of these clinics. 

Cost for Jim's clinics are $50, if using your own boat, $75.00 if using a club members boat.  Clinics are typically 1 hour in length and cover:

  • Equipment Review and Water Ski Measurements

  • Techniques for Skiing the Slalom Course

  • Live Skiing with Personal Coaching

  • Optional Digital Video Recording and Follow-up Review (fee of $150.00.  Bring an SD chip or jump drive if you want to take a copy of the video with you)

Check out quotes from residents who have participated in ski and wakeboard clinics, by clicking on "News".

 

2.  Lambert Clinics sponsored by Mastercraft, Burton OH.
 

Outstanding skiing and instruction provided by expert tournament skiers, Rich, Mary, and Elizabeth Lambert.  A great experience that you don't want to miss.

The first clinic is Tues July 1st, contact Rich below for scheduling.

Directions:  422 East to 700 N. 1 mile East past Hubbard.  15550 Claridon Troy Rd, Burton OH 44021
rlmlel@aol.com
 

 
2008 Dates:

July

Aug

 

EQUIPMENT:

  • Quality vest which doesn't take on water, but is US Coast Guard Approved.

  • Quality Gloves from $35 to $65.  The newer gloves have GripTight material/rubberized with match the GripTight handle proves padding in the glove, and a more secure grip. Padding helps prevent calluses.

  • Handles are important, and be sure to monitor the rope from fraying.

  • Skis are the most important tool. Have your ski sized correctly, and check the ski to be sure the ski hasn't been altered by the previous owner or misaligned during shipping. The most important change to make is body position during skiing, binding placement, and lastly fin settings.  Skis with double-high wraps are most common and are generally prevent injuries.

  • Bindings are the link to the ski and are a key factor in safety. 

    • Rear toe piece is the most unsafe, as the foot comes out during a fall, and increases the risk of injury to the forward leg as the skier tumbles in a bad fall.

    • Double High Wraps are the most popular, and create a solid like to the ski.  Bindings with laces help secure the foot to the binding, and decrease the number of times the ski comes completely off in a fall.  Unfortunately this also increases the risk of injury.  These bindings, like the HO Animal increase the weight of the ski significantly, but are a very good choice.

    • Hard Shell bindings offer the security of two bindings, and decrease the weight making this the lightest solution. These are mounted on a plate and connected with interlocking Velcro resulting in the safest solution.  When the skier falls, the bindings separate from the ski and there is no risk of leg twisting injuries.  These are the bindings of choice for the Goode Skis.

GET READY and AVOIDING SKI DAMAGE:

  • Soaping up your ski, either by cutting liquid soap (Ivory is bio-degradable), or shaving cream works well.

  • Typically put the back foot in the binding first, then the front foot.

  • Enter the water while avoiding sliding the ski on the platform.  Sliding rubs the bottom of the ski, and smoothes out sharp edges, changing the way the ski moves through the water.  Basically, the ski won't hold it's edge properly, and the ski will need to be wet sanded to restore it's shape.

SKIING the SLALOM COURSE:

  • Ski to the left of the left wake, and pull out strong to the left by pointing the ski left when the boat reaches the Green 55 meter balls.  You can get wider left by focusing on the direction of the ski vs. a hard pull. After the pull out, stand up straight on the left edge of the ski, push your right hip forward and continue into a glide away from the boat on the outside edge.  Look at where the rope is at the boat, so you can set this as a visual marker. The one handed pull-out is gaining popularity, but often creates bad angle at the second wake.

  • When you begin to slow down, wait until the boat reaches the gate (10' at 28 off), and begin slow rotation right to the gate.  Concentrate on completing the rotation, and be at full pull at or just before the gate and hold your body position through the second wake and wash. This may seem late, but as long as you are at pull in the gates and hold that through the wake, you'll be early for Ball #1. Remember, it's all about Ball #1. Show the bottom of the ski to the boat on the second wake.

  • Begin to rise, and release the handle, driving your left arm forward and your right shoulder and arm back (put your right hand on your pocket) counter rotating your shoulder. This counter rotation will keep the ski traveling cross course so you can ski wide with a tight line.  Begin to lean into the turn, keeping front knee bent and your body over the ski. Keep leaning, as every inch you lean is another inch you're skiing wider. This will feel very weird, and this is the lean you want to get lower and lower.  Let the ski come around the ball, hopefully catching the back side of the ball.  This sets you up for a perfect angle for the cross course pull.  As you come around the ball, the handle in your left hand will be near your right that is still on the pocket, so grab the handle "the hook-up".

  • Pull for only 10 feet, and then focus on keeping the body position steady. Let the boat pull you cross course, and concentrate on the second wake so you can show the bottom of the ski to the boat through the second wake and plan your rise and transition to the inside edge.

MAKING UP TIME:

  • Everyone makes mistakes, in every pass (except JimP), so expect this. Pulling harder behind the boat to make up time is the typical way to make up time. Remember, this drives extra speed into the next ball and usually results in a late banana turn and missing the next ball.  Pulling harder to make up time requires an earlier release, a bit more lean to handle the faster turn.

  • When you're approaching a ball too fast, keep your shoulders counter-rotated, drop your hip and bend your front knee. This will force a quick turn (slamming the turn) and get your ski around the turn and set you up with good angle to the next ball.  At this point, lock your body position, relax, and let the boat pull you cross-course.  You will probably be early for the next ball, so release on time and complete the pass.

SKIING ON ROUGH WATER:

  • Focus on pulling hard behind the boat and very easy around the corners.  This works because a harder pull makes you locked into the water and drives you through the waves, while easy around the corners lets you focus on balance and riding over the rough water as you turn through them. Call in an exercise day.

  •  Jim W:  "I've skied some of my best runs after a rough water day." Focusing on pulling hard behind the boat and through the second wake is a common technique made by every skier at every level.

SHORTENING THE LINE:

  • Jumping rope sizes is about equivalent to decreasing the boat speed by 2 mph. Some like to ski 1 mph faster until you're early on the balls and have made 6 successful consecutive passes, drop the boat speed 2 mph so your 1 mph below your normal speed.  Tournament speed for most people is 34 mph.  The wakes are much flatter over 32 mph, and be very careful over 34 up to 36 mph max.

  • At each new rope length, the skiing angles are new, and will feel very different, so be prepared to feel like the boat is leaving without you.  Shadow the balls you're short on, but keep skiing all 6 balls.

  • This takes quite a lot of practice, so relax and enjoy. Please let us know how we can help.

28 OFF

  • Be patient and keep gradually increasing the speed until you are skiing at about 33 to 34 mph. Decrease the speed to 31 to 32 mph.  The biggest tip I can give is to put your release hand on your butt to counter rotate your shoulders. This will allow your ski to continue to drive across the course and allow you to ski wider.  Start the lean without turning, and you should gain about 4 feet right there.  Every inch you lean without turning is one more inch off of that remaining 2 feet to get to the 28 off (Yellow line) vs. 22 off (Orange line).
     

  • 28 off and above will require more speed to prevent the ski from sinking in the turn.  During the pull, start to feel the boat whip, and use this to your advantage.  You'll feel an increase in your speed as you use this whip, so ski this a few times so you can comfortable with this new speed.  Again, be patient.  Lastly, increasing the speed of the boat, decreases the wake and puts the skier ahead of the "hump", thus eliminating the wake and making it easier to go cross course.

BUOY REPLACEMENT:

  • First, if you haven't knocked a ball off yet, you probably will soon, so don't worry about it.  Contact JimW or any of the board members and someone will replace the buoy. If you ski regularly, and you want a spare or two, let us know that as well.
     
  • How to replace the buoy? There is a stainless steel clip (provided by the club), about 5 inches long, that is attached to the ball with a bungee cord (provided by the club).  This clip need to be squeezed hard and almost completely to get the clip to open enough to connect it to the nylon line connected to the cement filled tire anchor.  on each nylon line, there is a sub float, about 2.5 feet below the water surface, that is about 6 inches in diameter.  Connect the clip below the sub-float, and then slide the clip down until the buoy is 1/2 in and out of the water.  This can be tough, so don't feel bad if you need help.

JimW   "I love this job!"