From one skier to another since 2007.
Timing, rhythm, pace, feel, calmness. I'm still paying attention to a handfull of things like where the pressure is, where I'm facing, where I'm looking, how much leg tension is being used, how much force I'm applying. Some days I don't get much of those right and still ski okay, other days I get a lot of it right and don't ski all that well.
One tournament last year I was watching this guy run 35 and he took a hit at 1, after that he was as quiet, still and slow and kept a beautiful rhythm for the pass until he killed 5 and stopped the ski. That image of him being really slow moving stuck with me that tournament. When my round came up, I was determined to ski mine that way. I moved as slow off and on the handle as I could and proceeded to run my best 35 of the year that round only to be told I missed my gate. It didn't matter, I was really happy with that pass (except the gate part).
I have been trying to work on this at various times for a year. Some days with great success, other days not so much. Now that I have moved my boots back, my ski carries speed better and doesn't bite so much at the turn finish. This has allowed me to be more patient at the finish of the turn, which has allowed me to run more 35s in the last few weeks than I have in a long time. I still have a lot of room for improvement, but I'm encouraged even with our hot water. Yesterday's set was 22,28,32,35,35 (5), 35 (2.5), 35, 35, 38 (3)
Printer-friendly version
Theme by Danetsoft and Danang Probo Sayekti inspired by Maksimer
Question about moving your
Question about moving your binding back...I always assumed the having the bindings more forward would tend to prevent popping the front of the ski in the turn. However, I was told yesterday (by a good skier) that moving the front binding back while leaving the back binding alone could actually help reduce wheely-ing in the turn. This thought seemed backwards to me but the reasoning was that even though you move your front foot back you are putting your feet closer together. Since your feet would be closer together you would be less able to shift weight to the back foot and therefore would reduce the tendancy to pop the ski in the turn. Just interested in your thoughts.
This coming from a Fogman
This coming from a Fogman Binding user, my boots are as close as they can be without cutting on the toe area of the back boot. Every binding type is different, where you measure to may be different from one boot to the next. If I were to use a thicker liner, it would move where I stand on the ski, same with a thinner liner. What we should be looking for is the spot where the ski works the best. When our water heated up (first to 90), I moved the boots back a little to keep from engaging the nose too soon. Then it went up to 96 and I moved it back again to keep from engaging the nose too soon. The ski felt much better after I did this, so I moved it back some more. (moved it back 3 times in a month). I think I'm in a pretty good spot right now but I'm paying more attention to water temps and performance.
I also have moved my front boot slightly to the left side of the ski to try and keep from applying too much pressure to the right edge (I'm right foot forward and tend to turn 2-4 a little too hard)
As far as wheelie-ing, a boot change could make a difference. I tend to wheelie in mostly a couple of specific cases, (1)if the nose is engaging to soon (and I catch it soon enough), I will try to throw my weight back quickly, jam my hips forward and often get tip rise. If this happens often I think boots need to go back. or (2) If I bring too much momentum into the turn (ski wants to go wider, but I want to turn here), I will often force the turn and end up with my weight back {that is the one that happens to me most}.
Depending on why the wheelies are happening, boot back could be the correct move.......or it could be something else. You won't know if something works better or not without trying it.
Chinese waterski proverb...
It's hard to move slow when you're not going fast.
When you're not going fast
When you're not going fast it's more important to move slow.
Fast is the new slow.
Fast is the new slow.