Just realized I have a couple years of 36mph as my tournament slalom speed so I should probably learn it. Tried it today and HOLY SHIT is it fast. Pull-out feels OK, turn-in feels OK, but the shot out of the gates is a cannon. I probably went 400 feet past the ball today! What's the trick?
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Heck if I know. Just driving my boat at 36 feels fast! My guess is that letting the boat do the work and delaying the load until you truly have angle are pretty key. Huh, just like 34, only amplified.
I learned at 36 and the speeds below it of course, but that was 16 years ago. I did learn to run 32 off at 36. Later on after I was at 34, I would get the random driver that would pull me at 36 for the opener unintentionally. What I remember is feeling the sensation of speed. My initial reaction is to move quickly which amplifies the wildness feeling in the pass. Once I would realize that it was 36 which was usually after 2 ball, I would start slowing down my movements (which usually helps the connection) and it really didn't feel a whole lot different, other than you're traveling faster.
After spending a week with Lucky, I would shake up my sets more. Every now and then I would start at my minimum scoring speed, which was either 26 or 28 at the time and 15 off. In doing this when I would get to 34 it was a similar feeling, until I would slow things down with what I was doing.
I guess the point of this blabbering post was to say if we get spastic out there it feels worse than it is, but if try to stay connected to the rope, it's really not that bad......but it has been awhile since I went 36.
You may want to increase that speed in smaller increments until you get acclimated to the speed.
get off your edge sooner...the transition becomes much more critical.
Maybe this is a good training tool?
Yeah, sort of like swinging a heavy bat. I don't think it will improve your form though. For that I think slower is better.
Joel, I thought you free skied 36 frequently at the cabin?
Nope, my free-skiing is always at 34, but -28 or -32.
You know, it's interesting about training techniques. I'm cooking up an article mentally on this- should be out soon.
About a month ago I switched from balls-to-the-wall sets to tourney style sets starting at 30 or 32 and I've found immense benefit from it. I've also found immense benefit from focusing on one thing such as SA has- maybe a whole set at 22 or a whole set at 34. I think heavy bat and corked bat both have different things to bring to the table, for sure. I love skiing a perfect 32mph run and then applying that stuff DIRECTLY to my next pass at 34. That's just amazing. However, I think if I run a full SET at 32 there will be less benefit and potentially negative implications without the immediate application to a harder pass. Again, full article coming soon because it's been an eye-opening topic for me for sure.
36 mph was just @#(&%^ RIDICULOUS today. Absolutely 0% chance of running it. Where when I run -28 at 34 I feel like I could take the whole pass down, 15@36 is just an immediate balloon of hope popping at the gate. I'm sure I just have to get used to it but without a doubt the jump to 36 has been the hardest jump of all. And I've been through a lot of jumps in slalom. That said if I can run it, I feel like 15@36 is more bad-ass than 28@34. FWIW, YMMV, etc.
As soon as I realized I could not cut line in a tourney at 34 it hit me that I had to try 36! Crazy, and that can't be right, right? I guess that's a whole other topic but WTF is that? Because I'm 2 years younger than the "34mph" age I have to ski "36" to score. Hmph. Great for people who learned to get up on 1 ski BEFORE graduating from college, I suppose. Hope they are enjoying their tournament scores!
Here is one more thing- if I figure out my "technique", I'll be killing it. The difference between watching a pro and watching me is me fixing everything- that's going to take some time! I'm learning to appreciate every little victory. You guys might see closed hips, shoulder heavy turns, etc. on FULL -22 passes or -15 passes at 34 but hell- those are full passes at 34! If they looked clean and perfect, I'd be skiing deep 38's, right? It'll come. One step at a time. After running 36 or cutting line at 34 I can REALLY appreciate watching a video of Seth or Marcus at 30mph or Karina at -35 on a Triumph. Those passes, for them, are equivalent to me running the mini-course at 18mph on a pair of jumpers. That's how good they are. To expect my videos to look like them (I'm talking to myself here) at this point in the game is ridiculous and if they did, I'd be competing with them soon!
Ran it this morning. Not so bad! Early edge change and not over-pulling through the gates are both key.
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