From one skier to another since 2007.
Small success. Felt great today with offside turn. Once I knew I was around buoy, I just made sure to keep my body long and stood on my front foot. I ski came around smoothly and effortlessly.
I got lucky despite high boat traffic of cruisers, kneeboarders, etc. Spun 6 full passes back to back at 32/15off before I was spent and impending huge waves were on the horizon.
Printer-friendly versionThis seems to happen every summer...just when I start feeling good, the summer is over. Yesterday I wanted to see how many 32mph/15 I could run in a row spinning at the ends. I free skied up to the course then ran 5 full and just missed 6 ball on my 6th pass. I was whipped and ended up straining my neck.
Skied again today despite a very stiff neck. Running practically all of my 32/15 but I'd say only 1 in 4 feels smooth and fully connected. My downfall is offside. When it goes bad, I get on my heel, plow for awhile, then finally get into a cutting position. Also, I often still crunch forward in an effort to get the ski to bite and turn. I end up having to crush my onside turn and cut.
Fun ski weekend.
Printer-friendly versionThis past Saturday we held our annual Wilmington Ski Warriors Tournament at Wilmington Recreation Club in Illinois. Over 30 skiers competed. My son Timmy went uncontested in his divisions, having fun in slalom and trick. Max took 1st place in Boys II slalom against two other competitors. Additonally, Max won the coveted Ron Romanowski Achievement Award. Kara took first in Girls III scoring 2 buoys at 32mph 15off. I took 2nd among 4 with a score of 4 bouys at 34/15. My friend Ed took first place in Men's 34 slalom...getting into 32off followed by great tricking and a barefoot exposition.
We just beat out the storm which wiped out power in the club. Thankfully, gracious club members and a great DJ cranked up enough generators to power the dance and award ceremony. Great day, great people!
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Good day at the lake today. After a few tries with the easy-up rope, Timmy got up on one ski like he's been doing it for years...looked rock solid once he got up as well. He turned 9 in June. I'll post some more pics and video when I can. Conratulations Timmy! Max and Kara are nervous...as am I. You'll be caught up to us in no time.
Printer-friendly versionYesterday we had a great day on the water with Seth Stisher. Despite the lake being open to all, we did not encounter one other boat all day. Perfect weather, great people, beautiful site...praise the Lord.
Joel will add some content about the whole day, following are just my personal notes.
First off, Seth is one of the greatest people you'll ever meet. His being a great skier and coach is secondary to me.
Before too much time goes by, I wanted to document some keys for both Max and I.
Keith:
1. Work on gate move...weight on front foot and then fall hips towards gate, both forward and side. This will set stage for next one.
2. Power through the wakes to allow early transition and ability to carry out, cast ski, and open up body for long wide turn.
I must slow down the boat a bit to be able to think and react...with the goal of running a full pass the same as I run 1 and 2 ball.
Max:
1. Continue to work on body position...upper body up, arms low, look down the tow line, aggressive through both wakes.
Max should continue his rhythmic progress through course...he's on the verge of running the course. Short term...run 1,2,3, and shadow 4,5,6.
Other thoughts:
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What a FANTASTIC time. The setup Keith has going at WRC is friggin' unreal. Glass water, crystal clear, deep, epic. Course is dead nuts straight and dialed in. Looking down that course sitting it perfectly flat water was almost an out-of-body experience for me. Lining the course is just a trip through time of vintage ski boats. Every model, every year. Totally surreal scene.
Seth, what a guy. What a coach.
Keith, you did it up RIGHT. What a HOST! Awesome talking to your family and your dad Ray. Nice boat, great food, apps, and cold beer. Does it get better than that? Your family gets it done RIGHT. Can't say it enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Best day off I've had in a LONG time.
I'll expand upon all of this later once I catch my breath.
I couldn't agree more. My wife and I had the opportunity to ski with Seth a couple of years ago for a week at H2Oz. What a great time! Looking to forward to returning.
Who's going to Nationals? Looks like open men is monday.
Printer-friendly versionFirst post in a long time. Not skiing much. Only three times out so far. Ran 2/4 passes at 32/15 the 4 times the course was clear. Kara got her game going and was killing 30/15 and skiing a marathon.
My biggest success is being where I left off last summer and not being in pain. Very rough winter with back, hip, and knee issues. If I'm skiing with little to no pain...it's a success. I never get tired of it.
We are probably having Seth out for a clinic the week of August 7.
Printer-friendly versionGot one set in yesterday. Only ran one pass at 32/15. Feel great onside and absolutely horrible offside. I think that has to be my main focus with Seth.
Physically feeling OK. Just OK with knee and back.
Kara skied today. I moved her binding back from full forward to neutral. She's running all her 30mph passes and on the verge of 32/15. Pulled Tom S. on new combos. Combos seem too wide to turn easily. I want to ski on them just to see whether or not it's the skis. I wasn't able to ski today due to lack of driver.
We had our Learn to Ski clinic on Thursday--12 skiers. Long 8 hour day of driving for me in the hot humid weather.
Skied yesterday. Water very warm. Felt squishy. I tweaked my back so will take it easy a few days and hope it mends quick.
Kara got 5 @ 32/15 today. Pretty good for not skiing much this summer...too busy with softball and volleyball.
Timmy has not gotten one ski yet...wakeboarded the past couple times out.
WRC ski tournament yesterday. Very slow start to it...thought we were going to have a horrible turnout. Turns out that we had 33 skiers including 13 newcomers. Didn't end until almost 4:30. Kara missed her pass...feel bad for her because she's been skiing well. I took 1st against a great skier that messed up his 2nd pass. Like I've said, we're not really a ski club...evidence by the fact that 4 @ 34/15 took 1st. Max took 1st in his division and Timmy was alone is his division. Kara took 1st tricking with a wakeboard...Timmy 2nd trick on wakeboard. Ed and Phil double barefooted for the crowd.
Fun and tiring day with dance and award ceremony afterwards. Goal next year is to increase Ski Warrior membership by getting these newcomers involved.
Sounds like that was fun. I should try and get our "club" to do something like this. It would help pull everyone together and to keep the stoke level high. I was just talking with another member yesterday about installing the "inner-course" to generate more interest from some of our terminal "can't make the course" members, as well as a couple of young families with kids just starting out.
After seeing my recent videos and talking to a few people, I will now focus solely on body position. I believe that being strict on myself with this will pay huge dividends...and it's a doably thing for me. I started Saturday with this new focus...rough water, bad sun, yahoo cruzers, sleds and boarders put my wife on the verge of breakdown. Nonetheless I started to get a feel for staying more proud with elbows at vest. Sunday I continued...ran two out of four 32mph/15 passes the easiest I have in awhile and free skied a good bit. I felt very robotic, stiff, and Herman Munster-like...but I think as I continue this discipline, I will be able to loosen up.
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Forgot to mention the new boat and ZO
I forgot to mention this. Someone on our lake got a beautiful new Mastercraft with ZO and let us use it to pull slalom. First time using ZO. I think we were on a B setting. Between that and the larger wake on the Mastercraft, things were a bit different...but I skied just about as good as I have in me at this time, as did Kara.