Slalom Technique

I have questions that I'd like to ask about slalom skiing and would like to know if this forum is the place to do so. Basically I have questions relating to technique, as a beginner/intermediate skier I would like to improve my skiing skills. There are no ski schools where I live. Many thanks.

Thank you. Been doing slalom for a year now, been on a Big Daddy Connelly, getting HO 71 2008 soon, trying to improve my technique, no ski schools where I am so battling along learning from experience. First question I have is: coming out of a turn with lots of slack on the rope, is the 27 mph way too slow and is it becasue I am not cutting back after the turn quickly enough thereby causing excessive slack in the rope?

^^^Nailed it. If you keep pulling hard well after the second wake you will carry too much speed out wide. Now when you start to cut back you are going a lot faster than the boat and end up with a lot of slack. When you cross the 2nd wake, you should be starting to change edges (starting your turn). This will start slowing you down and set you up for the hard cut (the finish of the turn). If you don't have access to immediate means of training, you can benefit from watching lots of video online of prof. skiers. Watch how they cut across the wakes and where they stop pulling. You'll notice that they're almost always finished pulling right near the 2nd wake, from there they start their "pre-turn".

Good luck!

the wing problably isn't even needed until your in a line off situation. If you pull solidly through the wakes you should already be generating enough speed to change your edge which will start your turn, round the ball and begin the pull process all over again. Do not look at the ball when pulling, pic a spot before it. If you look at the ball you'll never get to it. If your just free skiing then do the same thing just pretend the ball was there.

I am fortunate enough to have Jeff Rodgers as an old high school friend, and local guy. I have been going out to his lake for lessons. Fantastic guy, and unbelievable skier. Last night, he stood on the back of the boat and pointed his hands out, angled out slightly, and told me to do the work behind the boat. My problem is body position on my off side pull.
I think what others are saying is correct, dont pull out so far, let the ski do the turn, wait until the ski tip gets back under the rope, then start to pull. Be patient it will come. Go out and ski like a kid, back and forth over and over to get the feel. Work on keeping the rope tight. Is your rope full length? If so try it at 15' off.

^^^ Definitely agree...getting your form right out of your cut and holding it strong thru the wakes seems to be 95% of slalom skiing. Everybody loves & focuses on how to make the big beautiful arcing spray out on the turn, but without the proper setup the turns are usually lacking, inconsistent, and out of control.

harddock wrote: the wing problably isn't even needed until your in a line off situation.

GottaSki wrote: Yes, bad idea. Leave the wing off till you are at least 34 mph/22 off or 28 off.

Looking to improve my skills I recently picked up a HO NOS. (I had been using a Connelly Sport.) The NOS has the Syndicate fin box w/ the foil which is new for me. I'm not skiing a course or line off yet, just free skiing and working on stability, speed, confidence/comfort through the wake at 27-28 mph.
Should I take the fin off until I'm skiing faster on a shorter line?
At what point do you start taking line off?

harddock wrote: Do not look at the ball when pulling, pic a spot before it. If you look at the ball you'll never get to it.

About how far from the ball do you focus?

As an aside... Tom, (Fatboy206) are you really writing from the UAE?

Terp,
we may be pressuming you are at 60' now, but maybe you are not.
If you are on the 75' long-line, move to 15' off immediately and don't look back, else poor habbits will be reinforced, etc.

Form:   I think your right, I find upper body getting pulled forward a bit when cutting through the wake.

IF you are a traditionalist,and like the traditional style, the hips need to thrust WAY forward as you exit the turn, and this is held across the wakes(you'll know it when you feel it) Imagine the hips a hinge. Measuring the angle as you face forward, hips are thrust forward and up to the handle, as you open your hinge beyond flat to, say 183 degrees or so.. all before the rope loads up, else its too late. This way your skeleton transmits the power from your shoulders to your legs, not via the lower back muscles.

West-cost style is a lower, somwehat crushed stance, the hips stay rearward, the difference between highest and lowest skier speeds appear less, and more speed carried into and out of the turn. It suits some very well. The hips stay well under the 180 degrees open, and it relies more heavily on back muscles. However, peak loads in the rope are less.

Both are something to behold when done right.

I need to move to warmer climates.

This is a great topic. It's great to see all the great responses. Joel's site was helpful to me over the summer www.fifteenoff.com. I had a major issue with slack rounding the ball. They advised me that I was pulling too long and then skiing down the course on my turns. I simply stopped pulling once I crossed the wake and started my turn. This corrected the slack issue. Hip to the handle has been something I've been working on. Easier said than done!

I dont think my 43 yo back could handle the Terry Winter (west coast) position!

Me too. and if i were forced to ski that way, i'd give it up on just how ugly it looks.

It is funny to me how the label west coast and traditional styles have come about. I am not sure where or when it came about (probably some magazine hype) but for the most part I have not seen to many tall skiers use the "west coast style". And for years and I go back to the mid 70's the strong shorter slalom skiers used a butt down, bent knee closed shoulder power type technique and the taller skiers used a more upright shoulder away approach. But if you look at all these skiers they all have one thing in common and that is the idea of keeping the ski knees and hips in front of the shoulders, the idea of keeping the ski out front. I think the only real advancement in slalom is the one handed gate.

A suggestion for those that want to learn shorter line lengths. Most skis are not designed to ski 75'or even 15 off. It is not uncommon to slow the boat down 2-4 mph and shorten the rope and practice 22 or 28 off. The real nice thing about this approach is that a skier does not have to negoiate rooster tails and bigger wakes.