Old Guy Learning To Ski |
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desertskier
Platinum Member Joined: December-19-2006 Location: Az Status: Offline Points: 1114 |
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Hollywood, with regards to leaning back, I think this is just relative to getting up on a wakeboard. With a wakeboard you have the edge of the board and can use to use for control. With the ski I need to lean back more than with a wakeboard otherwise I get pulled over but I'll definitely keep that in mind to not over do it. I'm going out again today and will try again and get some video.[/QUOTE] If you are getting pulled over or the skis are being pushed apart ask the driver to go a little easier. It shouldn't take much throttle to pull someone up on two skis. |
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Poorhouse
Senior Member Joined: November-11-2013 Location: Whitefish, MT Status: Offline Points: 187 |
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That is Awesome! My Aunt will be here in August. She turned 70 this year and is going to try it again. She said it's been at least 30 years since she skied. I'm leaving Saturday for NH for a week on the lake. Found a good deal on a Radar P6. Had it shipped there to try out for the week. Sounds like a good beginner slalom ski. Hoping the extra size helps us get out of the water. |
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Sold - 1986 Supra Sunsport Skier
Current - 1996 - MC Prostar 205 I keep doing this wrong. |
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TRBenj
Grand Poobah Joined: June-29-2005 Location: NWCT Status: Offline Points: 21131 |
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I agree with HW, leaning back in any way is definitely not the right (or easy) way to ski.
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Blamey
Gold Member Joined: August-18-2015 Location: White Plains,NY Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Mark, thanks for the tips.
I agree I need a little more than a minute of practice on two before moving on to slalom. It has been 25 years. That said I feel I wasn't that far away form getting to one ski and I think your points about looking up and taking it slow will help. I was definitely rushing to get the back leg in. One issue I have with the skis is the bindings are really slippery. I don't feel like they are loose but they are really easy to come out of. This makes lifting a ski difficult. On the flip side it's really easy to step out of them. Maybe it just need to adjust them to be tighter. I have a slalom ski at home that came with the boat. It is probably a little small for me, but I can make it work. Once I master dropping one ski I'll switch to it and one combo. |
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96 Super Sport
Previously: 95 Sport Nautique, 1980 Ski Supreme |
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Blamey
Gold Member Joined: August-18-2015 Location: White Plains,NY Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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Yeah, I know I'm not quite an old guy yet but this thread motivated me to try ski again that is why I posted in here. I was about 11 when I last skied. I had just learned to slalom and deep water start and was still using one of the combo skis we had. I could ride just fine but wasn't doing much in the way of turns. Hollywood, with regards to leaning back, I think this is just relative to getting up on a wakeboard. With a wakeboard you have the edge of the board and can use to use for control. With the ski I need to lean back more than with a wakeboard otherwise I get pulled over but I'll definitely keep that in mind to not over do it. I'm going out again today and will try again and get some video. |
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96 Super Sport
Previously: 95 Sport Nautique, 1980 Ski Supreme |
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63 Skier
Grand Poobah Joined: October-06-2006 Location: Concord, NH Status: Offline Points: 4239 |
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Paul, your profile says you are 36. So you last skied when you were 11? Congrats on getting back into it, and rediscovering how much fun it really is! |
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'63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique
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MrMcD
Grand Poobah Joined: January-28-2014 Location: Folsom, CA Status: Offline Points: 3604 |
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Congratulations on the first ride in 25 years, I would encourage you to enjoy the ride more rather than dropping so quickly. People forget how much fun it is to ski, on one or two.
As you play on two skis lift the ski that would be your back foot and ride on your front foot while the other ski is lifted, no more than 3-6 inch lift is necessary. When you can do this and feel stable doing it you are ready to drop a ski. When you know you are going to drop a ski on a run loosen up the boot on your ski that will be your rear foot. Sometimes I will even take the heel part of the boot off to make the drop easier. When you decide you are ready lift the ski and test your balance, if it is good you can usually point your toes and lift your heel a little slowly and the ski will fall away. If you jerk or pull hard you will probably fall down so work on one smooth motion. After the ski falls off keep watching the boat and leave your foot in the two ski position while you adjust. Then move it slowly behind your front foot and again while watching ahead to keep your body position correct start feeling around with your toes for the rear boot. It is always in the same spot and won't move on you so trust you can do this while watching the boat ahead and don't rush anything if you rush you fall. Once you find the rear boot slowly slip your toes in then relax and enjoy your success. At this point I flex up and down with my knees a couple times while slipping the foot into the rear boot then go enjoy some single ski fun. You might even come up on doubles but have your forward foot in a real single ski if that is what you were used to 25 years ago. Good Luck For years I stepped off a ski to barefoot before I bought a deep water barefoot suit so I got lots of practice dropping a ski and skiing with one foot out. With one foot out I always liked the control a true single ski gave compared to the feel of the standard double ski set where one ski had a rear boot to allow single ski use. |
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Hollywood
Moderator Group Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13512 |
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Good way to torque your back. More abs. |
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Blamey
Gold Member Joined: August-18-2015 Location: White Plains,NY Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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So yesterday got up on a pair of skis for the first time in about 25 years. After I quick crossing the lake I couldn't resist the urge to drop a ski. That didn't work out and I fell pretty much straight away.
Took me about 5 attempts to get up this time after failing to get up when I tried last month. Part if the issue is that the technique is very different to getting up on a wake board. On a wakeboard I get the board under me pretty quickly and pop out of the water. With the skis I found I needed to stay leaning back for as long as possible with the skis in front of me. I think part if the issue was I am a little heavy for the combos I was using. Was great to get up. Got up a second time and rode a little longer but really just wanted to get back on one ski as soon as I was up. Tried dropping a ski again but fell pretty much instantly again. Might need a big more practice on two before getting back to slalom. |
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96 Super Sport
Previously: 95 Sport Nautique, 1980 Ski Supreme |
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8122pbrainard
Grand Poobah Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41040 |
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Jake, The state of Wisconsin regs say only a "competent" person is needed for spotting. Check your Montana regs. |
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backfoot100
Platinum Member Joined: January-03-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1897 |
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That's just waaaaayyyy cool Andy!!!!!! Well done.
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When people run down to the lake to see what's making that noise, you've succeeded.
Eddie |
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GlassSeeker
Grand Poobah Joined: November-26-2008 Location: Elk Grove, CA. Status: Offline Points: 2421 |
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Skis just get in the way
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This is the life
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Poorhouse
Senior Member Joined: November-11-2013 Location: Whitefish, MT Status: Offline Points: 187 |
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Nice! If I get this skiing thing figured out maybe I'll be ready to try that at 53! |
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Sold - 1986 Supra Sunsport Skier
Current - 1996 - MC Prostar 205 I keep doing this wrong. |
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GlassSeeker
Grand Poobah Joined: November-26-2008 Location: Elk Grove, CA. Status: Offline Points: 2421 |
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Old? Reheheheally now...learning to barefoot at 53!
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This is the life
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Poorhouse
Senior Member Joined: November-11-2013 Location: Whitefish, MT Status: Offline Points: 187 |
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True with most things. I know she is hoping to get up this weekend and have some time on 1 ski before going to the reunion. Sibling rivalry and what not. If she is still struggling we'll see what they have to offer. Updated forecast for Saturday - 67 with 20% chance of rain. |
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Sold - 1986 Supra Sunsport Skier
Current - 1996 - MC Prostar 205 I keep doing this wrong. |
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Hollywood
Moderator Group Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13512 |
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I've heard far more bad advice over the years than good. |
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Blamey
Gold Member Joined: August-18-2015 Location: White Plains,NY Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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I think the answer is obvious. |
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96 Super Sport
Previously: 95 Sport Nautique, 1980 Ski Supreme |
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dwouncmd
Gold Member Joined: July-10-2009 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 919 |
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What about people who ski in double boots? |
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89 SN
<a href="http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6567&sort=&pagenum=1" rel="nofollow">7 |
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Poorhouse
Senior Member Joined: November-11-2013 Location: Whitefish, MT Status: Offline Points: 187 |
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Will get her to try a couple 1 leg starts as well as the 2 leg she currently prefers.
Looking forward to skiing with the brother and sister in law. I think she feels like they will get her some good pointers. I'm a former skate boarder and occasional snowboarder and always go left foot forward. I would consider that my strong leg. I jump with it as well. |
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Sold - 1986 Supra Sunsport Skier
Current - 1996 - MC Prostar 205 I keep doing this wrong. |
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Hollywood
Moderator Group Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13512 |
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Figure it this way, if you only had 1 leg which would it be?
And would you put it in the back of the ski? Hell no. |
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GottaSki
Grand Poobah Joined: April-21-2005 Location: NE CT Status: Offline Points: 3335 |
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I'm a proponent of strong foot forward,
Those that don't, seem to struggle forever with skiing tail heavy, bad turns, and difficult starts. But others make it work. If this is the moment to consider that, best not wait. Its hard to change later.. One ski start one has the advantage of letting the hips rotate, don't have to so square to the water, Pull the ski under the butt, knee in your face, and pause till the water firms, push the ski and leg out in front of you |
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"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worthwhile as messing around with boats...simply messing."
River Rat to Mole |
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GottaSki
Grand Poobah Joined: April-21-2005 Location: NE CT Status: Offline Points: 3335 |
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What Hollywood sez.
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"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worthwhile as messing around with boats...simply messing."
River Rat to Mole |
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Hollywood
Moderator Group Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13512 |
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Mrs. Poorhouse [insert any skier ever here] will be better off in the long run getting comfortable with the 1 leg start. She'll eventually see how effortless it can/should be. Don't fall into the 2 foot start trap.
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MrMcD
Grand Poobah Joined: January-28-2014 Location: Folsom, CA Status: Offline Points: 3604 |
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Poorhouse that introduction to show skiing was a pretty cool link.
We used to do 3 and 6 man pyramids on the river just for fun back in the 80's. We were skiing 2-3 days every week and I guess we got bored of just skiing. We learned how to do the 360 degree spin around the boat too. There is a lot of fun to be had on the water and it can all be family oriented. |
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Poorhouse
Senior Member Joined: November-11-2013 Location: Whitefish, MT Status: Offline Points: 187 |
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Had to look up "hop dock", found this guide with a bunch of other good stuff.
Hop Dock Mrs. Poorhouse read through everyone's suggestions and took a look at her videos again. She was pushing with her back leg not sitting on it and the ski was pretty low in the water. She's thinking pulling the back of the ski up to her butt will make the difference. She said she tried the one foot out with leg out behind and toe pointed and couldn't get up, but may try it again as well. We'll be out on Saturday to give it a try. Going to a lake that is usually pretty quiet so should be able to experiment dropping a ski as well. Then she and Poorhouse Jr. are off to MA and NH for 3 weeks. I'll be there for a week on Lake Winnipesaukee to celebrate her folks 50th anniversary. Her brother will be there with boat and skis. He and her sister are (or were) slalom skiers, should be a great time. |
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Sold - 1986 Supra Sunsport Skier
Current - 1996 - MC Prostar 205 I keep doing this wrong. |
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Hollywood
Moderator Group Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13512 |
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Plenty of friends can do a 2 foot dw slalom start but cannot do a hop dock. Clearly they are making it harder than it needs to be.
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GottaSki
Grand Poobah Joined: April-21-2005 Location: NE CT Status: Offline Points: 3335 |
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Well explained Mark,
Yes, pushing square against the boat provides no lift.. Angling ski and leg like a planing surface provides lift, less drag, more lift, less drag, etc heh, both my ladies close their eyes on a oneski start, they say that's the secret to dw start |
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"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worthwhile as messing around with boats...simply messing."
River Rat to Mole |
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MrMcD
Grand Poobah Joined: January-28-2014 Location: Folsom, CA Status: Offline Points: 3604 |
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We learned to ski behind a 13'9" wood low profile ski boat with a 75 HP Evenrude hanging on it. The engine in those days was huge for a 13 foot boat.
To pull up a slolom skier we would have to drag a foot. Front foot in the front boot, rear leg loose and pointing out the back. In those old high powered boats you would yell hit it, Take a deep breath and tuck your head in low behind the tip of the ski. Speed would start to build slowly while you drag. After about 30 seconds we would pop our head up, take a quick look around as we took another deep breath and went back into the tuck. After about 100 yards of dragging you would be about half way up, my left foot is forward so my left knee is at my chest and my right foot is straight out behind me with the toes pointed. As the speed built you could use the right trailing foot as a second ski but with the leg and toes still pointed out the rear. You add pressure to the foot helping lift your body up on plane. This dragging a foot method was the only way possible to get up behind that old ski boat. Once the boat got on plane it had plenty of power to ski hard behind it and we even barefooted off that old boat but man was that first 100 yards tough. Dragging a foot gives you almost double the lift on a single ski take off and as others have stated it lets the ski come on plane naturally as the speed builds. With two feet in the bindings many people add weight to the rear foot and end up fighting the whole process. When I bought my first Nautique a 1978 351W powered boat it was a real powerhouse compared to the old outboards we skied. Behind this Nautique we taught my best friend to ski, this guy is an unbelievable athlete and a gym rat. At 6'3" and 195 lbs he was squatting 560 pounds at the time we were teaching him to single ski. He would battle the boat, pressing with all that leg strength so hard he pushed a wave in front of the ski before he would pop up. He would fight till the vacuum operated secondary in the 4 barrel carb opened, I have never heard that with anyone else unless I had 4 people trying to come up at once. He always said he could not understand how any women could ski because coming up took so much strength. Then we taught him how to drag a foot and he started popping out like all normal skiers. |
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Donald80SN
Grand Poobah Joined: January-12-2009 Location: Denver, NC Status: Offline Points: 3889 |
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One great thing that I picked up from this site concerning driving the boat when pulling a skier is telling the new boat driver to think about pulling away from a green light with a car. The driver does not need to do a burn out they just need to pull away from the light nice and easy but consistent.. This also seems to apply very well to pulling skiers and wake boarders. When people are pulling me, they want to slam the throttle to WOT and rip my arms out of socket. LOL !!
I also heard from Hollywood about starting out with one foot out when learning on one ski. This does seems to help with some folks. I do all of my teaching of young people to ski with the barefoot boom. I start them on the boom and then move them to the five foot rope from the boom, and then to the back of the boat with the long line. Using the tower, fly high or extended pylon also helps with a new skiers to get them up and going with the higher pull point.. I had always heard the Vee training handle be called an Easy Up Rope with handle. I have also been told not to use it but so many times or it can set back your learning, but I do not know if this is true or not. JMO, Donald |
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1980 Ski Nautique SOLD Back to Cypress Gardens
2002 Sport Nautique, GT-40, FCT2, Cover Sports, Tower Bimini, Inc., Wet Sounds Audio System, Star Gazer Wake Edition S. 1968 Ski Nautique, Project. |
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spiralhelix
Senior Member Joined: August-06-2014 Location: IL/WI Status: Offline Points: 496 |
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Or, like my 20 year old nephew, who spends most of his "spotter" time staring at his phone, FBing, Snapchatting, Instagramming, etc... This is how it is stated in the Illinois DNR Registration and Safety Act: "When towing a person on water skis, aquaplane or similar device, the towing vessel must have a capacity of at least three persons and must be occupied by at least two competent people. " Competent people?!?! well there are a number of my friends that might fail to meet this criteria |
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