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WATERSKI MagazineThe defining mark of slalom is, undoubtedly, the spray. Kick up a huge wall of water and you're the guy everyone on the lake looks to for slalom advice. Yet great slalom isn't just about turns. Great slalom happens in the trenches – the wakes. You can't build walls unless you've got the speed and body position to carry you through the rough stuff. For that, you need a mean lean.
In fact, the lean is the single most important stepping stone to zipping across the wakes and smoothing out your skiing. On the flip side, poor wake crossing is the number-one cause of bad falls and bad form. More people give up on slalom because they cannot seem to master this part of the discipline. I'm here to tell you – and show you – that it doesn't have to be that way. Give yourself one good summer of concentrated practice with proper feedback and you'll be safely and successfully swinging from side to side with the best of 'em. Here's how.
Step 1: The Stance
You're not going anywhere until you know how to stand on your ski. First, practice behind the boat without crossing the wakes – just ski straight. Your weight should be distributed 50/50 between your front foot and back foot, with your front knee slightly bent, or flexed. Arch your back, put your chest out and try to comfortably keep your elbows in close to your vest. This is the very important basic position, the position from which all others in slalom come.
Step 2: The Lean-Out
Here's an easy, but important, drill. It takes only a few rides to master, depending on your athletic ability. Leaning to the side of the boat is important because it ingrains proper technique. Yet it's so easy because the ski is always between you and the boat, giving you something to push on as you lean away. Simply start in the trough and lean out. Once you get to the side of the boat, you cannot go any faster than the boat. Repeat. The important thing to remember here is to assume the stance and just lean to the side. Keep the handle close to your body with your arms fully extended and a slight front knee bend.
Step 3: The Lean-In
Before you attempt to cross the wakes like the big dogs, you first need to be comfortable with slow, easy wake crossings. The first step is getting into the perfect position – shoulders back and front knee flexed. Plus, keep your head up. Either look into the boat or across the wakes to the shoreline, but don't look down at the wakes. Find a focal point that works for you and stick with it.
To initiate the lean-in, get free from the pull of the boat. To do this, stand in the trough, lean out to the side and pull out beside the boat (much like Step 2). Coast beside the boat. As your speed dies off and equals the boat's speed, begin to lean in toward the wake while on a tight line. This is the most critical part for beginners because there is nothing between the skier and the boat. You must lean in first and trust that your ski will follow. Eventually, the ski will turn and come between you and the boat, and provide more acceleration. In fact, the more ski you have in the water before the lean-in, the easier the ski will turn. Plus, it will accelerate more quickly. Ninety-nine percent of skiers want to transfer weight to the back foot during the lean-in, which is exactly what you don't want to do. The best pro skiers keep weight on the front foot during this process and bend the front knee. They do not transfer weight to the back foot until just before hitting the first wake. Directly behind the boat, their weight distribution is 50/50 or 40/60, front to back.
Step 4: The Crossing
Naturally, the crossing follows the lean-in. (How can you stop a speeding ski?) During these initial crossings, try to absorb the bump of the wakes by flexing your knees as you hit the turbulent water. The more tense you are, the bumpier the wakes will be. Remember this: As you flex, don't drop your rear. Simply move your knees forward. (Remember the basic stance?) Ideally, you want the bump of the wake to hit the bottom of the ski under your bindings. Most recreational skiers stand up with their arms out. This causes the bump of the wake to hit the bottom of the ski in front of the bindings, causing a rougher wake crossing.
It is also very important to note that Step 3 (the lean-in) involves bringing the handle in to your body as the line is getting tight. You must have handle control before the boat controls you. I recommend a slight elbow bend as you are bringing the handle in, before you let it down your body in the lean.
By combining these four easy steps, aggressive and athletic skiers will be able to master a smooth wake crossing in one summer. Other skiers may take a little bit longer, but progress will most certainly come. I've seen some of my older female guests at Ski Paradise run the slalom course after seven years of plugging away at the wake crossings. Are they ever glad that they kept up the effort. Skiing is now more fun than ever for them, and will be for you too. Just get mean with your lean.
Gordon Rathbun is a five-time national slalom champion who operates Ski Paradise in Acapulco. Call 408-730-9929 for more information on his school, teaching clinics or his new video, 12 Slalom Drills (Equipment, May).
