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Kristin
13. One Step at a Time
To start learning new things, it’s a good idea to get back to basics, especially early in the year. Even at my ski school, we back people up in order to move them forward. You will only be able to improve so much if you don’t have good fundamentals. Always start with a solid base before working on the next trick. Then, we use a progressive learning approach, starting with simple tricks that have the least amount of risk. In barefoot, if you can do a deepwater start and you can’t tumble, the next step is probably a tumble turn. If you can one-foot, the next trick is a toe hold. Gradually increasing the difficulty will help you learn new tricks, and learn them with solid fundamentals. – Ron Scarpa
14. Ski Smart, Not Hard
Using the boat is essential to make a good pass on the course. When I come off a turn, I’m not trying to lay into this hard pull that jerks the boat back. I’m trying to relax into a balanced position. If I have good form and good technique, I can let the boat and the rope translate that into fast, cross-course direction. This not only gets me to the buoy on time, or early, it saves a substantial amount of energy. – Chris Rossi
15. Changing Things Up
To this day, I still like riding combo skis. I know that sounds kind of Wally, but I have a pair of old jumpers that I love to ride. If I go out on a weekend and there’s a lot of boat traffic, I’m going to go out and ride two skis. I can do a workout on those two skis that will paralyze you. A lot of people don’t want to do that anymore, but I think if you’re wakeboarding, if you’re slalom skiing, if you’re barefooting, it all helps. As long as you are behind a boat, it all makes you stronger. – Ron Scarpa
