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Kristin
by Jay Poscente and Seth Stisher
Speed management, cornering, acceleration and deceleration are all terms commonly used in car racing; they also pertain to skiing a slalom course. Racing and water skiing both require careful management of speed and direction. The simple concepts of managing your speed and your path through the various parts of the course can truly bridge the gap between the details and the results.
Cornering and Acceleration
Stisher Atop His Ski
Skiers want early acceleration out of the turn for several reasons. With a fixed amount of time to get through the course, we need to maximize our efficiency. In addition, we need to prevent the line from being overloaded, as this can create undue force and limit our ability to maintain the proper direction out to the buoy line. The earlier you are able to accelerate through the finish of the turn, the less tension you will have on the rope as a result.
Poscente Behind the Wheel
The more speed you can carry through a corner, the quicker you will get to the end of the next straightaway. The slightest mid-corner mistake, like sliding the tires or failing to use the track’s full width, the slower you will exit the corner. You can never recapture this wasted energy. No matter how powerful your engine, every bit of wasted energy is a nonrefundable donation to your opponents’ success.
Braking and Speed Control
Stisher Atop His Ski
A common slalom misconception is that we need to slow down considerably to create a good turn. The fact is, excessive deceleration into the turn hampers the ski’s ability to turn. Although we are not racing to the end of the course, it is important to note the boat will reach the end of the course in a fixed amount of time; therefore, we must keep up. Controlling speed through the turn can allow the skier to take a more efficient path out of the turn.
Poscente Behind the Wheel
Braking is all about energy management, carrying the perfect amount of energy or speed into a corner so you can get back on the gas as soon and as hard as possible. If you come into the corner too slow, you’ve wasted unrecoverable energy and will start the acceleration phase at a disadvantage. If you carry too much speed into a corner, you will not be able to settle the car into an efficient turn.
