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WATERSKI MagazineStepping It Up
25 tips guaranteed to make you rip
1. In the slalom course being efficient is far better thancutting as hard as you can. Slalom is a technical game, whichinvolves a combination of strength and style. Pointing your skiacross course for as long as possible is much more efficient thangetting into a power lean through the wakes with your shoulder inthe water.—Steve Cockeram
2. Look for consistency on the gates. A good gate is more thanjust being wide and early for one ball; it is something that isrepeatable time after time, regardless of conditions. Use the 55mbuoys religiously for pull-out markers, and always be sure to payattention to wind direction, because this will affect the ideallocation to begin your pull-out.—Drew Ross
3. I try to turn in slowly for the gates and then watch for theright-hand gate buoy to pass me by. Once I see it, I keep my skitip pointed across-course and think, “Hold it, hold it, holdit.” Doing everything I can to stay on the outside edge setsme up for a tight line and a killer one-ball turn.—NatalieHamrick
4. The tail or depth of the fin controls stability, ease ofturning and width on the boat. Adding tail or depth to the fin will make the ski more stableand wider in the course, but slower turning. Run your fin as deepas possible without sacrificing your turning ability.—SteveSchnitzer
5. Hold the handle out in your fingertips and relax your grip asmuch as possible. A light grip always enables you to have maximumleveraging power. Conversely, over-gripping will always cause youto use your biceps, which actually results in getting pulled closerto the boat.—Wade Cox
6. Lead with the ski. All too often skiers focus on turningtheir upper bodies and head at the buoy. The ski should bethe first thing to turn. The ski will then be out in front of you,creating a stable platform to build a powerful leverage position asyou approach the wakes.—Seth Stisher
7. Slalom skiing is based on how well you accelerate. If you arenot cutting through the wakes proficiently, then your turnswill suffer. Think of the turn as the glorious result of theincredible leverage you created through the wakes.—ChrisSullivan
8. As I pull out for the gates, I take a couple of deep breathsto calm myself down before entering the gates. The more relaxed Iam mentally, the more I’m able to concentrate on what I needto do instead of worrying and putting myself in a panic! Simplycontrolling my breathing slows everything down.—KristiOverton Johnson
9. A rational mind would always choose to receive the pull froma three-thousand-pound boat in the best possible position. At thefinish of the turn, set up to receive (not lean against) the pullof the boat in a ready-to-go position. Hands set, eyes andshoulders poised and ready to accelerate.—Chet Raley
10. Skiers rely too much on their back foot. Whenever we gettired, get in trouble or try to turn hard we get on our back footand push. The end result is a stalled ski and a slow turn. What Itry to teach is to get on your front foot early into the turn. Thisallows the ski to sink in and initiate the carve. Once it grabs youcan start applying your weight back to an even distribution on theski.—Jason Paredes
11. Slalom skis are like race cars on the water and you have togive them a lot of attention. I always inspect my ski with greatdetail to look for dirt, oils of any type or little scratches thatcan affect the water flow and normal reactive properties of theski. If any of the above are present, I like to lightly wash withsoap and a Scotch-Brite pad.—Scott Smith
12. I try to focus only on a few key things during my slalomride. For instance, out of each turn, I concentrate on keeping thehandle still through the wakes until the next buoy. This helps memaintain my outward direction and keeps me centered over the ski,thus setting me up for an earlier and wider approach into theturn.—Karen Truelove
13. Sore hands will put a damper on anyone’s skiing. Use alarge-diameter handle and although it can be messy, tape your handswith zinc oxide sports tape. This will help prevent blisters andtears on your hands.—Jodi Fisher
14. Notice how all the top skiers keep their heads up in theturns. They don’t throw their heads over to help them turn.It would be like watching TV with your head on itsside—it doesn’t work. It throws off your balanceand perspective.—Gordon Rathbun
15. Separation from the handle equals loss of direction. As thehandle gets pulled away from the body, the ski begins to getbehind. This results in the tip of the ski being pulled downcourse. To achieve maximum cross-course angle on the way tothe buoy line, stay low and together with the handle. This willallow your direction to remain independent to that of theboat.—Drew Ross
16. If you’re having problems with slack line in theturns, think about keeping the handle low off the second wake goinginto your turn with your elbows tucked in tight to yourvest.—Marina Mosti
17. When you’re not using your ski, keep it out of thesun. Besides fading out your cool graphics, a ski will begin tobreak down on the inside and lose a substantial amount ofperformance if exposed to excessive heat or sunlight.—ChrisSullivan
18. Don’t take it all at once at the gates. As you turn in forthe gates, turn the ski, but don’t drop straight into your maximumlean. Slowly “load away” as you approach the wakes soyou can build angle all the way to and through the edge change ortransition.—Seth Stisher
19. Having the correct distance between your front and rear footon your ski can be just as important as any fin adjustment. Havingyour feet closer together will make it easier to apply thenecessary pressure to the front of the ski on the offside turn.Conversely, spacing your feet farther apart will allow more powerin pushing the ski around on the on-side turn. I recommend neverhaving your feet more than one inch apart.—Andy Mapple
20. Before you even make your first cut out to the left side ofthe boat, look way up course. This will keep your head up and allowyou to see the entire lake. Establishing good visuals and visionfrom the start will make everything feel slower, which results inultimate control.—Wade Cox
21. After some time off the water, it’s important to findyour stance on the ski before pushing your limits. Cutting as hardas you can immediately after getting up out of the water isprobably not the best way to find a comfortable balance position onthe ski. Take the time to warm up gradually by making some lightcuts and wake crossings before trying to rip the pylon out of theboat.—Chris Sullivan
22. Commit from the outside when turning in for the gates. Whenturning in for the gates, we momentarily lose sight of theright-hand gate buoy as the boat obscures its view. What mostpeople do subconsciously at this point is back off. When theright-hand gate pops out the back of the boat, we make a finalrecommitment. The correct gate involves committing at the initialturn-in with no changes in path or intensity.—SteveSchnitzer
23. As I come out of the turn and my free hand is back on thehandle, I think about relaxing my arms and “freezing”my position. I don’t want any sudden movements. OnceI’m set, I maintain this position through both wakes. Byremaining still and strong I’m able to generate great anglethrough the wakes.—Kristi Overton Johnson
24. Know your equipment settings! Keep a record of your bindingplacement distance measured from the tail to both bindings. Use acaliper to measure your fin depth, length and distance from thetail. If your ski is lost or damaged, you’ll know exactlywhere your settings were and where to start from. Manufacturerssometimes change “standard” settings, so it’simportant actually to measure things rather than use the lines onthe fin for measurement.—Steve Cockeram
25. As you leave the second wake on your good-side lean, it isimperative that you keep your back arm close to your life vest allthe way up to the turn. Not only will this keep you skiing awayfrom the boat for as long as possible, but it will also allow youto keep your speed up through your offside turn, resulting inmaximum angle and holding power for your weaker-sidelean.—Rhoni Barton
