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How to get up on slalom


BARTMAN

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Ok me and the daughter having trouble getting up on slalom. Could some go through a beginning state of mind and explain in detail like how much ski sticking out of the water. and rope length and how much throttle ect. we have been trying at full throttle and just before we drown we have to let go or either the boat leaves us :unsure:

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My recommendation is if you don't have a deep V training rope and a oversized ski get one. They help out a lot. I have also noticed if you don't give it as much throttle sometimes it helps.

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Ok me and the daughter having trouble getting up on slalom. Could some go through a beginning state of mind and explain in detail like how much ski sticking out of the water. and rope length and how much throttle ect. we have been trying at full throttle and just before we drown we have to let go or either the boat leaves us :unsure:

Tip up & out - Squat down with the ski right under yer butt like your sitting on it - go........

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Yea i have the v rope. I think we have to much ski out of the water like putting your feet up on a wall. I will try the with just the tip out and maybe pull the tail up under some

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Unless you're 'large' you certainly don't need full throttle. For begineers getting up on a slalom ski the driver is 70% or more responsible of success.

Skier keeps knees very bent, tucked hard into chest with head up and shoulders back. The driver gentlely takes up slack (in& out of gear) and when tight & in gear idles a little to give the skier the chance to balance themselves. When skier is balanced and says 'hit it' or 'thanks driver' (not 'go' as can be confused with 'no') the driver smoothly applies throttle. Don't jam it open. A couple of seconds from idel to required throttle is ideal. Actual amount varies depending on skier weight. For lightweights may not be even be 1/2 or 2400rpm. For heavier could be 3600rpm. More expereince the skier has tends to more throttle.

If you have a tower place rope on it. The upwards pull really helps learners. Also shorten the rope to give even more upward pull.

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Hold on tight and hold your breath Biggrin.gif

I really have no idea how I get up I just keep holding on and keep my mouth closed until the water stops hitting my face. Crazy.gif

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It can be very frustrating until you get a feel for deep starts on a single ski. I have a whole little ritual that I still go through before I yell hit it. The things that are important for me are:

- to have as much ski out of the water as possible but for me that's about the top 1/2 of the ski.

- just before the pull I consciously arch my back to throw my shoulders back

- legs sucked up to my chest and stay in the ball until the ski is on top of the water

I always say "in gear" before I say "hit it". In gear means put it in gear with the throttle still at idle for long enough to tighten the line and allow me to make sure everything is in order. So its "in gear", arch my back, think about sucking my legs up and then yell "hit it".

(on edit) I remembered that we often take beginners out, start them on 2 skis, have them drop a ski and then slow them right down so the skier starts to settle back into the water. That way the skier can get the feel of a start a few times before he actually tries a deep start.

Edited by bobofthenorth
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Two things to add that you may want to try. One is that one the boat starts to move, I try with my back foot to pull it up to try to get the ski on top of the water. The second is I try to put my head forward and let my arms stretch out as far as they can as the boat is taking off, like almost throwing my weight forward. I actually end up sticking my face in the water when first starting to get up.

For speed, when I was learning, it seemed like a little easier on the throttle worked the best. Also, I think it works good to like pull the skier through the water at idle to get them tracking straight then slowly start building speed.

Good luck

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I don't know about the driving specifics but, I do know that a good driver is very important! Currently, I tell new drivers to try and pull the handle out of my hands, but I am experienced as well...

As far as the skier, I start with one foot out but, don't use it for anything...When I was learning, I used it to steer, kind of like a rudder. Knees tight to the chest, and stay leaning back...like an EZ chair. Do not try to do too much (anything beside standing up) until you are well under way, just stay the course until you are up to speed.

When I learned, I started on two skis and progressively dropped the ski earlier and earlier until I was using the dropped ski only to steady me on the start, eventually you will not need it...I also, do not really recommend this method as it takes a lot of reps.

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tuck yer ski up under your bum...try to get the ski as 'level' as possible.

build up your forearm strength....i used to have a buddy who could get pulled up with just the rope -(no handle) on a slalom ski....he was a gorilla!

good luck and keep after it!

once you get it, you'll get it!

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MalibuNation
Yea i have the v rope. I think we have to much ski out of the water like putting your feet up on a wall. I will try the with just the tip out and maybe pull the tail up under some

That will cause you to "snow plow", lots of work.

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MalibuNation
Two things to add that you may want to try. One is that one the boat starts to move, I try with my back foot to pull it up to try to get the ski on top of the water. The second is I try to put my head forward and let my arms stretch out as far as they can as the boat is taking off, like almost throwing my weight forward. I actually end up sticking my face in the water when first starting to get up.

For speed, when I was learning, it seemed like a little easier on the throttle worked the best. Also, I think it works good to like pull the skier through the water at idle to get them tracking straight then slowly start building speed.

Good luck

I've always been a fan of being dragged as slowly as possible, to get my doodoo together, mentally and physically.

post-371-1213008927.gif

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Try a nice progresive throttle aplication; start with a little drag, then slowly pull up and advance up to aprox 26-3000 rpms then on to speed. Its much easier on the body and usually will keep them from being pulled over especially if they are using an easy up.

My other advice to the skier is once he starts to feel a lot of resistance is to push back with the front foot. For some it works, others prefer to keep the butt down low and drag longer.

The thrid thing I do is to offer lots of encouragement and keep their frustration down.

Just my .o2

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We have really been struggling with getting my daughter up on a slalom. One thing April Coble told me was tell her to try and come straight up out of the water. As April put it tell her to get up without getting her hair wet. This should be a good balance between too far forward and too far back. When she does it right she pops right up. Unfortunately this only happens about 10% of the time.

I am going to put a small binding on my HO Charger and see if that helps her.

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My daughter learned with both feet in the bindings and squatting right down on the ski. This position keeps the ski fairly level with the tip out so it will plane out better. Coaching NOT provided by me, but from the shop. (Props to Parafunalia) She tried with one in and one out and didn't get it. The driver does play a big part, not only applying throttle, but having tremendous patience to do it over & over. Then she tried a wakeboard and has been on the skinny stick only a few times since...

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The 2 biggest keys IMO are:

1) Front knee tight to the chest and rear ankle as close to your behind as possible with rear knee tucked in behind the front one comfortably. I always tell people it should feel like they're trying to hug their knees. (this points the ski towards your direction of travel. trying to start with half the ski out of the water usually means it's perpendicular to the water. You'll waste a lot of energy and get quite frustrated learning this way)

2) Stand up slow. Let the weight of the water compress your knees into your chest. The natural reaction is to push back when you feel this pressure. Don't. Don't start standing up until the ski has begun to plane out. I always tell people to give a 2-one-thousand count beyond that instinctive point before they're allowed to push back and stand up.

Have the driver pulse in and out of gear to keep the line tight but not drag the skier a bunch. It can be hard to stay in proper position when you're being drug along. When the skier says OK, the driver should gently roll the throttle on. For me personally, after I say OK, I take a big gasp of air. Once I start moving, I tuck my head down and slowly exhale as I'm pulled up. The big gasp of air serves two purposes. 1, it gives me enough wind so I'm not trying to inhale when I'm being sprayed off the front of my ski and 2, it starts my upward motion as the extra air makes me more buoyant and gets my shoulders up out of the water. The head down is to keep from drowning yourself in spray.

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What kind of ski is she on? My daughter tried to deep start with one ski from a combo pair for an entire summer and couldn't do it. Her second try with a real slalom ski (HO Triumph) sized for her and she was up.

Other tips posted here are good.

I would say the driver is important, if you aren't sure if you are giving too much or too little throttle, it's probably too much.

Point the ski tip at about 11:00 O'clock (for left foot forward) or 1:00 O'clock (for right foot forward). It's easier to keep it at this position and the ski will straighten out as the skier gets pulled.

The first instinct when the boat starts to move is for a new skier to push with their legs to fight against the water. This is exactly what you don't want to do. Stay compressed and let the legs come into the chest. Staying short and compressed will help get on top of the water. As the ski gets on top of the water then the skier can stand up, resisting the pull of the boat of course.

I've never been a fan of the "in gear" pull. I just ask the driver to take up the slack and go. There is a brief period of time between when you see the boat going (prop wash behind the boat) and you start getting pulled that is just enough time for me to hunker down and take a breath for the inevitable water in the face.

Let us know how she does.

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Ok sounds like we were doing everything wrong. I bought her the Ho esprit for her weight with double boots. We will try again this weekend with better knowledge.Thanks all. I will let ya know how it go

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get a boom. do it a few times directly off. then 5' bridle. it builds all the confidence in the world...

Plus1.gif -- that's the best way out there. Just make sure she keeps long arms while holding directly on to the boom.

I don't like the drop a ski approach. Lots of good tips in this thread, especially the knees close to the body and "don't get your hair wet".

I usually don't tell kids to put their shoulders back for learning to slalom. they end up too far back and plow.

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I have two kids 9 and 10. My 10 year old learned to slalom first and did so by dropping a ski. My 9 year old had a hard time controlling the big skis and learned to ski by getting up on 1. This was when they were 7 and 8 at the time. This will be their 3rd year slaloming.

My 9 year old has been getting up on 1 ski for going on 3 years. My 10 year old still can't get up on 1 consistently on 1. The 10 year old is a girl and I don't know if she is just lacking the uppper body strength to hang on through the initial pull. It is frustrating because she skis well but just can't get up. I put her binding on my HO Charger and she tried this morning and she got close but couldn't get up.

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Ok sounds like we were doing everything wrong. I bought her the Ho esprit for her weight with double boots. We will try again this weekend with better knowledge.Thanks all. I will let ya know how it go

Getting up with Double bindings, IMO, is harder than getting up while dragging a foot.

One key I found with getting up Slalom with double bindings is to really tuck your self into a ball. And when the boat starts to take off. let our arms out and sort of roll forward with the boat. Let the boat do the work. If you fight it and stay balled up with arms bent and ski out in front of you, you'll never make it. Again, the biggest key for me was letting myself roll forward as the boat takes off.

Also, if you have a boom, it's a little easier to learn off of it. Not much, but a little.

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My guesses are 90% of skiers would say getting up on a ski with double bindings is more difficult than with a rear toe plate or with dragging rear leg.

And 50/50 split for which is easiest of drag rear leg or getting up with rear foot already in rear toe.

By all means try her with the double boots but if it doesn't work take off the rear boot and just have a go with no rear. Can't hurt to try and if it's successful then buy a HO RTP. Suggest you get fixed size RTP, not the velcro adjustable version. Note I wouldn't ski too far with no rear though as would be prone to slips and possible injury. However people learning to drop a ski regularly ski a lap or two before they find the rear plate so it's not too risky. Just remember it's just a test setup.

I initially learnt with rear foot in the toe loop, never dragged a leg and found later transition to double boots not too bad. Definite more tricky though with double boots as can't lift rear heel meaning can't pull the ski up under butt as easily. Also need to cant the ski to one side more in initial part of pull to get up straight.

Edited by uk_exile
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And perhaps a dumb question but one I'll ask anyway, you can actually ski on one ski ? i.e. you can start on two and drop a ski ok ?

If not ignore all the above and work on dropping first.

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I gotta disagree with the comments about getting up with one foot out. I never found that easier and in fact noticed that whenever I was successful with my early starts my back foot was somehow ending up in the pocket before I got out of the hole. So finally I just accepted that I was meant to start with both feet in and got on with life.

My youngest boy learned to ski on two skis, never really liked it and went on to become a pretty good wakeboarder. One summer he said "that skiing doesn't look so hard". At the time I was skiing on a Magnum with double Wyleys so he pulled them on, took two pulls and got up. He skied for a while, went back to the wakeboard and hasn't skied again.

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