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Coble Ski School


skislut

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It’s time for me to report on my experience at Coble Ski School. And it’s a little long so hang with me.

We always have a family vacation the last week in September in N.C., and after seeing the ads in Waterskimag and the others- I figured it was time to take a lesson, so I signed up at Coble’s in the beginning of the summer to show up for just a single day during my vaca in Sept. By Wednesday of our vacation, my wife is very ready for me to not be around her for 24 hours, so this was perfect. And after reading Galaxytoad’s experience a few months ago, I figured I had made a good decision.

Since mid summer, myself and my 2 ski partners have been up against a brick wall. We’ve had a course set up for 3 years now and we ski 3 times a week running 32 and 34 mph at 22 off. But only making the passes about 25% of the time. I could manage 3 balls at 28off, but ugly. So my goals were to:

1. determine if my ski set up was correctly

2. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would get me immediate results

3. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would give me gains but needed long term work to achieve

4. of minor concern were other equipment changes or boat alterations for better performance

I had to drive about 2 ¾ hours from my in-law’s rental on Oak Island to Lillington. April Coble had called me a few weeks prior to confirm I was still on schedule and she said not to bust anything getting there at 8 am, I’d just jump into the rotation when I showed up.

So I pulled into Coble’s around 8:30 on Wednesday, the last week that Coble’s is open for the summer. This is actually a great time for a lesson as there are only April, Chris, and April’s parents running the place—the rest of the staff is gone for the season – you know that you will get primo interaction for your lesson with that staff on.

There were 8 or so of us there that day. Three guys were there for the full 4 day lessons. The first hadn’t skied in 20 years and wanted to get back into it. The second guy was a realtor from So. California on his way to a golf tourney the following week and who skis about 6 times a year open water -- he wanted to learn the course and figured it was a good time to roll this into his vacation. The third guy skied once a week and this was his first time thru the course. They were all skiing long line around 26-28mph. Two other gentlemen were from Connecticut and they had shown up the previous morning and had to leave at lunch on the day I was there. The first had run the course a couple times and wanted to get some tips, the second guy had NEVER skied in his life and with what I would call a limited amount of athletic ability, was getting up on a single ski by the time he left. Two other women were there for the day, they both lived on a man made waterski lake about 2 hours away and were running 22 off, 28 and 30 mph.

Chris has a Mastercraft 197 in service for the day. Six of their eight boats are already winterized for the season and this one only has 860 hours on it (brand new boat in March).

My first run thru the rotation has the last of their employees for the year (local guy) driving and Chris Eller (April’s husband) critiquing. Chris comes across as just an average Joe and one of those guys that immediately has you feel at ease. He wants to see me run what I usually do and after 2 passes at 22’ off 32 drops me to tell me that there is nothing that is majorly wrong with what I’m doing and some fine tuning will get me progressing nicely. He wants me to concentrate on arm position and timing – and not being so aggressive in my lean cross course which he says is that of a 35’ off skier. At the end of that set Chris talks to me quite a while about switching to right palm up (RPU), I’m LFF.

Shortly thereafter April shows up with her ankle in a cast. Crashed at a tourney 3 weeks earlier and bone bruised and stretched ligaments in her right ankle. Cast will be on for another 3 weeks and then I would imagine a bunch of PT. April is just one of those people that you can’t help but take to. Within 5 minutes of conversation you feel as if you have known her for years. (And did anybody mention that she has a body that can bring freeway traffic to a complete halt?) So she hobbles into the boat.

My turn on the second rotation with April watching and she wants me to square my shoulders more to the boat, pull my handle arm in sooner to bring the ski around quicker, and thinks I should move my back binding one hole forward and increase my wing angle.

It’s lunch time before I know it and we all sit down to lunch in the commons area with April’s parents -- eating and talking like we were all one big family and had known each other for years.

After lunch and the third set has Chris driving and April watching. First two passes she wants me to pull out of the 55 m ball sooner and change my turn in. Now she tells me to put everything that we’ve gone over during the day together. Let’s not forget that I usually get all 6 balls only 25% of the time. Passes 3, 4, and 5 I run thru all 6 balls at 22 off without a hitch……….easily. And by easily I mean so early to 5 ball that I can’t believe it.

Fourth set was my mind saying ‘go’ and my body saying ‘let’s slow down a bit’. I wanted to bump to 28 off but they talked me into keep running 22 to make sure I had their recommendations under control, even trying the RPU for one pass (that’s going to take a while).

So did I hit my goals?

1. determine if my ski set up was correct - Yes -- move binding and wing

2. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would get me immediate results – Yes --shoulder squaring, arm movement, and gate timing

3. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would give me major gains but needed long term work to achieve – Yes -- switch to RPU

4. of minor concern were equipment changes or boat alterations for better performance – noticed they had 150# of dumbbell weights under their bow seating – will try it.

Every part of my day met or exceeded expectations. I can’t say enough good things about my experience. There is no doubt in my mind that what I came away with will get me many lengths up the rope. I can stop screwing around with fin placement or being concerned that my CDX needs to be updated. At a measly $150 for the day, it was the best money I have spent on this habit since I got started back into it.

Coble’s will be an annual event for me from now on.

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It’s time for me to report on my experience at Coble Ski School. And it’s a little long so hang with me.

We always have a family vacation the last week in September in N.C., and after seeing the ads in Waterskimag and the others- I figured it was time to take a lesson, so I signed up at Coble’s in the beginning of the summer to show up for just a single day during my vaca in Sept.  By Wednesday of our vacation, my wife is very ready for me to not be around her for 24 hours, so this was perfect.  And after reading Galaxytoad’s experience a few months ago, I figured I had made a good decision.

Since mid summer, myself and my 2 ski partners have been up against a brick wall.  We’ve had a course set up for 3 years now and we ski 3 times a week running 32 and 34 mph at 22 off.  But only making the passes about 25% of the time.  I could manage 3 balls at 28off, but ugly. So my goals were to:

1. determine if my ski set up was correctly

2. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would get me immediate results

3. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would give me gains but needed long term work to achieve

4. of minor concern were other equipment changes or boat alterations for better performance

I had to drive about 2 ¾ hours from my in-law’s rental on Oak Island to Lillington.  April Coble had called me a few weeks prior to confirm I was still on schedule and she said not to bust anything getting there at 8 am, I’d just jump into the rotation when I showed up.

So I pulled into Coble’s around 8:30 on Wednesday, the last week that Coble’s is open for the summer.  This is actually a great time for a lesson as there are only April, Chris, and April’s parents running the place—the rest of the staff is gone for the season – you know that you will get primo interaction for your lesson with that staff on.

There were 8 or so of us there that day.  Three guys were there for the full 4 day lessons.  The first hadn’t skied in 20 years and wanted to get back into it.  The second guy was a realtor from So. California on his way to a golf tourney the following week and who skis about 6 times a year open water --  he wanted to learn the course and figured it was a good time to roll this into his vacation.  The third guy skied once a week and this was his first time thru the course.  They were all skiing long line around 26-28mph.  Two other gentlemen were from Connecticut and they had shown up the previous morning and had to leave at lunch on the day I was there.  The first had run the course a couple times and wanted to get some tips, the second guy had NEVER skied in his life and with what I would call a limited amount of athletic ability, was getting up on a single ski by the time he left.  Two other women were there for the day, they both lived on a man made waterski lake about 2 hours away and were running 22 off, 28 and 30 mph.

Chris has a Mastercraft 197 in service for the day. Six of their eight boats are already winterized for the season and this one only has 860 hours on it (brand new boat in March).

My first run thru the rotation has the last of their employees for the year (local guy)  driving and Chris Eller (April’s husband) critiquing.  Chris comes across as just an average Joe and one of those guys that immediately has you feel at ease.  He wants to see me run what I usually do and after 2 passes at 22’ off 32 drops me to tell me that there is nothing that is majorly wrong with what I’m doing and some fine tuning will get me progressing nicely. He wants me to concentrate on arm position and timing – and not being so aggressive in my lean cross course which he says is that of a 35’ off skier.  At the end of that set Chris talks to me quite a while about switching to right palm up (RPU), I’m LFF.

Shortly thereafter April shows up with her ankle in a cast.  Crashed at a tourney 3 weeks earlier and bone bruised and stretched ligaments in her right ankle.  Cast will be on for another 3 weeks and then I would imagine a bunch of PT.  April is just one of those people that you can’t help but take to.  Within 5 minutes of conversation you feel as if you have known her for years. (And did anybody mention that she has a body that can bring freeway traffic to a complete halt?) So she hobbles into the boat. 

My turn on the second rotation with April watching and she wants me to square my shoulders more to the boat, pull my handle arm in sooner to bring the ski around quicker, and thinks I should move my back binding one hole forward and increase my wing angle.

It’s lunch time before I know it and we all sit down to lunch in the commons area with April’s parents --  eating and talking like we were all one big family and had known each other for years.

After lunch and the third set has Chris driving and April watching.  First two passes she wants me to pull out of the 55 m ball sooner and change my turn in.  Now she tells me to put everything that we’ve gone over during the day together.  Let’s not forget that I usually get all 6 balls only 25% of the time.  Passes 3, 4, and 5  I run thru all 6 balls at 22 off without a hitch……….easily.  And by easily I mean so early to 5 ball that I can’t believe it.

Fourth set was my mind saying ‘go’ and my body saying ‘let’s slow down a bit’.  I wanted to bump to 28 off but they talked me into keep running 22 to make sure I had their recommendations under control, even trying the RPU for one pass (that’s going to take a while).

So did I hit my goals?

1. determine if my ski set up was correct  - Yes -- move binding and wing

2. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would get me immediate results –              Yes --shoulder squaring, arm movement, and gate timing

3. get 1 or 2 technique changes that would give me major gains  but            needed long term work to achieve – Yes -- switch to RPU

4. of minor concern were equipment changes or boat alterations for better performance – noticed they had 150# of dumbbell weights under their bow seating – will try it.

Every part of my day met or exceeded expectations.  I can’t say enough good things about my experience.  There is no doubt in my mind that what I came away with will get me many lengths up the rope.  I can stop screwing around with fin placement or being concerned that my CDX needs to be updated. At a measly $150 for the day, it was the best money I have spent on this habit since I got started back into it.

Coble’s will be an annual event for me from now on.

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I agree, sounds a real success. I think any day that I learn something new is a good day. Hopefully you will be able to continue the things you learned when you get on your home course.

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Every part of my day met or exceeded expectations. I can’t say enough good things about my experience. There is no doubt in my mind that what I came away with will get me many lengths up the rope. I can stop screwing around with fin placement or being concerned that my CDX needs to be updated. At a measly $150 for the day, it was the best money I have spent on this habit since I got started back into it.

Coble’s will be an annual event for me from now on.

I second that, my experience there was very similar! Cheers.gif

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