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Edging thru the wake


Sporty

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I am trying to figure out why I'm not edging through the wakes. I seem to pull up right before the wake and ride over flat. It must be a mental thing. Any ideas? : Dontknow.gif

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definitely mental- try and edge back so far that you think your jumping the opposite way of the boat- you're currently getting close to the wake and jumping towards the boat. I had the same problem last year until my buddy pointed it out. Your rope goes slack and your board flattens. Keep the rope tite and hit the wake going away from the boat, and you'll get it.

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When I get to the wake, it dosen't look like would cut throug it so I stand up. I get so mad because I know it is wrong but mentally can't get over it. Should I be looking at something other than the wake when I am crossing?

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definately mental...instead of "need for speed" you have fear of speed followed by fear of an over the front crash. If you stay on edge you will have much more speed. You have to hold on to your form when you cross the wake and keep that form ALL the way across. The more on edge you are, the smoother the ski will slice through the wakes. it really is mostly mental but you must hold on to good form crossing and that is mostly physical.

One drill that will help is to not look at the wake when you are approaching it...look down the rope to the ski pylon while crossing over. Let me know if that helps...

M

Edited by gooddog
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the other side of the wake- 3 feet behind where you think you should. Either that, or tie one end of a string to your head, and the other end to your nuts, and it you stand up too early, you'll have some negative reinforcement. Kind of like looking up too soon when golfing.

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I am talking about slalom skiing. I am a decent wakeboarder as I flatten out at the top of the wake and get some pop. NOW, back to slalom skiing, I need to get it through to my head that if I cut tru the wake it is good. Any more techniques would be great.

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One part of your form while crossing over should include keeping your elbows in tight and the handle in near your midsection (arms not extended out). You have to find where this kind of form is comfortable to you. Be sure to maintain this form ALL the way across.

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I'm no Andy Mapple and have plenty of bad habits. But here's my two cents:

a. Keep your head up and don't look at the wake (as stated above)

b. Your hardest pull should be behind the boat not at your turn. I bet you're turning really hard on your turn. Focus on letting your ski cross under the rope and then begin your lean.

c. Are you skiing the course. My guess is you're not. I have the very same bad habit when free skiing. I'm to the point where I hate free skiing because of the problem of flattening out at the second wake. Try getting onto a course. You won't have any problems flattening your ski in the course. There you have a goal.

d. As stated above, concentrate on keeping your elbows tight to your vest. I can attest that this is the most important thing you can focus on when skiing.

e. Soft knees and pinch your butt cheeks together.

f. If you're free skiing, don't go as wide after you cross the wake. Keep the line tight and make your turn sooner. This will keep the speed down until you get more comfortable.

Good luck. Maybe Skisix will chime in here.

Edited by SGY
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I have the same problem on occassion. Get into the proper form: Knees bent forward, hips forward, shoulders back, handle down to the hip. When I do it right, it feels great, but it is difficult to get into the right mindset.

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This really helps, thanks. Sometimes I get on edge a little on my onside but never on my offside. I only freeski but have tried the course and you are right. I was more concerned about getting to the next bouy than worrying about the wake. There is a course close to me but whoever put it there has only the boat guide bouys up and apparently bring their turn bouys out when they ski. I have never seen them out there and it is a new course just installed at the end of last summer.

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This really helps, thanks. Sometimes I get on edge a little on my onside but never on my offside. I only freeski but have tried the course and you are right. I was more concerned about getting to the next bouy than worrying about the wake. There is a course close to me but whoever put it there has only the boat guide bouys up and apparently bring their turn bouys out when they ski. I have never seen them out there and it is a new course just installed at the end of last summer.

It's always my offside pull where I flaten out as well. If you can find out how to gain access to that course, I'd do it. In the meantime, concentrate on keeping your elbows tight and only giving rope to the boat on your turn. Then draw your elbows back into your vest and as skisix says, hide your reaching elbow from the boat.

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I am not a skier, but I know a lot about wakeboarding. How I would teach a wakeboarder, would be to narrow your approach. So basically, on a wakeboard I would advise the person to try to clear the wakes from only 3 feet outside of the wake. The would HAVE to have a progressive edge through the wake to clear the wakes. Once they get that feeling, I slowly would tell them to get further and further out until they are coming from a full approach. This might take a few sets to accomplish. Maybe this same concept would work for your skiing.

Mike McLin

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tie one end of a string to your head, and the other end to your nuts, and it you stand up too early, you'll have some negative reinforcement. Kind of like looking up too soon when golfing.

Man, I would hate to golf with you, especially using the negative reinforcement technique. Crazy.gif

Sporty, lots of good suggestions above. You may consider addressing only one at a time, and "feeling" where your body is relative to the ski. Of particular importance are bent knees, shoulders back and over hips, and weight centered over the ski. The comment above regarding the ski coming under the rope, then getting into your lean is an important one. DON'T look at the wake.

Do you turn one or two handed?

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I am trying to figure out why I'm not edging through the wakes. I seem to pull up right before the wake and ride over flat. It must be a mental thing. Any ideas? : Dontknow.gif

When I was having trouble edging, the thing that helped me was to imagine edging through the air, edge past the wake. Dont edge up to the wake. edge through it.

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The wake scares everyone at first, plus you are at top speed when you get there. Holding your edge through the two wakes is smoother than flattening out, you cut through instead of riding over.

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Just geeting back from my honeymoon. Man, what a great place to go. Has anyone ever been to Peter Island? It is one of the British Virgin Islands, it was incredible. If you need a place that will pamper you then give it a try. Lots of diving, snorkeling and r&r.

Thanks for all the advice on my edging. I really think that if i do it once that I will realize that it is smoother than riding flat over the top. I will use many of these ideas to help me get through them. Thanks.

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