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West Coast Slalom


Slalom Frog

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I have been trying to google West Coast Slalom to learn a little more about it. I have had limited success in finding a lot of information, though I have to admit that I could probably look a little harder. Anyways, does any of the Crew have any information they wish to share about west coast slalom?

Thanks :)

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I've got the West Coast Slalom DVD (as well as Andy's, Drews, Bob L's and a bunch of Gordons old school VCR tapes). I've watched it and understand the theory behind most of it but I tell ya it doesn't work well when I apply it. I'm too old and my back doesn't care for it. I just end up being sore the next day and not gaining any buoys for the trouble. There are some little nuggets on the dvd that really helped me out though and it helped to correct some recurrent bad technique that I have.

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I've got the West Coast Slalom DVD (as well as Andy's, Drews, Bob L's and a bunch of Gordons old school VCR tapes). I've watched it and understand the theory behind most of it but I tell ya it doesn't work well when I apply it. I'm too old and my back doesn't care for it. I just end up being sore the next day and not gaining any buoys for the trouble. There are some little nuggets on the dvd that really helped me out though and it helped to correct some recurrent bad technique that I have.

Sounds like you have quite a few slalom videos. Which one do you like the most and why?

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I was going to post the same links that were mentioned above.

There's a new web site that's been started by one of the member here on TMC. There is a discussion that's just beginning about learning west-coast style.

There is already some good information there, and I expect there will be more before long.

http://www.fifteenoff.com/forum/default.as...=topics&f=9

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I've got the West Coast Slalom DVD (as well as Andy's, Drews, Bob L's and a bunch of Gordons old school VCR tapes). I've watched it and understand the theory behind most of it but I tell ya it doesn't work well when I apply it. I'm too old and my back doesn't care for it. I just end up being sore the next day and not gaining any buoys for the trouble. There are some little nuggets on the dvd that really helped me out though and it helped to correct some recurrent bad technique that I have.

it's interesting re: the back comment. I think if I tried to take west coast to the extreme, I'd have back problems too. But one thing I noticed on the West Coast DVD (which I like....a lot) is that Marcus Brown and Terry Winter (the 2 skiers in the West Coast DVD) ski in different positions from a style perspective. Marcus has significant bend in his back, but Terry doesn't. I like the article referenced above on Marcus's web site because it addresses the difference between the mechanics and the style.

Edited by Addictedto6
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Hay, have fun. Check out the style of the Big Dawg 2006 winner, Mike Morgan, body very upright, basically 180 from West Coast Style but the guy smoked the six little balls. Here is a link: http://www.schnitzskis.com/advertising/mikemorgan.html

I am an old guy who has skied most all of my life and hope to ski as long as I can stand. I ski the way I like to ski, right or wrong, but I am not running the course chasing balls all of the time. Ski Style! Ski style! I don't need no stinkin Ski style!

I sent my 14 year old to a great ski coach and he now smokes me through the course. He is skiing a 65 Monza and I am on a 67 Triumph, little s***!

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There are some good concepts in the West Coast slalom. The practical application of all that they present is difficult and would require a vast amount of time to overcome and several steps backward before being fruitful- most skiers aren't going to accpet that. Terry is a great skier and is a blast to watch from the boat but I don't think I could ever ski like him.

My take on all these styles is that we are just as unique as skiers as we are individuals and we all need the freedom to put together our own style and then stick with it. Watch the videos, go to the lake and try the stuff out and keep what feels good and gives you an advantage, throw the rest out.

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There are some good concepts in the West Coast slalom. The practical application of all that they present is difficult and would require a vast amount of time to overcome and several steps backward before being fruitful- most skiers aren't going to accpet that. Terry is a great skier and is a blast to watch from the boat but I don't think I could ever ski like him.

My take on all these styles is that we are just as unique as skiers as we are individuals and we all need the freedom to put together our own style and then stick with it. Watch the videos, go to the lake and try the stuff out and keep what feels good and gives you an advantage, throw the rest out.

Agreed. I think all us intermediate skiers have put too much emphasis on trying to emulate a certain ski style instead of just incorporating good bits here and there and doing what works the rest of the time.

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Its kinda like the West Coast defense in football.

Dontknow.gif Sorry, couldn't resist.

Its kinda like the West Coast offense in football.

Dontknow.gif Sorry, couldn't resist.

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I've got the West Coast Slalom DVD (as well as Andy's, Drews, Bob L's and a bunch of Gordons old school VCR tapes). I've watched it and understand the theory behind most of it but I tell ya it doesn't work well when I apply it. I'm too old and my back doesn't care for it. I just end up being sore the next day and not gaining any buoys for the trouble. There are some little nuggets on the dvd that really helped me out though and it helped to correct some recurrent bad technique that I have.

Sounds like you have quite a few slalom videos. Which one do you like the most and why?

I like Drews for the line off skiing entertainment and good music. I watched the instructional part only a couple times. Just what is "prepare to protect" anyway and really how are we going to apply it? I think Andy's has some very good information and some great shots of him skiing but the format is way too slow so I would only watch it a little bit at a time. WCS is interesting and there is some good information there but what I found useful wasn't the major ideas he was trying to convey. I can't say there is one video that is best as I have taken a little bit from each of them. Gordons and Bob L's were very helpful early on because they were the only videos out there and I had never really seen buoy skiing at that time. There is some good basic information for beginning/intermediate skiers in them.

I like to watch Chris Rossi ski on the Edged in Water video. I throw it up on the big screen with surround sound and watch how smooth that guy is. Actually, that whole video is good and surprisingly the video quality is good enough to put up on a 9ft screen.

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I like to watch Chris Rossi ski on the Edged in Water video. I throw it up on the big screen with surround sound and watch how smooth that guy is. Actually, that whole video is good and surprisingly the video quality is good enough to put up on a 9ft screen.

Rossi's style is where its at! Rockon.gif mike makes WCS way to complicated in that DVD, its heavy going for most people. just to get it straight, rossi is NOT west coast but as some would say a 'progressive new school' and kills it over WCS IMO. but they do overlay to a degree.

one point that i think is forgotten in its defence is that terry and marcus are the shortest blokes out there, and need to do more extreme movements to get the same results at 39 or 41 as someone huge like trent finlayson who can look old school and upright at first glance but is far from it in reality. if you could put together marcus's offside and terry's onside into one skier that would be sweet as though Drool.gif

there are a lot of points that are great and i learnt heaps from. for a late one hand gate marcus' instruction is the bible. correct counter rotation and begining with the hip in the pull out is so important IMO, and for those who dont fully understand it when trying the gate can easily go back to their old gate because they say it is too inconsistent. because they do their old school pull out Crazy.gif .

Edited by Toby
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I agree about the one handed gate. I am so much more consistant since I went to it. I think he does a better job explaining it in the Edged video than on the WCS.

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I like Drews for the line off skiing entertainment and good music. I watched the instructional part only a couple times. Just what is "prepare to protect" anyway and really how are we going to apply it? I think Andy's has some very good information and some great shots of him skiing but the format is way too slow so I would only watch it a little bit at a time. WCS is interesting and there is some good information there but what I found useful wasn't the major ideas he was trying to convey. I can't say there is one video that is best as I have taken a little bit from each of them. Gordons and Bob L's were very helpful early on because they were the only videos out there and I had never really seen buoy skiing at that time. There is some good basic information for beginning/intermediate skiers in them.

I like to watch Chris Rossi ski on the Edged in Water video. I throw it up on the big screen with surround sound and watch how smooth that guy is. Actually, that whole video is good and surprisingly the video quality is good enough to put up on a 9ft screen.

It's kind of funny, I think we all look for little "catch phrases" that will help us remember what to do when we are out there skiing. There is so much information that we need little one or two word reminders to help us remember all the complicated "stuff". "Prepare to Protect" actually helped me remember what Drew was trying to say. If anyone cares to read on, I'll explain..

Drew covers two similar topics briefly while introducing the "Prepare to Protect" phrase

1. The skier should rarely have to actively create load if skiing properly. If the skier needs to create load they need to do so in order to catch up because of something they missed.

2. Momentum across the course. He demonstrates this with a ski rope and handle. He holds the rope parallel to the ground and simply lets it go, It swings like a pendulum to be parallel to the ground on the other side. Then he starts the handle lower and shows how force needs to be added to get the rope parallel to the ground on the other side. His point is to set yourself right after the turn and be ready for the momentum that will be generated when the boat loads the line.

This is where he introduces "Prepare to Protect".

In my mind it has two similar meanings related to the above topics.

1. When the load has been removed from the line and you make the turn, "prepare to protect" yourself from the load that is about to hit the line since the boat is advancing through the course faster than you now.

2. The more important meaning in my mind is "prepare (in order) to protect (your momentum across the course)", In other words, set yourself early after the turn so the momentum generated by the load the boat is placing on the line is enough to carry you across the course and you don't need to add additional load.

I guess the summary is, I thought I did get something out of the "prepare to protect". Now if I could only put it into practice :unsure:

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