| Whether
you are a novice or pro water skier, the wakes give cause
for concern. Poor
wake crossings have resulted in neck, rib and ankle injuries.
Reg Wheeler and Clint
Ward, a couple of Canada’s finest veteran skiers, have
the sorriest looking ankles I have
ever seen. They skied when the wakes and skis were huge. Kim
DeMacedo of our
National Team underwent surgery a few years ago to remove
bone in her ankle (rear foot) that caused pain when she crossed
the wakes.
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I know everyone who slalom skis has had a
bad experience with the wakes at some time. The boat manufacturers
are continually improving boat designs to reduce the wake
and spray to make life safer, but adjusting the body in most
cases is probably the best solution.
The wakes mean something different to a novice
or intermediate than an advanced skier. The novice just wants
to get over them safely while the advanced needs a strong
wake crossing to make a proper turn. For the novice/intermediate
skier I use a drill that builds confidence and makes wake
crossing safe.
This drill helps skiers understand the wakes
(men have more trouble than women with
this drill – the rule “an ounce of touch is worth
a pound of brawn” applies here). Proper
body position is a must, ankles and knees flexed (weight pretty
much evenly distributed
over the ski, 55% rear and 45% front foot, hips ahead of shoulders
and chest and head up (with the chest up the hips automatically
come up.)
The handle should be kept low at the bottom
of the ski vest.
Have the skier start about 5' outside the right wake with
the boat speed 37-46 km/hr
depending on the size and ability of the skier. Have the skier
(very slowly) tilt their left
shoulder down a few inches and point the ski towards the left
side of the boat. By tilting the shoulder it ensures the ski
is on edge.
It’s better to ski more with the boat,
than trying to get right angles to it. Remember we are skiing
very narrow. It‘s important when crossing the wakes
that the knees and ankles are working (up and down) and they
are not in a static position.
Have the skier stop 5' outside the left wake,
regroup, and do the same drill in the opposite direction.
With skiers that are anxious it is best to not link turns
together as it tends to have a snowball effect. Once the skier
is competent with wake crossings, link the turns together
and move the skier out from the wakes a few more feet.
In many cases it is best for the skier to
remain at their comfort level before progressing
wider. The ideal situation to complete this drill is be able
to ski the inside buoys of the
slalom course. This will also help with rhythm and timing
and help prevent those big hard
turns that end in disaster at the wakes. By controlling the
distance the skier starts from the wakes there is less room
for error and more important – less chance for injury.
Advanced Wake Crossings
At this level strong wake crossing is extremely
important A good turn can only happen if
the skier has maintained their position through both wakes.
Slalom styles, techniques and equipment have changed considerably,
but it still comes down to angle out of the turn and being
able to maintain that angle to the other side of the wakes.
Similar to the novice drill, the body position at the start
of the turn is a key factor.
The skier that starts the turn hard and gets
into a “lean lock” usually has a more difficult
time maintaining intensity through the wakes and there is
a tendency to be ‘maxed-out’ early and subsequently
the boat wins the war of the wakes. The photo of Drew Ross
just prior to the wakes shows that he is in a strong leverage
position and not in a ‘lean lock’. Drew wants
to be his strongest 10' before the wakes and maintain that
position rather than trying to be the strong just behind the
boat.
The handle is low to the bottom of his ski
vest and his knees and ankles are flexed which puts him in
a good position to cross the wakes. (Notice how forward the
water is breaking on his ski – this gives him more area
to leverage against than if he was on the tail). A little
trick to make the crossing smoother is to push your ski ahead
slightly before the wakes – to make this effective the
skier must have good angle out of the turn and be in position
to apply leverage.
To achieve good angle the skier must be patient
at the turn and allow the ski to come around – then
go. A common fault is to be impatient and start leaning early
(getting ahead of the rope and cutting off the turn.) Another
fault is to come off the edge when they reach the first wake
rather than being strong through the second wake. Whether
you are free skiing or in the course, it’s good practice
to be aware of where your ski is after the second wake. Ideally
you should be on, or land on, the cutting edge (slightly on
the tail) still maintaining angle with the ski pointed to
shore.
If you are preparing for a major tournament
it is advisable to practice behind the
tournament type boat for a couple of sets to get used to the
wakes. The wakes vary with each boat and at different speeds
and line lengths. The wakes can be soft or anklebreaking hard,
have a deep or wide trough and can be unequal in size. A full
tank of gas will also increase the wake size. If the wake
is bigger or more turbulent it can sometimes help, only because
the skier tends to focus more on staying strong through the
wake crossing.
Water
Ski Racing - What's it All About? |
The
History of Water Ski Racing in Britain |
Water
Ski Racing Glossary | A
Turning Approach | Classic
Water Skiing | Hooking
It Up |
Wake
Crossing |
