YooperScott
05-31-2011, 12:15 PM
It's hard!!!
I actually tried one 15-20 years ago but it was so long ago what's it matter. We were kids living at the lake in the summer skiing at least twice a day all summer long and riding and doing all sorts of stupid stuff with skis, tubes, kneeboards, boogie boards, pieces of plywood, barefoot, you name it. At a different lake one time there was a course and we went through it some. That was the extent. I did know it was harder than it looks but didn't remember much else.
So fast forward to now. I have been open water slalom skiing for probably 25 years or so, since I was around 10. I consider myself pretty good, not getting any better without challenge, never really pushing myself hard enough to fall (might go 2 years without falling), etc.... So I ordered the plans from EZ Slalom a year or two ago and pondered building a course. Tried the $300 offers for a couple courses on Craigslist unsuccessfully so I finally decided this was the year. I just was (and still am somewhat) unsure about how much i'd have at least one other willing person to go through the bother of putting it out and taking it in and so on. Anyways I bit the bullet and bought/ordered all the supplies and spent probably a little over 10 hours building it a couple weeks ago. Went fine and though I haven't tallied the receipts I would guess all said and done I was around $500 for everything including buoys, anchors, buoy bags, anchor rope, tax, shipping everything. I would definitely do it again and thought it was pretty straighforward and easy enough to do. I even learned some new things like how to make eye splices with rope. I wanted to be able to set it up along our shore on the lake as the lot on one side is vacant, next door the other way would have no problem with it, then about 4 places in a row that seem to NEVER be there. I was concerned about enough length along our shore on the end of the lake so I built the mainline with a properly placed and dimensioned 'disconnect' section in order to make the course 4 or 6 turns and still have everything be correct with distances in either case, entry and exit gates and all that. Once I get good enough to need more turns we can orient the course differently and do all 6 turns. I also figured two less turns helps the install and removal time since this will never stay in long. So, we (just 2 of us) set it up this Sunday and even though I forgot to time it going out, I did time the removal at 19 minutes from start of pulling up the first anchor until the second anchor was in the boat so I didn't think it was bad at all. We fumbled around some putting it out and it will definitely now be easier in the future having a better idea the second time. I doubt the takedown will get any faster with 2 people because we seemed pretty efficient as it was. An extra person would definitely help speed it up putting it out or taking it in.
Now for skiing. My first time on the ski for the year was a run around the lake Saturday so i'm definitely not exactly in prime form or skiing shape even though I run 4-5 days a week so I have no leg strength problems but arms and upper body are sore and weak. I started at 28 mph (which is actually something like 28.6 on the perfect pass). I was able to get 1, 2, turn inside of 3 by a couple of feet and then get 4. I tried several times with the same result at 26 (I was suprised I could ski that slow, didn't think I could). Probably made 10 attempts and was tired out and wiped out good crossing the wake and ended it there for the day. In hindsight I think any gain I got at 26 was probably offset by the wake not seeming nearly as friendly so I am thinking next time i'll go no slower than 28 and guessing that is why i've seen people recommend down to 28 and not 26. Being the first time I can certainly say my timing is nowhere close to right, i'm sure my form was extra bad, etc but I wish I didn't have to wait a while to try it again. Hopefully I can get myself to consistantly skiing the 4 turns with a hard pull towards where 5 would be and then i'll start speeding up. If (when) I can get through that drill up at 34 mph then i'll think about shortening the rope and/or getting the other 2 turns in. For now though I think I have my work cut out for me. It is definitely fun and I can see that this is going to make me get better assuming I am able to do it enough.
Any good reading on learning the course to recommend or any good instructional videos I could get to help me? I weight 190-195 and have a 67" Conelly F1X which I think is plenty of ski for me for a while.
I'll attach a picture of my 4 turn course since everyone loves pictures.
Scott
'95 LT1 Prostar 190 - PP Stargazer
I actually tried one 15-20 years ago but it was so long ago what's it matter. We were kids living at the lake in the summer skiing at least twice a day all summer long and riding and doing all sorts of stupid stuff with skis, tubes, kneeboards, boogie boards, pieces of plywood, barefoot, you name it. At a different lake one time there was a course and we went through it some. That was the extent. I did know it was harder than it looks but didn't remember much else.
So fast forward to now. I have been open water slalom skiing for probably 25 years or so, since I was around 10. I consider myself pretty good, not getting any better without challenge, never really pushing myself hard enough to fall (might go 2 years without falling), etc.... So I ordered the plans from EZ Slalom a year or two ago and pondered building a course. Tried the $300 offers for a couple courses on Craigslist unsuccessfully so I finally decided this was the year. I just was (and still am somewhat) unsure about how much i'd have at least one other willing person to go through the bother of putting it out and taking it in and so on. Anyways I bit the bullet and bought/ordered all the supplies and spent probably a little over 10 hours building it a couple weeks ago. Went fine and though I haven't tallied the receipts I would guess all said and done I was around $500 for everything including buoys, anchors, buoy bags, anchor rope, tax, shipping everything. I would definitely do it again and thought it was pretty straighforward and easy enough to do. I even learned some new things like how to make eye splices with rope. I wanted to be able to set it up along our shore on the lake as the lot on one side is vacant, next door the other way would have no problem with it, then about 4 places in a row that seem to NEVER be there. I was concerned about enough length along our shore on the end of the lake so I built the mainline with a properly placed and dimensioned 'disconnect' section in order to make the course 4 or 6 turns and still have everything be correct with distances in either case, entry and exit gates and all that. Once I get good enough to need more turns we can orient the course differently and do all 6 turns. I also figured two less turns helps the install and removal time since this will never stay in long. So, we (just 2 of us) set it up this Sunday and even though I forgot to time it going out, I did time the removal at 19 minutes from start of pulling up the first anchor until the second anchor was in the boat so I didn't think it was bad at all. We fumbled around some putting it out and it will definitely now be easier in the future having a better idea the second time. I doubt the takedown will get any faster with 2 people because we seemed pretty efficient as it was. An extra person would definitely help speed it up putting it out or taking it in.
Now for skiing. My first time on the ski for the year was a run around the lake Saturday so i'm definitely not exactly in prime form or skiing shape even though I run 4-5 days a week so I have no leg strength problems but arms and upper body are sore and weak. I started at 28 mph (which is actually something like 28.6 on the perfect pass). I was able to get 1, 2, turn inside of 3 by a couple of feet and then get 4. I tried several times with the same result at 26 (I was suprised I could ski that slow, didn't think I could). Probably made 10 attempts and was tired out and wiped out good crossing the wake and ended it there for the day. In hindsight I think any gain I got at 26 was probably offset by the wake not seeming nearly as friendly so I am thinking next time i'll go no slower than 28 and guessing that is why i've seen people recommend down to 28 and not 26. Being the first time I can certainly say my timing is nowhere close to right, i'm sure my form was extra bad, etc but I wish I didn't have to wait a while to try it again. Hopefully I can get myself to consistantly skiing the 4 turns with a hard pull towards where 5 would be and then i'll start speeding up. If (when) I can get through that drill up at 34 mph then i'll think about shortening the rope and/or getting the other 2 turns in. For now though I think I have my work cut out for me. It is definitely fun and I can see that this is going to make me get better assuming I am able to do it enough.
Any good reading on learning the course to recommend or any good instructional videos I could get to help me? I weight 190-195 and have a 67" Conelly F1X which I think is plenty of ski for me for a while.
I'll attach a picture of my 4 turn course since everyone loves pictures.
Scott
'95 LT1 Prostar 190 - PP Stargazer