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#1 Thu, Jul 19, 2007 11:13 AM

ChrisRossi
Karma:   
Pro Skier
Foot Forward: Right

Articles

I am revisiting the thought of writing some articles and thought I would take some suggestions.  Fire away!

Chris

 

#2 Thu, Jul 19, 2007 2:38 PM

JP
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor

Re: Articles

Ive noticed a lot of confusion between the new school, old school and west coast slalom. maybe a article on that would be nice

 

#3 Thu, Jul 19, 2007 3:09 PM

ktm300
Karma:   
Regular

Re: Articles

Where to put feet and the effect on BOTH sides of the course of any boot placement or moves.  i.e. toe out, toe in, how much for each. 

I've been taught to initiate the offside with the little toe of back foot and the onside with the little toe of front foot.  Is the oft stated view that the front foot controls the offside and the rear the onside still valid now that we are all trying to ride a more balanced ski and postion?

What is your view of adjusting fin for feel of water, cold v. warm.  Through a season what do you move and why.  When you start skiing in 60 degree water are you riding the same set up when it fires up to 90?

How do you suggest balancing practice time between acute awareness of all things technical and letting loose and focusing on going around the orange ones?  Avoiding the paralysis by analysis problem.

What are the acceptable ranges of setup on an MPD with respect to bindings and fin?  No way can one setting be right for all.  What is in range and what is leaving the reservation?

Thanks.  Good information in this sport is hard to come by.  Glad you are willing to share with the common people.

 

#4 Thu, Jul 19, 2007 6:07 PM

BuoyChaser
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Long Pond, Northwood NH
Foot Forward: LFF

Re: Articles

Chris - The biggest question I hear out there from beginners to serious course skiers, is how to setup a fin. How many beginners do we know that open the ski out of the box and ski on it. Sometimes they've been tweaked in shipping, but they think it is right and blame it on the ski. There are tons of articles and caliper techniques out there, but nothing that really breaks it down to simple terms and comes up with a standard across the industry.

Most importantly breaking the fin settings down, to at what their level of skiing would be in or out of the course. For example do they really need a wing skiing with full line length or working towards their top speed? Grant it, probably serious skiers would be reading the article, more so than a beginner. But just think if you were to do it like WEBER does with their Gas Grills, include a "Slalom Cookbook" rating how to cook the best steak and what settings to use to ensure it is tasty everytime!!! - Scott


2008 MC PS197 with ZO upgrade with 2011 Radar Senate C 67" working to smoke that 36-28 consistently in any tourney.

 

#5 Thu, Jul 19, 2007 7:32 PM

JP
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor

Re: Articles

the only thing that i think is important to specify with the fin adjustments is that i have seen many skiers that are adjusting their fin to compensate for major problems (body form etc)

 

#6 Thu, Jul 19, 2007 8:51 PM

RobBaxter
Karma:   
Rookie

Re: Articles

- things to think about or specific body movements that will assist with casting the ski outbound past the second wake
- description of the benefits of a one handed gate for a right forward skier
- WCS often refers to the difference between "Loading the ski" and "Loading the rope" and states that loading the ski is preferable - could you elaborate on what this means and the difference between the two?

You and Wade have obviously put a lot of your time into this forum (and the previous one) and it is greatly appreciated - thank you both for all the help!

 

#7 Fri, Jul 20, 2007 2:15 PM

Garn
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Utah Lake
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Articles

How the hell do you get the ski to finish the turn thus creating angle?  I know I'm suppose to do this but I don't (or can't).  I don't create the angle needed to complete the course at 32mph, let alone 34 mph.  This is driving me nuts.

Thanks Chris and Wade.

Garn Arnold

 

#8 Sat, Jul 21, 2007 2:44 PM

Jan
Karma:   
Regular

Re: Articles

Hi Chris

1. A full recap putting everything togethre going through:
-turn
-cut before wakes
-wake crossing
-edge change
-pre-turn

2.Ski pressure management: how, when, where?
- relation between pressure and softening legs
- keeping pressure on ski before releasing through edge change by softening legs?
- keeping pressure on ski in pre-turn through back arm pressure: is this still desirable? (not tought by West Coast who put mor emphasis on trailing arm pressure)
- how much pressure shld on keep out of the turn? if one absorbs to much doesn't this (i)flatten ski and (ii) prevent proper release through edge change.

3. Arms

- simple extension of the roap?
- ok for them to be away from body as long as hips are above bindings?
- back arm vs front/trailing arm pressure

4. Edge change timing for different rope lengths and 34vs36mph

5. Optimal angle out of buoy: how to recognise it?

6. Opening of hips: when? (cf Wade's comments on J Beauchesne photo in previous forum; also differences with West Coast

7. Originating movement from the ground up?

Hope to see you at Princes' in August

Best, Jan

 

#9 Sat, Jul 21, 2007 3:00 PM

Gloersen
Guest

Re: Articles

Chris,

Thanks for volunteering your efforts in this manner. A common and somewhat enigmatic topic is that of a ski’s “carry out” properties. It seems to me that any high end ski should possess great “carry out”.  For example, one will often hear that ski ”A” has great speed but ski “B” has better “carry-out”. IMHO if a ski (“B”) has great “carry-out”, this implies getting wide and early and therefore the ski must be generating better speed than the so-called fast ski (“A”) that doesn’t “carry-out” as well. After smoking a pass (i.e., extremely wide and early, happens occasionally), I always ask the time because they feel like a slow pull, however they’re usually right on in the 16.9’s. Conversely when I ski crappy (buoy to buoy), the pass feels real fast, but because it isn’t a wide and early pass, the path must be shorter for a given line length and thus given a shorter path in the same time the ski would be traveling slower despite feeling “faster”. My point here is that a ski that has great “carry-out”, i.e., gets wide and early must inherently be “fast”. Regarding the independent ski tests, I do not understand the rated characteristic of “speed”, since any ski rated high in “carry-out” should also rate high in “speed”, but it doesn’t appear to align this way for all the skis. Until GPS studies are done on a slalom ski “speed” qualities assessments are just too skewed.

Proper ski tuning of course is vital for good “carry-out”. For example, fin DFT and length, conventional perception dictates that moving the fin back and increasing length sacrifices width. While this seems true behind the boat regarding generating width, I lately have been finding that decreasing DFT and increasing length substantially improves the crispness of the offside turn allowing better balance on the ski both in the pre-turn and stronger exit, thereby entering the next onside turn wider and earlier, i.e. seemingly better “carry-out”. The initial feeling of maybe a slightly slower onside turn from such fin changes rapidly dissipates thus retaining good “carry-out” to the next offside buoy.

Since you possess a good deal of knowledge regarding a ski’s characteristics regarding design and tuning, perhaps you could elaborate on the above topic of “carry-out”. What particular properties of a ski and tuning techniques improve this quality.

Thanks.

Pete Gloersen

 

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