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#1 Wed, Apr 2, 2008 12:47 PM
- WadeWilliams
- Karma: 15
- Pro Skier
- From: Lynn, MA
- Registered: Tue, May 15, 2007
- Posts: 1087
- Skis At: Not short enough
- Foot Forward: Right
The Official Slalom Course Diagram
http://proskicoach.com/articles/officia … se_diagram
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#2 Thu, Apr 3, 2008 1:31 AM
- BuoyChaser
- Karma: 0
- Slalom Mentor
- Skis At: Long Pond, Northwood NH
- Foot Forward: LFF
Re: The Official Slalom Course Diagram
Very interesting article, gives me another EXCUSE as to why I always ski down course!!! 
Keep up the great work, love breaking down the technical aspects of the course.
2008 MC PS197 with ZO upgrade with 2011 Radar Senate C 67" working to smoke that 36-28 consistently in any tourney.
#3 Wed, Apr 9, 2008 12:38 PM
- PSM
- Karma: 0
- Regular
Re: The Official Slalom Course Diagram
In the following text, when you mention "skiing wider than you need to ski down the lake", does that mean I'm not supposed to getting out wide before finishing the turn at the buoy?
My alpine ski racing heritage presents me with that mythology but I've always wondered should I be doing so in the course -- or should I just be getting to buoy width. Give me the low-down:
The Official Slalom Course Diagram
For years water skiers have set up their race courses while studying a diagram that is a flat out lie. To draw a picture of the slalom course that shows the buoys nearly as wide as they are apart is horribly misleading to say the least. As long as you're attacking the slalom course thinking that you need to ski wider than you need to ski down the lake, you're going to have a hard time skiing efficiently.
#4 Wed, Apr 9, 2008 1:29 PM
- WadeWilliams
- Karma: 15
- Pro Skier
- From: Lynn, MA
- Registered: Tue, May 15, 2007
- Posts: 1087
- Skis At: Not short enough
- Foot Forward: Right
Re: The Official Slalom Course Diagram
PSM-
You can still ski as wide as you like in the course. The lesson here is the realization that we are traveling much more down the lake than we are side to side, even on the widest line possible. You still want to use your ski racing background to apex your turns before you reach the buoy. However, the mistake most skiers make is to pull, pull, pull on the boat (which is heading downcourse, quickly) to attempt to ski that wide line that feels so good. We're going to travel a lot further down the lake than we're going to ski side-to-side. The more you use the boat, the wider the buoys will feel.
The buoy is 37 feet wide. The distance from boat guide to boat guide is 134 feet. I know for me, when I was starting out, or even now when I'm on a bad line, the buoys feel like they are much further outside the centerline than they are apart! (I feel fast and narrow!) When we ski with a good rhythm with the pylon, we feel slow and wide! The buoys are narrow and far apart, so why shouldn't we feel slow and wide?
http://proskicoach.com/articles/officia … se_diagram
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