Thanks Wade.  I look forward to the day when I am ready for the more complicated stuff.  May have to justify a trip to SkiTek to understand it though    

Also, for the record I am now RFF with RHO/LHU (in case anyone was wondering).

Hey guys.  I just want to first compliment Wade and Rossi on having one of the best forums in the business.  This forum leaves out all of the bulls#*t that the others have.  I suspect that everyone who reads this is interest in learning more, growing the sport, and not simply trying to pretend they are the know-all, end-all of the sport.

That having been said, one of the guys who posted on the is forum asked me to weigh in with my thoughts.  Pursuant to receiving his email, I read the ENTIRE thread...wow!  You guys have really covered this one thoroughly.  I think that's cool, although quite time-consuming.  Anyway, rather than directly relate to anyone's specific questions or ideas, I want to spell out my philosophy relative to all of this stuff.  I think Wade and Chris covered some great stuff (not that anyone needs me to verify that as their resumes and knowledge speak for themselves).  I also think the rest of you have added some great stuff and evoke some great thoughts as well.

Here is my synopsis (bear in mind this is and always will be an opinion, but I feel as though there is some basis, background, facts, and field-testing to back it all up):

STANCE:
This has been touched on with opposing ideas through this thread, but I want to clarify a few things first (that I consider facts).  Having grown up in an area of the country where football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, etc. were the prevalent sports, I find it boldly apparent that 99% of Right handed athletes that have experience in these sports have a dominate left foot/leg.  This is the plant leg in soccer, the front leg in baseball, golf and tennis (for a forehand).  In these sports you finish your swing with most of your weight over the front foot.  This is what Andy was saying in theory.  9 uses (but perhaps in a different way), the power in throwing a baseball come largely from trunk rotation but finishes strong over the front foot (Left foot for a right handed pitcher).

To add to this using the "throwing" analogy that h2odawg7

Relative to waterskiing I believe the front foot is more dominant and here is why.  If you use your rear foot predominantly, yes you may be able to use the fin and tail of the ski as a rudder, but you also effect pressure on the ski that limits its ability to move.  When too much force is placed on the tail of the ski through the turn, the ski stops and the tip rises.  A more effective way (and Chris has discussed this on several other threads in various ways and is in fact one of the innovators of this concept in my opinion) to create velocity (movement in a particular direction) on a ski is to have that ski carve for you.  This can be achieved by moving your center of mass in the desired direction of travel...which creates pressure on the leading inside edge of the ski which actually allows the ski to carve through the turn rather than placing undue pressure on the ski by forcing the tail of the ski to move through the water (i.e. backfoot dominant pressure).  Quite simply, stand over the front foot through the apex of the turn enough such that the ski will find its way back towards the center of the course based on the design of the ski and not a tremendous amount of force on the ski.

HAND ORIENTATION IN THE TURN:
People who play the ball sports I mentioned must have their opposite palm up (so a right handed batter finishes strong on the left leg and swings with the right palm up.  This is predominantly due to the fact that with the right palm up/open it is easier to rotate to the left (this is what Rossi discussed relative to the turn and being open on your offside.  In waterskiing, even though you guys have discussed the handle being largely vertical in the turns, I personally have it vertical on my good side and palm up on my off side.  My hand grip helps this...I am LFF/RPU.  I think even for those skiers who don't move the handle going into the apex of the turn, a LPU skier has the handle anywhere from vertical to palm up through the 1-3-5 turn and anywhere from vertical to palm down through the 2-4-6 turn and the opposite for a skier who is RPU.  The handle has to be slightly off of vertical to make a good connection with it out of the turn.

HAND ORIENTATION THROUGH THE WAKES:
When the leading palm is up during the wake crossing phase, the skier will always be more able to maintain a countered and balanced through the wakes and keep your body between you and the load from the boat.  We are not actually in a tug of war with the boat...things are much more dynamic than in a tug of war and in this case we are using the boat to create our speed and energy and shouldn't be fighting the boat.  Rossie does this so well and makes things look so much more effortless than jackasses like me.

This is my philosophy, but I feel like there are some concrete ideas here that we can all agree on.  Simply put, Wade is right when he says that if you are dominant on your back foot, maybe you should have the opposite hand orientation.  There are so many factors to this whole game that one is dependent on the other.  This sport is so dynamic that it is nearly impossible to assess one aspect of your skiing whether it be stance, grip, rhythm, gates, etc. without spilling over into another area.

At the end of the day we are all athletic geeks which makes it so much fun...a little bit of science, a little bit of athletics, and a little bit of finesses.

IF you read this, thanks for taking the time to read my long winded post.  Hoe to ski with some of you in the future.

Have a blast!

Seth Stisher
[email protected]
www.h2osmosis.com

ozskier wrote:

Hey guys.  I just want to first compliment Wade and Rossi on having one of the best forums in the business.  This forum leaves out all of the bulls#*t that the others have.  I suspect that everyone who reads this is interest in learning more, growing the sport, and not simply trying to pretend they are the know-all, end-all of the sport.

I couldn't agree more!   Thank you Wade, Chris and Seth for bringing this topic full circle...

Thank you PSC members for having great patience with me. As I was being a bit of a pest and the Devils advocate at times...I am Sorry and I hope I didn't come off  sounding like the typical forum "know it all," as that was never my intention...(I'm Not)  But, "I Did have an Agenda", and that was always and only, to keep on pushing & prodding until we got to the Bottom (or as close as humanly possible) of this topic with a hard look from all angles at some real Compelling info...  -"mission accomplished"...

IMO,  Concerning this Particular topic, -"This is the Thread all other Forums will begin to Quote from"...



This Thread is yet another Great Example of Good People Working Together for a Common Cause and Once Again Demonstrating the Class and Dedication of Pro Ski Coach.com

Last edited by h20dawg79 (Fri, Jan 30, 2009 2:22 AM)