Teaching young kids to ski can be just as exciting for you as for the kids but don't let your enthusiasm push them into something they don't feel comfortable about or you could set them back months or even years. Make sure they are confident in deep water with their life jacket supporting them, remember if they get up on the skis and fall off in the middle of the lake or river they are on their own until you turn the boat around. This can freak kids out if they are not comfortable in deep water.

First Step

If you have a young one who thinks they are ready to indulge in the sport of waterskiing, the first thing I suggest is to practice on dry land. Remove the fins off the trainer skis, set your ropes up so the child has a handle that is joined to the rope that you will be holding so they have no pull only using the handle for balance. Leave the trainer bar on the skis this holds them from drifting apart, wet your lawn and drag them around, talk them through what is happening and explain to them about balance. This will build confidence and make them more enthusiastic.

Second Step

If you can find some water along a calm beach or river were you can drag the child in shallow water you will be able to run fast enough to keep them up. This will give them a greater feel for what will happen behind the boat and each step will make the final step so much easier.

Third Step

Behind the boat: This is the exciting bit for both teacher and child, try to find as calm water as possible as everything helps. By now you should have all the ropes and handles set up, don't hook the rope to the ski pole as the skis are being pulled and if the child falls over the skis will still be getting pulled and possibly drag the child. On the skis you have you should have a handle to hold in the boat if the skier falls let the handle go this eliminates any chance of the skier being dragged. You won't need much speed to get them up, as you would realise from step two. Drill into the child's head these important things. Keep your knees bent and together, head up, weight back and arms straight. If they do not get it right the first couple of times; do not get upset with them. You have got to remember this is scary stuff for them. Patience is the virtue. To ease the child's apprehension, have an adult get in the water and hang out with the child to help build their confidence. Help them get their skis pointed forward, and hold the tails of the skis down as the drivers begins the pull. If they are unsuccessful, you are right there to help them get started again. If they get up, great! Just hang out in the water until the boat returns. Once they are up tell them to keep the weight on their toes (balls of their feet) this has the affect of keeping them off their heels and consequently off their butts.

Turn them into experts

Once they have mastered these steps you can take off the rope from the skis to the boat and give them a rope and handle from the ski pole or bridle, if they master that take the stabiliser bar of the front and back off the skis. Now you have created a monster and they will want to be out there all the time. (Is it my turn yet! is it my turn yet!)

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

The best way to tell which foot goes to the front is, When you go to walk up a set of stairs the foot you lead with will be the foot you put in front. or get someone to push you forward when you are standing still and you will put the foot you lead with to the front (make sure you are not expecting the push) This is 95% the way you would ski but if this feels uncomfortable try the other foot forward you may be in that 5%. Place both feet firmly in the ski boot and rear toe kicker. Bend the knees and ankles, bring them tightly up to your chest. Keep your front knee is close to your body. Using a long vee easy up handles place your ski through the vee of the handle (this will give you more stability coming out of the water). Arms straight out (slightly bent at the elbows), chin towards chest, knees bent. Point the tip of the ski towards the boat at a 45-degree angle, with at least 12 inches of ski above the water.

As the boat begins to pull, keep the knees bent and shoulders back away from the boat. Let the boat do most of the work. Press forward with both feet and lean back. Slowly stand up by bringing your hips towards the handle. Do not stand up too soon. Don't pull the rope towards your body, keep the arms straight. Look at the boat is essential for keeping a balanced position. If you feel you are going off balance use your body to slightly steer in the right direction. Don't look down or that is where you will end up. You may not get up first time but keep trying as it can take a few attempts.

If you are getting tired stop and have a rest let someone else have a ski then have another go you will find it maybe a lot easier second time around.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

This way of getting up is great for boats that are dragging getting you out of the water. Or the heavier skier. The best way to tell which foot goes to the front is, When you go to walk up a set of stairs the foot you lead with will be the foot you put in front. Or get someone to push you forward when you are standing still and you will put the foot you lead with to the front (make sure you are not expecting the push) This is 95% the way you would ski but if this feels uncomfortable try the other foot forward you may be in that 5%. Place your front foot firmly in the ski boot. The back foot will act as a rudder to help with balance. Bend your front knee and ankle, bring your front knee tightly up to your chest. Front knee should be tight to your chest and your rear foot right underneath you. Using a long vee easy up handles place your ski through the vee of the handle (this will give you more stability coming out of the water). Arms straight out (slightly bent at the elbows), chin towards chest, knee bent. Point the tip of the ski towards the boat at a 45-degree angle, with at least 12 inches of ski above the water. As the boat begins to pull, keep your knee bent and shoulders back away from the boat. Let the boat do most of the work.

With your back leg dragging behind for balance keeping your toes on that foot pointing behind you so you are skimming the water on the top of your foot this will stop your foot digging in, and help you with your balance. Allow the boat to pull you and the ski up on the water. Press forward on your front foot and don't lean back to far as this will cause the ski to push water and make it hard to get up. Slowly stand up by bringing your hips towards the handle. Do not stand up too soon. Don't pull the rope towards your body, keep the arms straight. Look at the boat is essential for keeping a balanced position. If you feel you are going off balance use your body to slightly steer in the right direction. Don't look down or that is where you will end up. When you feel on top of the water and balanced, slip your back foot in the rear kicker.

If you are getting tired stop and have a rest let someone else have a ski then have another go you will find it maybe a lot easier second time around. This can take a few attempts to get so don't get discouraged.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Being able to do a jump-start on one ski not only looks and feels good, but it is also a quick way to change over from one skier finishing and the other starting. There are a few techniques that will help you in performing a jump-start.

Driver

You need to have a competent boat driver who knows how to correctly accelerate the boat. Driving in a straight line, the driver slowly accelerates. When the skier has released their coils of rope, the driver needs to accelerate so that you are between 15 and 20mph (for an adult) when the skier takes off (this varies depending upon the size of the person), quickly accelerating to the desired speed (32-34mph). It is important not to accelerate too slowly otherwise the skier will just drown. It is very important to not accelerate too quickly, because you are likely to rip their arms off! If anything, make the skier fight a little bit more by going a little bit slower.

Skier

From the start of the jump-start: Have your front foot in the ski binding and be standing around knee deep in the water. Once you have the handle, give yourself about 3 loops (coils) in the other hand. These coils will help straighten the rope. When the boat is pulling away, lift your ski above the water and have it pointing directly at the boat (this is the direction you want to go). When the slack is out of the rope, throw the coils of rope that you have directly in front of you and grab onto the handle with both hands, you want to be in a fairly tucked position with your body directly over the ski. Have your arms bent, ready to pull against the rope.

Now if you have trouble balancing, you can get someone to stand behind you to just help balance you. Once you are balanced it is all in the timing of when you "step onto the ski"- meaning the transfer of weight from the foot on the ground to the foot in the ski. The correct jump-start will look like you just ski away, effortlessly. If you try to go too early you WILL step onto the ski, it will sink and you will most likely be pulled forward by the boat- the worst scenario if you don't want to get wet on a cold morning! Not transferring your weight will just mean the rope will rip out of your hands- this can hurt a bit. You want to transfer your weight as the rope gets tight and just as you are about to be pulled. Now it is always a bit of a physical battle for the first part of the jump start- especially if the driver is going a little bit to slow and your ski has to plough through the water. But really hold on and pull against the boat and you will soon be on the water, skiing.

Your weight distribution on the ski should be fairly central, if anything a touch towards the back of the ski. Obviously, having your weight forward will not work. Allow your rear foot to trail you much like the deep-water start with one foot in. It won't be in the water for very long because you will be up and skiing sooner. It will just act as a balancing aid when you take off. Once you are balanced you can put your back foot in the rear kicker. Have a good ski!

If you are having troubles

Stepping onto the ski too early (a lot of people have this problem): have someone stand behind you and holding onto your jacket. Make sure they know what they are helping you do. You want them to give a little pull on your jacket just before you are meant to take off (usually when you try to take off). This will hold you back just enough to give you better timing. Make sure you take note of the delay and work on holding yourself back that little extra amount of time- if you rely on someone to pull you back all the time it will become habit and you will find it really hard to do a jump-start on your own.

Balancing:

Have someone stand behind you and put his or her hands on your waist. Most people lose their balance long before it is time for them to take off. Standing on one foot for a while can be quite tricky! It is also possible to hold onto the jump-start even if you go sideways- it is a matter of fighting to get the ski underneath you. It also helps to have someone next to you telling you what to do and when.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Place the skis firmly on your feet. A good fit is important.

With the rope handle in your hands, place it between your knees.

Knees should be bent towards the chest.

Point the skis, about shoulder width apart, towards the boat, with at least 6-12 inches of ski above the water.

As the boat begins to move forward, keep your knees together, skis parallel.

Arms straight out (slightly bent at the elbows), chin towards chest.

Press slightly forward with both feet.

Stay in a sitting position, until the boat pulls you on top of the water.

Stand up when the skis are planing.

Even when up, keep your knees slightly bent to act as shock absorbers.

If you try to stand too soon you will be thrown off balance and fall backwards or forwards.

Do not pull on the rope towards your body, keep the arms straight.

Do not point your head towards the sky to avoid getting water spray in the face. Having your sight set towards the boat is essential for keeping a balanced position.

If you feel you are going off balance use your body to slightly steer in the right direction.

Remain balanced, head towards the boat, and do not look down at the skis. Keep your back straight, with skis shoulder width apart.

After you are up and balanced stay inside the wakes for a while to get a feel of the skis.

Remember don't fight it. Let the skis and the boat do the work. And if you fall let go of the handle.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Dropping a ski will be the next step from combo skiing to learning to single ski. When starting out you will need to find out which foot should be at the front. Two ways of finding this out is to get someone to push you off the duckboard at the back of the boat. Normally the foot that steps out first will be the front foot or the other option is which ever foot you use on the first step going up a set of stairs, this is the general rule but not always the case so if you don't feel comfortable try the opposite leg forward. Now once you work out what foot will be your front foot put the single ski of the combo on that foot. Once your up and running behind the boat start slowly lifting the ski that is not the single ski of the two to try to get a feeling of what balance will be needed once you drop it. When you're ready to drop the ski make sure the binding on that ski is loose so that as soon as you lift your foot it only takes a slight shake for it to fall off. As soon as you drop the ski place your foot on the back of the single ski. Don't worry about getting your foot in the rear toe strap just leave it on the back of the ski, if you do go looking to put your foot in the rear toe plate you might find you will fall over the front of the ski. The reason for this is because you will end up leaning forward to try and get that second foot in so just place it on top of it until your balanced. One very important thing to remember is keep looking forward at the boat don't look down or you will go down. Once your balanced then try to slide your back foot until you feel your foot going in the rear toe rubber, and then keep your rear foot flat on the ski. Your front leg should have a slight bend in it with your rear knee bent so it is behind your front knee, hips forward and shoulders back and you will be in a good ski position.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Most social skiers want to get out on the water and carve up like the pro's, but most make a few very common mistakes I will run through them and then we will work on fixing the problems.

Mistakes

1. Bouncing when crossing the wakes.
2. Breaking at the waist as the slack rope tightens and pulls you forward.
3. Slack rope out of the turn.

How to look good on the water.

All these mistakes stem from not crossing the wakes properly, so let's work on that first. Always work on fixing one problem at a time this will help you progress more quickly than trying to fix a heap of things together. When crossing the wash your ski should be on its edge so it cuts like a knife you should hardly feel the wake if you do it right. Before you start it is much better to shorten your rope by 15 feet that will make the rope length from pole to handle 60 feet long.

Crossing the wake

When crossing the wake you need to have your front knee bent and your back knee tucked into the back of your front knee, your hips should be forward and your shoulders back. Keep your handle down to your hip and you should look at a point on the bank that is 90 deg to the boat, this will keep your shoulders square to the boat. Remember don't look down at the wake or this will stand you up straight and you will bounce across the wake or fall over. What you are tying to achieve crossing the wake is to lean away from the boat so you can get leverage from the boat which will create speed and angle so the edge of your ski is like a knife cutting the water. This is one of the most important parts of slalom skiing setting you up for great carving turns.

Pre turn

The pre turn starts when your ski has gone through both wakes and is about a ski length past, this is were you need to start to slow the ski down for the turn and change the edge of the ski to the opposite edge ready for the turn. Do this by standing a little higher on your ski and putting a bit more weight on your front leg, this will make the ski push more water and slow it down so you can make a nice turn.

The Turn

This is the part that looks the best and where mistake 2 and 3 come from. Most social skiers tend to push the back of the ski with their back leg in the turn to put up a wall of water. This works, but creates the problem of breaking at the waist and slack rope. When you push with your back leg it causes the ski to stall and you get slack rope, by the time the rope has tightened you have slowed so much that the rope has pulled you forward and your ski has come off its edge and is now on its flat. Then you can't cross the wake in the correct position, so let's look at how to fix these things.

As you come into the turn let the ski do its natural arc. Let go of the handle with your outside hand and let your arm holding the handle stretch out so it becomes an extension of the rope, this will put a huge spray up and keep the ski on its edge. As you are completing the turn bring the handle towards your hip and grab the handle with both hands keep the lean you have out of the turn to go across the wake. Then its back to crossing the wake and the process starts al over again.

Another Important thing is to not ski to fast remember in tournament skiing the fastest the boat goes is 36mph. You generate your speed buy crossing the wake properly, if you can slow the boat speed down to 30mph until you get good technique this will help you progress. Some heaver skiers near the 100kg will have to ski 32mph to 34mph unless they are on a wider body ski.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.