You Too Can Learn How To Water Ski
You can learn how to slalom water ski in less than one hour, and you can do it without falling, and without a lot of expensive water ski lessons. Many people try to waterski without proper preparation, and it is no surprise that they have a tough time. But if you understand and practice the proper form and technique, you will conquer waterskiing without stress.
Proper body position is everything in water skiing. You can practice the right form on dry land, so that when you get out on the water your body knows what to do. First, roll your shoulders back and forth, from front to back. Now, roll them back, as far as they will go, and keep them in this back position a” you will feel like your shoulder blades are pinching together. Now, take a deep breath to expand your chest, and arch your back. This is the correct position to have your upper body position in while slalom skiing.
Use a water ski handle during practice or substitute a cane or short broomstick. Now that you’ve achieved correct upper body position, you’re ready to work on your hips. Pull back with your shoulders to put your upper body at an angle of about 45 degrees.
From this position, move your hips upward. Do not pull in your arms or change the position of your shoulders. You will feel the rope pulling from your hips. Check whether your knees are in the right position: your ankles should be slightly behind the front of your knees – picture yourself crouching. Your shins will be angled forward over your feet just a bit.
Practice this positioning until you are very comfortable with it. Next, you can practice getting into the sitting position. This position give you control while slalom skiing. To practice the sitting position out of the water, keep the handle to the front of your knees, hold your knees together, and place your feet out a little wider than your hips.
After practicing these postures, you are ready to start slalom skiing on the water. Ask the driver to start at a very slow speed. This slow speed, where the boat is barely moving forward, will allow you to get the feel of the water under the ski and relax into the correct sitting position.
You will be ready to stand up once you can hold the sitting position comfortably for at least five seconds, without wavering. The driver will speed up to the slowest speed at which you can stand up so that you can practice moving from the sitting to the standing position, and back.
Once you are comfortable sitting, standing and moving on the ski, you can begin to experiment with movement within the wake of the tow boat. You are slalom water skiing! It takes a little more practice to really carve within the wake. Don’t be too aggressive to start. Make sure that you control your form and body position at all times. This will keep you safe and in control.